Leonardo DiCaprio and Margot Robbie on the photocall for As soon as Upon a Time in Hollywood.
Leonardo DiCaprio’s Spanish diamond challenge sparks outrage over ‘unsustainable’ water use
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Leo’s diamond dream beneath risk as Trujillo manufacturing unit faces water conflict.
Leonardo DiCaprio’s glittering diamond empire in Spain is dealing with a rocky long run – and it’s now not on account of dodgy gem stones. The Titanic big name’s high-tech manufacturing unit in Trujillo, Caceres, is making waves for all of the flawed causes in this day and age, with livid locals and environmentalists caution that its water intake may depart town excessive and dry.
A ‘titanic’ funding
DiCaprio-backed Diamond Foundry kicked off take a look at manufacturing on January 17, marking Europe’s first-ever diamond production plant. The Hollywood heartthrob – the corporate’s largest investor – has poured a fab €275 million into the primary segment; a determine set to skyrocket to €675 million when totally operational.
By means of the tip of 2025, the manufacturing unit objectives to have over 100 reactors churning out lab-grown diamonds, a futuristic selection to standard mining. However now not everyone seems to be dazzled through DiCaprio’s newest blockbuster trade transfer.
The hidden price of sparkle?
Native environmental team Plataforma Salvemos el Berrocal has issued a stark caution: the manufacturing unit’s annual water intake may exceed 730,000 cubic metres – greater than all of the inhabitants of Trujillo makes use of in a yr.
This mission used to be licensed with out correctly assessing the have an effect on on water assets. It’s utterly unsustainable, critics argue. And with the manufacturing unit recently reliant on Trujillo’s ingesting water provide, many are wondering how lengthy town can stay the faucets working ahead of citizens are left parched.
Public backlash boils over
On February 7, issues got here to a head in a heated assembly hosted through Asociación 25 de Marzo. Professionals, together with Ecologistas en Acción’s Fernando Teijón and Aquanex director David Bejarano, raised the alarm concerning the dire penalties of prioritising a Hollywood-backed trade over native wishes.
“Presently, the manufacturing unit has no water recycling infrastructure, that means it’s competing with the neighborhood for very important assets,” warned Bejarano. “Longer term, this simply isn’t viable.”
A disaster and not using a transparent repair
The most obvious resolution? Spend money on water infrastructure to strengthen the manufacturing unit with out draining Trujillo dry. However insiders say that’s not likely, given the loss of coordination between executive businesses.
Environmentalists argue that pouring public cash right into a mission that advantages a personal corporate over the native inhabitants is little short of scandalous. “In a area the place water is scarce, we will have to be occupied with folks first – now not diamonds,” stated Teijón.
Is Leo’s diamond challenge a sinking send?
For now, Diamond Foundry insists trade will proceed as deliberate, disregarding issues about water shortages. But when the manufacturing unit doesn’t discover a sustainable technique to supply its provide, DiCaprio’s Eu diamond dream may hit an iceberg of its personal.
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