Leonardo DiCaprio's new environmental fund pledges $5mn to local organisations committed to aid Amazon Fires

Hollywood star Leonardo DiCaprio's new environmental fund with Laurene Powell Jobs and Brian Sheth has pledged USD 5 million towards the preservation of the Amazon rainforest as wildfires continue to ravage "the planet's lungs".

Named 'Earth Alliance', the money is being demarcated under an emergency Amazon Forest Fund, CNN reported while quoting the organisation.

Leonardo took to Instagram to make the official announcement

View this post on Instagram

#Regram #RG @earthalliance #EarthAlliance, launched in July by @LeonardoDiCaprio, Laurene Powell Jobs, and Brian Sheth, has formed an emergency Amazon Forest Fund with a commitment of $5 million dollars to focus critical resources for indigenous communities and other local partners working to protect the life-sustaining biodiversity of the Amazon against the surge of fires currently burning across the region. Join Us. 100 percent of your donation will go to partners who are working on the ground to protect the Amazon. Earth Alliance is committed to helping protect the natural world. We are deeply concerned about the ongoing crisis in the Amazon, which highlights the delicate balance of climate, biodiversity, and the wellbeing of indigenous peoples. To learn more or to donate, please visit ealliance.org/amazonfund (see link in bio) Photos: @chamiltonjames, @danielbeltraphoto 2017

A post shared by Leonardo DiCaprio (@leonardodicaprio) on Aug 25, 2019 at 6:51am PDT

We are proud to announce that the Leonardo DiCaprio Foundation is now part of Earth Alliance, a philanthropic partnership dedicated to addressing the urgency of climate change and environmental threats to life on Earth. Learn more here: https://t.co/rnMXwUwF5g. pic.twitter.com/dUdeehNqc5

— Earth Alliance (@earthalliance) July 2, 2019

#EarthAlliance has formed an emergency Amazon Forest Fund with $5m to focus critical resources for indigenous communities and other local partners working to protect the biodiversity of the Amazon against the surge of fires. Learn more & donate: https://t.co/uG2WoEoKqx pic.twitter.com/IbcubQCO4v

— Earth Alliance (@earthalliance) August 25, 2019

The fires have also sparked widespread outrage online, prompting a number of celebrities to use their social media platforms to raise awareness.

The money will be demarcated between five local organisations which are "combating the fires, protecting indigenous lands, and providing relief to the communities impacted." They include the Instituto Associacao Floresta Protegida (Kayapo), Coordination of the Indigenous Organizations of the Brazilian Amazon (COIAB), Instituto Kabu (Kayapo), Instituto Raoni (Kayapo) and the Instituto Socioambiental (ISA).

As per media reports, talks were held on the Amazon wildfires during the ongoing G7 summit in Biarritz.

Updated Date: Aug 26, 2019 13:53:04 IST

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