He sure kicked ass in The Departed. I wonder if he'll be as tough in this ;)

DiCaprio is the real deal.

How about they target one of the gulf coast communities devistated from Katrina?

Yeah, another worthless reality show where people can get fat eating their potato chips and watching their HDTV's. Just what we needed.

"Yeah, another worthless reality show where people can get fat eating their potato chips and watching their HDTV's. Just what we needed."

I don't watch TV and don't think it does much good compared to books and the internet, but for people who DO watch TV, I'd rather have them watch things that have a certain amount of positive and education things in them than pure fluff.

In fact, TV has HUGE potential for positive change and education. Our society just doesn't use it for that..

Jilted -

That seems like a rather dour way to look at things. The 'worth' of this show, reality or not, remains to be seen. It could be that DiCaprio, with his star power, could bring sustainability concepts to the masses. Tell me how this is a bad thing. Remember, limiting these notions to a (I have to generalize) "liberal intellectual elite" does very little to make large and rapid strides.

I am reminded of this post Kill the television, keep the shows.

If it's like a This Old House format, cool. If it's voting people of the island, uncool. Informative is good, but if it is like the other entertainment reality shows then it's not for me. I think the masses get the sustainability concept. Or at least many do. Many just find it inconvenient to try and be sustainable, or too expensive.

DIY-TV has a solar show on cable. Haven't seen it but know it's out there.

Here's my proposal for a solar TV show:

http://solarray.blogspot.com/2004_12_01_solarray_archive.html

Your Southernmost Window
A series of half hour programs for TV, videotape, DVD and other digital media

What you can do with one south-facing window, or how to live within a solar budget, including designs viewers can replicate at home to provide heat, light, ventilation, and/or stimulate ecological growth.

Program 1. What You can See from a Window - one square foot of sunlight, orientation to the sun, design principles, window types, glazing, heat loss, infiltration, insulation, heating ventilating and air conditioning (HVAC), air purification, breathing

Program 2. Every Window in the House - window types take 2, radiation and convection, caulking and weatherstripping, drafts and infiltration, how to chart your airflows, how to use them, window insulation, whole house HVAC

Program 3. The Electric Window - solar electricity/photovoltaic/PV, small battery charger, solar/dynamo flashlight radio, one window systems, permanent emergency capacity, battery switching and your car

Program 4. Hot and Cold Windows - windowbox heaters, passive and active ventilators, advanced airflow usage, active and passive water heating, your northernmost window, a nod towards refrigerators and low heat differential heat pumps

Program 5. The Greenhouse Window - windowsill gardens, bubbling out/bubbling in, heat storage, aquaculture, vermiculture, and ecological housekeeping, the neighborhood

Program 6. Most Windows in Town -what if everybody did it?, the economics of sunlight, systems thinking from community to region to country to world, globalization of solar physics

Leo was on Oprah talking about this. Very ambitious and passionate. He has been influenced by his pal Brad Pit (who was involved in making the excellent PBS mini-series documentary E-Design).

One thing Leo talked about is how clueless the public at large is about green topics. They really have very few information sources, or inspiration sources for that matter. Mainstream media just doesn't cover it except in the most superficial way, like it's almost a joke.

I think it is a very positive thing that both Leo and Brad are doing these things to inspire and inform others. And they are walking the talk; Leo's Katrina relief efforts are really quite remarkable. People will absolutely pay attention to these guys, and be inspired to learn more.

I am sorry is some of the bitter among us are so quick to put this down. Leo and Brad are really making things happen and helping peoples lives in quite a profound way. That's more than most of us can say (like the dour and bitter jilted) and more than our government seems to be willing to do. I applaud their efforts.

I think the masses get the sustainability concept.

No, they don't.

Many just find it inconvenient to try and be sustainable, or too expensive.

Thus proving they don't get it.

Where's the town?

Leo's a champ.

Anyone know what happened to that other reality tv show that was suppose to air, "eco-village" or something. Thought I read about it here or over at grist...can't seem to find the article (not talkin bout "Off the Grid" btw)

Search google for "Katrina and Leonardo DiCaprio"

This guy is seriously committed and spent over a million bucks of his own money on very well designed housing for Katrina survivors.

It's insulting people like Jilted throw out caustic comments without so much as a 30 second google seach. This guy desrves better. Way better.

Leo has given hope and a future to dozens of families that have lost it all. These people would have otherwise had their lives shattered for life with no hope or resources to fall back on, and a government that doesn't give a damn.

He could use his bucks living the high life and not giving a damn about this poor people far away. Instead, he is really concerned and wants to make a difference.

And he has already made a difference for many people who have been given a chance to pull together their families and have a future to look forward to.

Some of the commenters here have been reacting to the words "reality" and "TV" rather than the show itself. While much reality TV is indeed crap, like any other format, it comes in all shapes and sizes and many reality programs are actually quite good. Even the cheesier shows can often offer the intelligent viewer more insight into human affairs than the latest unoriginal sitcom or primetime drama, which used to account for about 80% of programming. One of my favorites is the horrendous-sounding "Wife Swap".

What reality TV does, that most traditional shows don't, is offer the viewer a chance to imagine "what would I do in this situation?" No matter how ridiculous the situation, that's still better than pretending you're a cop or a legal hero or something. To bring this full circle, a reality show could actually do a fair bit to bring home the realities of sustainability to the "average" viewer.

There is enought preaching to the choir, like all us greenies on Treehugger.

A reality TV show gets the word out to a lot of people who have never been exposed to green issues and ideas before.

I think this is BRILLIANT!!! What a way to mainstream green thinking. Thank you, Leo!!

he awsome and plays in my fav movie titanic.love you

I think Leo will call it Funky Town. LOL! Only kidding. I don't know, but it sounds like an interesting reality series. I hate reality series as a rule, but something along this nature would be interesting to me.

hello leonardo espero que te encuentres gozando de mucha salud alado de tus seres mas queridos de este corto saludo paso alo siguiente

sabes eres mi idolo desde niña y lo seras por toda mi vida bueno cuidate mucho besossssssssssss

te amooooooo te quieroooooo muchisimo soy de mexico, chiapas

Maybe they should start in Thailand and undo the damage they already did when they filmed The Beach. --Bad press for tearing up the natural environment in what was supposed to be a Preserved National Park for a movie! Maybe there's some guilty conscience left there, and he's trying to make peace with all that.
I'm sure the series will be mela-dramatized (that's what people like, unfortunately.. so they have to tend to that some), but hopefully some good messages and help will be provided in the end anyway. I actually am rooting for it/him!

:):):):):):):):):):):);):);)