Matt Lauer Continues Today's Global Warming Crusade with Leonardo DiCaprio

Matt Lauer is getting greener by the minute. Fresh off his promotion of Al Gore the Today co-host turned to noted environmental activist/actor Leonardo DiCaprio to plug his latest enviro-flick. Initially on to promote his movie on the African diamond trade, Blood Diamond, Lauer couldn’t resist asking DiCaprio about his first liberal love, global warming. DiCaprio went on to push his upcoming movie, Eleventh Hour, that featured the "greatest minds in the world," on the subject of global warming. DiCaprio claimed his scientists represented "over 90 percent of the collective thought," on the issue but absurdly lamented they don’t get the appropriate amount of time in the media claiming: "But then when it's on the media you have that 10 or five percent and there sitting opposite on a chair and it becomes an argument when they are actually the minority."

The following is the full exchange that occured in the 8:30 am half hour of the December 6th Today show:

Matt Lauer: "When, when I looked over to, to get ready to talk to you, you're kind of recent history and your schedule of events coming up it, it's fairly obvious that you are starting to dedicate more and more of your time to causes and in particular the environment, global warming. How much of an impact do you think you've had already and, and, and what are you planning for the near future in terms of what you can bring to that, that discussion?"

Leonardo DiCaprio: "Well I'm currently working on a documentary called The Eleventh Hour which really was inspired because you know I've, I've done a lot of work on the issue, on the issue of global warming in the past and I feel like when it's presented in the media you have the, you have the consensus of the greatest minds in the world, the greatest scientists Nobel Laureates speaking about the issue and they are over 90 percent of the collective thought. But then when it's on the media you have that 10 or five percent and there sitting opposite on a chair and it becomes an argument when they are actually the minority. You know what I'm saying? So I want to be able to present some of these, some of these great minds to have a palette in which they can talk about the issue of global warming without out it being an argument any more."

Lauer: "And how important is it for you to start to change the perception and it's only in some quarters but the perception of Hollywood as being a place of consumption and excess and, and start people thinking about and maybe it's, it's by people like you and a George Clooney standing up to get people thinking that Hollywood can be a great motivator for change?"

DiCaprio: "I think it can too and you know I've heard the argument that, you know, who are we as these Hollywood artists to-"

Lauer: "Just go act and shut up?"

DiCaprio: "-to just go out, yeah, exactly. But you know we're also citizens as well and, and it's, and everyone has the right to not listen to us but if I feel like if I can draw, you know, a certain amount of young people or anyone to hear my voice on an issue like global warming or educate them in any possible way it's just something I personally want to do."

Lauer: "It's nice to see you working on what your passionate, you feel passionately about and also to keep turning out these great movies."

DiCaprio: "Thank you so much."