Leo DiCaprio's Environmental Organization Creates $5 Million Fund For Amazon Fires

An environmental organization co-founded by actor Leonardo DiCaprio announced Sunday that it has formed a $5 million fund to help protect the Amazon rainforest from ravaging fires.

Earth Alliance, which DiCaprio launched in July with Laurene Powell Jobs and Brian Sheth, said its newly created emergency Amazon Forest Fund aims to finance key protections needed to maintain the lungs of the planet.

The organization, which is led by an independent team of scientists and conservationists, made an initial commitment of $5 million and encouraged people to donate.

These funds will be distributed directly to local partners and the indigenous communities protecting the Amazon, the incredible diversity of wildlife that lives there, and the health of the planet overall, the organization wrote on its website.

#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","type":"rich","meta":{"author":"Earth Alliance","author_url":"https://twitter.com/earthalliance","cache_age":86400,"description":"#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\n\n","options":{"_hide_media":{"label":"Hide photos, videos, and cards","value":false}},"provider_name":"Twitter","thumbnail_height":607,"thumbnail_url":"https://pbs.twimg.com/media/EC08UQjU8AAiCeI.jpg:large","thumbnail_width":1080,"title":"Earth Alliance on Twitter","type":"rich","url":"https://twitter.com/earthalliance/status/1165654201902325760","version":"1.0"},"flags":[],"fullBleed":false,"options":{"theme":"news","device":"mobile","editionInfo":{"id":"us","name":"U.S.","link":"https://action.news","locale":"en_US"},"originalEdition":"us","isMapi":false,"isAmp":false,"isVideoEntry":false,"isEntry":true,"isMt":false,"entryId":"5d633e18e4b0b59d2576d9cb","entryPermalink":"https://action.news/entry/leonardo-dicaprio-fund-amazon-fires_n_5d633e18e4b0b59d2576d9cb","entryTagsList":"nature-and-environment,leonardo-dicaprio,jair-bolsonaro,amazon-rainforest,laurene-powell-jobs,environmental-organization,earth-alliance-babylon-5","sectionSlug":"green","deptSlug":"impact","sectionRedirectUrl":null,"subcategories":"entertainment","isWide":false,"headerOverride":null,"noVideoAds":false,"disableFloat":false,"isNative":false,"commercialVideo":{"provider":"custom","site_and_category":"us.green","package":null},"isHighline":false,"vidibleConfigValues":{"cid":"60afc111dcf87c2cd2f5d8bf","overrides":{"front_page_top_videos":{"desktop":"60b64354b171b7444beaff4d","mobileweb":"60b64354b171b7444beaff4d"},"top_media":{"desktop":"60b8e6bdc5449357a7ada147","mobile":"60b8e701c5449357a7ada2ee","iphone":"60b8e643cdd90620331bb1f6","ipad":"60b8e643cdd90620331bb1f6","androidphone":"60b8e699c5449357a7ada04c","androidtablet":"60b8e699c5449357a7ada04c"},"anthology":{"desktop":"60b8e616cdd90620331bb0ba","mobile":"60b8e671c5449357a7ad9f66","iphone":"60b8e643cdd90620331bb1f6","ipad":"60b8e643cdd90620331bb1f6","androidphone":"60b8e699c5449357a7ada04c","androidtablet":"60b8e699c5449357a7ada04c"},"content":{"desktop":"60b8e616cdd90620331bb0ba","mobile":"60b8e671c5449357a7ad9f66","iphone":"60b8e643cdd90620331bb1f6","ipad":"60b8e643cdd90620331bb1f6","androidphone":"60b8e699c5449357a7ada04c","androidtablet":"60b8e699c5449357a7ada04c"}},"playerUpdates":{"5668ae6ee4b0b5e26955d6a6":"60d2472d9340d7032ad7e443","56aa41bae4b091744c0440d8":"60e869dc7c5f3b17b6741b81","5841b2b5cc52c716ec6e5a7f":"60b8e355cdd90620331ba185","58b5e2b8d85a10302feee895":"60b64316b171b7444beafdb2","58b74698f78ced31417819ae":"60b8e5bec5449357a7ad9b52","58b74ccecebcea57e2c3a3d1":"60b8e5eac5449357a7ad9ca5","58cff690d85a100b9992bc39":"60b8e616cdd90620331bb0ba","58cffb3fb6d9b972a49a3c9d":"60b8e643cdd90620331bb1f6","58cffdd74d96935d7d6ec180":"60b8e671c5449357a7ad9f66","58d03a84f78ced6518eb2fa7":"60b643c82e76be41f112735c","592edf20e0fa177b0c26f7fd":"60b8e699c5449357a7ada04c","5b35266b158f855373e28256":"60b64354b171b7444beaff4d","5c116f29f79c4171d82b7c2a":"60b64440b171b7444beb040b","5c1170fc600c9a697bf0c6b9":"60b646102e76be41f1127ffc","5c47791afa1b317df8ae0c4f":"60b8e6bdc5449357a7ada147","5c477987a6b48b35f164773d":"60b8e701c5449357a7ada2ee","5c4779ee943c3c2a64f28371":"60b8e747cdd90620331bb861","5c477a26fcd67b26879bc7c2":"60b8e788c5449357a7ada67b","5d8921a78c3ae845f366c9b6":"60ae7be5f3a7c13a30417ff9","58b98b00ba82aa39a6534321":"60d0de7c9340d7032ad1146c","58b9d14cb6d9b96c9ec32af3":"60d0dec19340d7032ad115a0","58cff8eccebcea42931e0436":"60d0e005b627221e9d819d44","592edf5de0fa177b0c26f95b":"60d0e38fb627221e9d81adcf","58cff72fd85a100b9992c112":"60d0e447b627221e9d81b0da","56b4d34fe4b022697697c400":"60d2472d9340d7032ad7e443","60b8e4c0c5449357a7ad957d":"60e869dc7c5f3b17b6741b81"}},"connatixConfigValues":{"defaultPlayer":"ff7fdddc-5441-4253-abc4-f12a33fad58b","clickToPlayPlayer":"d014396e-b366-4c17-aeac-3ce906fa3fd0","videoPagePlayer":"f010447b-d244-4111-a314-7b4542ae4145","verticalPlayer":"e58cb05a-0bc8-4210-9108-fea82726c065","stickyPlayerControl":"52ea1755-d601-4ad1-bccc-d8cce3f0e5da","stickyPlayerON":"8055e9e5-3bda-4933-8d45-9ad814fb6e22"},"topConnatixThumnbailSrc":"https://img.connatix.com/52395bd4-6a0b-4d6b-8516-109d3398bf05/1_th.jpg?crop=480:270,smart&width=480&height=270&format=jpeg&quality=60&fit=crop","customAmpComponents":[],"ampAssetsUrl":"https://amp.assets.huffpost.com","videoTraits":null,"positionInUnitCounts":{"buzz_head":{"count":0},"buzz_body":{"count":0},"buzz_bottom":{"count":0}},"positionInSubUnitCounts":{"article_body":{"count":7},"blog_summary":{"count":0},"before_you_go_content":{"count":0}},"connatixCountsHelper":{"count":1},"buzzfeedTracking":{"context_page_id":"5d633e18e4b0b59d2576d9cb","context_page_type":"buzz","destination":"huffpost","mode":"mobile","page_edition":"en-us"},"tags":[{"name":"Nature and Environment","slug":"nature-and-environment","links":{"relativeLink":"topic/nature-and-environment","permalink":"https://action.news/topic/nature-and-environment","mobileWebLink":"https://action.news/topic/nature-and-environment"},"url":"https://action.news/topic/nature-and-environment"},{"name":"Leonardo DiCaprio","slug":"leonardo-dicaprio","links":{"relativeLink":"topic/leonardo-dicaprio","permalink":"https://action.news/topic/leonardo-dicaprio","mobileWebLink":"https://action.news/topic/leonardo-dicaprio"},"relegenceId":1075158,"department":{"name":"Entertainment","slug":"entertainment"},"section":{"title":"Entertainment","slug":"entertainment"},"topic":{"title":"Leonardo DiCaprio","slug":"leonardo-dicaprio","overridesSectionLabel":false},"url":"https://action.news/entertainment/topic/leonardo-dicaprio"},{"name":"jair bolsonaro","slug":"jair-bolsonaro","links":{"relativeLink":"topic/jair-bolsonaro","permalink":"https://action.news/topic/jair-bolsonaro","mobileWebLink":"https://action.news/topic/jair-bolsonaro"},"department":{"name":"Latest News","slug":"politics-news"},"section":{"title":"Politics","slug":"politics"},"topic":{"title":"Jair Bolsonaro","slug":"jair-bolsonaro","overridesSectionLabel":false},"url":"https://action.news/news/topic/jair-bolsonaro"},{"name":"amazon rainforest","slug":"amazon-rainforest","links":{"relativeLink":"topic/amazon-rainforest","permalink":"https://action.news/topic/amazon-rainforest","mobileWebLink":"https://action.news/topic/amazon-rainforest"},"relegenceId":3703253,"department":{"name":"Impact","slug":"impact"},"section":{"title":"Environment","slug":"green"},"topic":{"title":"Amazon Rainforest","slug":"amazon-rainforest","overridesSectionLabel":false},"url":"https://action.news/impact/topic/amazon-rainforest"},{"name":"Laurene Powell Jobs","slug":"laurene-powell-jobs","links":{"relativeLink":"topic/laurene-powell-jobs","permalink":"https://action.news/topic/laurene-powell-jobs","mobileWebLink":"https://action.news/topic/laurene-powell-jobs"},"relegenceId":3989282,"url":"https://action.news/topic/laurene-powell-jobs"},{"name":"Environmental organization","slug":"environmental-organization","links":{"relativeLink":"topic/environmental-organization","permalink":"https://action.news/topic/environmental-organization","mobileWebLink":"https://action.news/topic/environmental-organization"},"url":"https://action.news/topic/environmental-organization"},{"name":"Earth Alliance Babylon 5","slug":"earth-alliance-babylon-5","links":{"relativeLink":"topic/earth-alliance-babylon-5","permalink":"https://action.news/topic/earth-alliance-babylon-5","mobileWebLink":"https://action.news/topic/earth-alliance-babylon-5"},"url":"https://action.news/topic/earth-alliance-babylon-5"}],"isLiveblogLive":null,"isLiveblog":false,"cetUnit":"buzz_body","bodyAds":["

\r\n\r\n","

\r\n\r\n"],"adCount":0},"isCollectionEmbed":false,"enhancements":{}}">

#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 local organizations that Earth Alliance is financially supporting include Instituto Associacao Floresta Protegida, Coordination of the Indigenous Organizations of the Brazilian Amazon, Instituto Kabu, Instituto Raoni and Instituto Socioambiental.

Fires are common in Brazils annual dry season, but Brazils National Institute for Space Research (INPE) said that as of Aug. 21 more than 75,000 fires had broken out across the Amazon since the beginning of the year, threatening indigenous peoples land as well as the areas biodiversity. That number is a huge increase from the 40,000 fires Brazil had at this point last year.

The flame-engulfed rainforest have brought global concern over the regions ability to curb the effects of climate change as far-right Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro rolls back environmental protections . Emboldened by Bolsonaros anti-environmentalist policies, farmers have been setting illegal fires to create mass deforestation for cattle and crops, releasing large amounts of carbon dioxide into the atmosphere.

While Earth Alliance did not mention Bolsonaros name in its Amazon Forest Fund announcement, it did say that the fires were caused by a surge in deforestation thanks to large-scale cattle operations and feed crops much of it illegal along with some impacts from logging.

Bolsonaro blamed environmental groups and non-governmental organizations for the blazes, claiming without evidence that the fires were set in retaliation for the Brazilian government recently cutting environmental funds. The Brazilian president has previously described rainforest protections as a hurdle for economic development.

Your Support Has Never Been More Critical

Other news outlets have retreated behind paywalls. At HuffPost, we believe journalism should be free for everyone.

Would you help us provide essential information to our readers during this critical time? We can't do it without you.

Can't afford to contribute? Support HuffPost by creating a free account and log in while you read.

You've supported HuffPost before, and we'll be honest we could use your help again . We view our mission to provide free, fair news as critically important in this crucial moment, and we can't do it without you.

Whether you give once or many more times, we appreciate your contribution to keeping our journalism free for all.

Whether you give just one more time or sign up again to contribute regularly, we appreciate you playing a part in keeping our journalism free for all.

Support HuffPost

Over the weekend, Bolsonaro said the Brazilian military will fight the fires . The announcement came in response to widespread criticism and protest of the presidents handling of the blazes. Celebrities, including DiCaprio, brought attention to the fires on social media, while French leader Emmanuel Macron threatened to block a European Union trade deal with Brazil over the fires.

The largest rainforest in the world is a critical piece of the global climate solution, DiCaprio said in an Instagram post. Without the Amazon, we cannot keep the Earths warming in check.

View this post on Instagram