DiCaprio takes private jet extra 8,000 miles to collect environmental award

Leo DiCaprio picked up an environmental award in NYC this week — but hypocritically expanded his carbon footprint by 8,000 miles when he obtained the honor, by taking a private jet from Cannes, then flying straight back to France on another jet for a model-packed fund-raiser a night later.

DiCaprio was at the Cannes Film Festival this week and was spotted there partying at club Gotha on Monday with model Georgia Fowler, then jetted back to New York for the Riverkeeper Fishermen’s Ball at Chelsea Piers on Wednesday, where he was honored by the clean-water advocacy group and Robert De Niro.

Just 24 hours later, DiCaprio reappeared back in France for amfAR’s glitzy Cinema Against AIDS gala, where he gave a speech.

DiCaprio’s foundation just pledged $15 million to environmental causes at this year’s World Economic Forum. And during his Oscar acceptance speech he said, “Climate change is real. It is happening right now, it is the most urgent threat facing our entire species.”

But he’s also been slammed for his use of private jets and yachts. Environmental analyst Robert Rapier, who said the actor’s movie-star lifestyle “diminishes his moral authority to lecture others on reducing their own carbon emissions,” told us of DiCaprio’s latest trips:

“[He] demonstrates exactly why our consumption of fossil fuels continues to grow. It’s because everyone loves the combination of cost and convenience they offer. Alternatives usually require sacrifice of one form or another.” Rapier added, “Everybody says, ‘I’ve got a good reason for consuming what I consume’ . . . It’s the exact same rationalization for billions of people.”