Leonardo DiCaprio and Other Stars Share Old Amazon Photos in Effort to Help Fight Current Fires

Rachel McRady‍
Updated
The actor and environmentalist is celebrating the HFPA's decision to switch things up with this year's show.

Stars have taken to social media in droves in the hopes of shedding light on the plight of the Amazon rainforest. But several images that have been shared are actually from older Amazonian fires and some are not even from the Amazon at all.

Actor and environmentalist Leonardo DiCaprio regrammed one image of a wall of fire and smoke. The same image was also posted by Brazilian model Gisele Bundchen.

#Regram #RG @IamNickRose: Terrifying to think that the Amazon is the largest rain forest on the planet, creating 20% of the earth’s oxygen, basically the lungs of the world, has been on fire and burning for the last 16 days running, with literally NO media coverage whatsoever! Why?

A post shared by Leonardo DiCaprio (@leonardodicaprio) on Aug 21, 2019 at 12:11pm PDT

A floresta tem um papel fundamental no equilíbrio do clima na Terra e, consequente, em nossas vidas. Não podemos fechar os olhos para o que está acontecendo na Amazônia. As queimadas crescentes vêm destruindo em dias o que a natureza leva anos, séculos para construir. Eu já estive lá e pude ver de perto como tudo acontece, especialmente como os oportunistas se aproveitam da época das secas para botar a floresta abaixo. O desmatamento na Amazônia tem que parar!! Pela nossa saúde e pela saúde do nosso Planeta! #TodospelaAmazonia #PrayforAmazonia #TogetherfortheAmazon 🌳 🌳 🌳 🌳 🌳 The forest plays a key role in balancing the Earth's climate and consequently in our lives. We cannot close our eyes to what is happening in the Amazon. The increased burnings have been destroying in days, what nature takes years, centuries to build. I've spent a lot of time there and was able to see closely how everything happens, especially how opportunists take advantage of the dry season to destroy and clear the forest. Deforestation in the Amazon has to stop...for our health and the health of our planet!

A post shared by Gisele Bündchen (@gisele) on Aug 21, 2019 at 5:42pm PDT

CNN notes that the photo was published on a website in 2018, showing earlier fires than the ones currently ravaging the Amazon. The site notes that the fires themselves are not in question, as Brazil has reported 80 percent more fires in 2019 than there were last year.

Another photo making the rounds is one that’s been posted by Justin Bieber, Jaden Smith, and YouTuber Logan Paul. It was republished in The Guardian in 2007 and the British paper says it was originally taken in 1989.

A post shared by Justin Bieber (@justinbieber) on Aug 23, 2019 at 12:45am PDT

Despite the conflated images, the intention behind the stars’ posts is genuine. Many stars have spoken out following the lack of media coverage surrounding the fires.

“My beloved Brazil! Speak up and stop the deforestation of the Amazon which is 20 percent of the air we breathe,” Shakira wrote on Instagram. “The home of our people and our fauna should be protected. The Amazon is ours, is everyone’s!”

My beloved Brazil! Speak up and stop the deforestation of the Amazon which is 20 per cent of the air we breathe. The home of our people and our fauna should be protected. The Amazon is ours, is everyone’s! Shak #Repost @leonardodicaprio ・・・ #Regram #RG @rainforestalliance: The lungs of the Earth are in flames. 🔥 The Brazilian Amazon—home to 1 million Indigenous people and 3 million species—has been burning for more than two weeks straight. There have been 74,000 fires in the Brazilian Amazon since the beginning of this year—a staggering 84% increase over the same period last year (National Institute for Space Research, Brazil). Scientists and conservationists attribute the accelerating deforestation to President Jair Bolsonaro, who issued an open invitation to loggers and farmers to clear the land after taking office in January.⁣ ⁣ The largest rainforest in the world is a critical piece of the global climate solution. Without the Amazon, we cannot keep the Earth’s warming in check. ⁣ ⁣ The Amazon needs more than our prayers. So what can YOU do?⁣ ⁣ ✔ As an emergency response, donate to frontline Amazon groups working to defend the forest. ⁣ ✔ Consider becoming a regular supporter of the Rainforest Alliance’s community forestry initiatives across the world’s most vulnerable tropical forests, including the Amazon; this approach is by far the most effective defense against deforestation and natural forest fires, but it requires deep, long-term collaboration between the communities and the public and private sectors. Link in bio.⁣ ✔ Stay on top of this story and keep sharing posts, tagging news agencies and influencers. ⁣ ✔ Be a conscious consumer, taking care to support companies committed to responsible supply chains.⁣ Eliminate or reduce consumption of beef; cattle ranching is one of the primary drivers of Amazon deforestation. ✔ When election time comes, VOTE for leaders who understand the urgency of our climate crisis and are willing to take bold action—including strong governance and forward-thinking policy.⁣ ⁣ #RainforestAlliance #SaveTheAmazon #PrayForAmazonia #AmazonRainforest #ActOnClimate #ForestsResist #ClimateCrisis 📸: @mohsinkazmitakespictures / Win

A post shared by Shakira (@shakira) on Aug 23, 2019 at 1:30am PDT

Salma Hayek shared a video of the fires, writing, “Thanks to all of you who used my Instagram to bring attention to the Amazonian fires. I hear you, and I unite myself with you. I have already started participating in the reforestation. The world should come together to heal and protect the lungs of our planet. Brazil and Peru I’m with you.”

Thanks to all of you who used my Instagram to bring attention to the Amazonian fires. I hear you, and I unite myself with you. I have already started participating in the reforestation. The world should come together to heal and protect the lungs of our planet. Brazil and Perú I'm with you. Les agradesco a todos los que usaron mi Instagram para atraer atención a los incendios forestales en el Amazonas. Los escucho y me uno a ustedes. Ya empece a participar en la reforestación. El mundo debe unirse para curar y proteger los pulmones de nuestro planeta. Brazil y Perú estoy con ustedes. #prayforamazonas #amazonrainforest

A post shared by Salma Hayek Pinault (@salmahayek) on Aug 22, 2019 at 12:06pm PDT

According to CBS News, there are several organizations to donate to that are working to save the rainforest, including Amazon Conservation Team, Amazon Conservation Association, the Rainforest Trust and the Rainforest Foundation.

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