Albertans heckle Leo DiCaprio over climate change remarks

Friday, December 11, 2015, 7:51 AM - It seems Leonardo DiCaprio is unfamiliar with Chinooks. 

In the recent issue of Vanity Fair, the American actor and film producer discussed witnessing the "terrifying" effects of climate change firsthand while in Alberta filming his new film The Revenant.

"We would come and there would be eight feet of snow, and then all of a sudden a warm gust of wind would come," DiCaprio told Vanity Fair. “We were in Calgary and the locals were saying, ‘This has never happened in our province, ever."

The actor has a strong passion for environmental activism but the issue is, the warm gusts he is referring to are common, natural occurrences in Alberta called Chinooks.

RELATED: The cost of El Niño: The phenomenon's economic impact

"It's not a rare phenomenon, its something we see every year. It's a mesoscale event that occurs when warm winds descend, or compress over the mountain ranges. As long as the mountains are there, you will continue to see Chinooks," said The Weather Network meteorologist Jaclyn Whittal.

Last year the film crew were forced to truck in snow from nearby mountains to use for many scenes in the new film. Eventually, the production relocated to Argentina. 

"It's possible that last season, there may have been more Chinook winds. It was extremity mild across the west the entire season, so snow would have been difficult to find while filming. But to blame it on climate change solely would be a very inaccurate statement."

DiCaprio was nominated for a Screen Actors Guild award for his role in The Revenant, which is based on the life of frontiersman Hugh Glass.

Here's what Albertans had to say on social media about DiCaprio's comments. 

Source: Variety 

Related video: Leonardo DiCaprio Unveils Groundbreaking Eco-Resort