Long before Hollywood celebrities decided to become more proactive in efforts to save the planet and its threatened and endangered dwellers, actor Leonardo DiCaprio was already living his life outside the proverbial box of societal norm and thinking "green."
Even after starring in James Cameron's mega box office hit "Titantic" in 1997 - the movie that made DiCaprio a matinee idol - the superstar still preferred to tool around town in an economy car.
It was not just any off-the-assembly line set of wheels, but a Toyota Prius hybrid that remains ranked as one of the cleanest vehicles sold in the United States, based on smog emissions. DiCaprio reportedly still owns the vehicle.
A dedicated environmentalist, the star of "Catch Me If You Can" has received standing ovations from quite a few environmental groups for both his activism and humanitarianism in recent years.
In 2010, DiCaprio donated $1 million to relief efforts in the Republic of Haiti after a 7.0 magnitude earthquake devastated the Caribbean country.
During the same year, the LA-native of Italian and German descent gave another $1 million to Russia's Wildlife Conservation Society to help further the foundation's biodiversity research, restoration and preservation campaigns.
In 2011, DiCaprio joined the Animal Legal Defense Fund's initiative to free Tony, a tiger who has spent the majority of his life at the Tiger Truck Stop in Grosse Tete, Louisiana, a village in Iberville Parish of less than 700 residents.
The Leonardo DiCaprio Foundation is focused on supporting efforts to secure a sustainable future for the planet and all its inhabitants.
With a net worth estimated at $200 million, DiCaprio simply enjoys showing others how to conserve energy and putting his wealth to productive use by setting an admirable example.
His home in Los Angeles, by the way, is powered by the sun.
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