Leonardo DiCaprio's Earth alliance fund to donate USD 5 million in aid amid Amazon fires

Leonardo DiCaprio's new environmental organization Earth Alliance, has pledged USD five million to help preserve the Amazon rainforest amid raging fires. The Hollywood star has created the organization with friends, Laurene Powell Jobs, and Brian Sheth.

According to Earth Alliance's website, the funds will be donated to five local organizations: Instituto Associacao Floresta Protegida (Kayapo), Coordination of the Indigenous Organizations of the Brazilian Amazon (COIAB), Instituto Kabu (Kayapo), Instituto Raoni (Kayapo) and Instituto Socioambiental (ISA). "The Amazon rainforest is on fire, with more than 9,000 wildfires scorching delicate, irreplaceable landscapes across Brazil this week -- a year to date, more than 72,000 fires have been reported by Brazil's National Institute for Space Research (INPE).

"This is a significant increase from the 40,000 fires in Brazil at this point last year," the post on the program's website read. The Leonardo DiCaprio Foundation (LDF) merged with Earth Alliance last month to "help address the urgent threats to our planet's life support systems."