Latest news with #Mananalu
National Geographic
18-03-2025
- Entertainment
- National Geographic
How playing Aquaman helped turn Jason Momoa into an ocean advocate
Momoa's love of the ocean persists, and these days he sees himself as a megaphone for experts whose voices don't carry quite as far as his. 'I get to meet those scientists, I'm excited to learn, and I think maybe people can relate to that,' he says. 'If I can fast-track any of that information to an audience, to people who care or who didn't even know, that's about as good as you're going to get from me. Because I'm not a scientist; I just care and love the planet and want to help.' In 2022 he linked up with the UN Environment Programme, becoming its Advocate for Life Below Water. Occasionally he feels out of his depth, so to speak. The first time he delivered a speech for the United Nations, at a 2019 gathering of the delegation of Small Island Developing States, was 'in the top two things I've ever been nervous about,' he says. 'I'm like, Bro, you should have been better in speech class, why are you doing this right now?' But the speech is powerful. Momoa stands before his audience, long hair wild over a sober suit. 'As a Native Hawaiian born to a mother from Iowa, I have seen how one place can be oblivious to another,' he begins. 'However, with a foothold in two worlds, I quickly began to see how a problem for one will soon become a problem for all.' His latest projects—both on-screen and off—reflect his interest in island ecosystems. Momoa recently finished shooting Chief of War, a historical drama series he wrote, executive produced, and starred in, playing Ka'iana, an 18th-century chief who sought to unite the Hawaiian Islands against would-be colonizers. And last year, his aluminum water bottle company, Mananalu, announced a partnership with Boomerang Water, which packages locally sourced water for hotels and other businesses in aluminum or glass bottles that are then sanitized and reused after customers return them. (In addition to encouraging recycling, the program limits the amount of oil fuel used to transport bottles, explains Boomerang co-founder Jerrod Freund.) For Momoa, who started Mananalu after growing frustrated with the plastic water bottles he often saw on planes—'There's this little ridiculous shot of water that has three kinds of plastic,' he says—the partnership offers an incremental solution to an infuriating crisis. Momoa feels fortunate to have the resources to combat his annoyances. 'If I'm gonna complain about something, I'm gonna go do it,' he says. 'I'm going to invest in it and try to make a difference.' It's the same impulse that pushed him to make Deep Rising, a documentary about deep-sea mining, and to collaborate with Humble Brands to create a deodorant with biodegradable, plastic-free packaging. 'I'm speaking from a place of, I'm trying to make a change,' he says, 'and I'm trying to be accountable.' Stylist: Steven Constancio; hair and makeup: Jennifer Stanfield National Geographic magazine. A version of this story appears in the April 2025 issue ofmagazine.
Yahoo
23-02-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Jason Momoa surprises local school with new initiative to help curb major issue in children's futures: 'It's hurting us'
Jason Momoa surprised Kamehameha students in Hawaiʻi to launch an exciting new mālama ʻāina initiative. Mālama ʻāina is a native phrase meaning "to care for the land" and a core principle of Hawaiian culture. Kamehameha Schools Kapālama has partnered with Mananalu Water, founded by Momoa, and Boomerang Water to vastly reduce single-use plastic water bottle waste. The campus plans to launch KS-branded bottles and recovery stations in the spring of 2025. According to the Mananalu website, the Boomerang Bottling System uses aluminum or glass to sanitize, refill, and cap up to 3,000 reusable bottles of ultra-purified water daily. Because it taps into local water sources, it drastically cuts the carbon creation tied to shipping beverages, reducing transportation pollution by 95%. "I created Mananalu to eliminate single-use plastic," Momoa told the school. "... My goal is to eliminate and ban, in two years or less, single-use plastic bottles. … We don't need them. All it's doing is hurting our lands, it's hurting our oceans, and it's hurting us." Plastic Oceans reported that 380 million tons of plastic are produced each year — 50% of which is for single-use purposes. Typically made entirely of dirty energy, plastic can take centuries to break down, if at all. As plastic degrades, it creates microplastics that invade our environment at every level. These teeny tiny particles are found everywhere, from the highest mountains to the deepest seas, in the soil used to grow food, and even the human brain. It's unavoidable at this point. That said, avoiding plastic whenever possible is better for your health and the environment, and it's a lot easier than you might think. You could save up to $1,300 a year by investing in a reusable water bottle. Not only will it keep more money in your pocket, but it will keep plastic waste out of methane-producing landfills and microplastics out of your body. Ditch single-use grocery bags, coffee cups, and to-go containers, too. Plastic-free options are generally higher quality and last longer, which is a win for everyone. Packaging is one of the biggest culprits of plastic waste, so find and support brands that use alternative packaging to reduce your carbon footprint and save the planet all in one go. Momoa's efforts were met with applause. Do you think America has a plastic waste problem? Definitely Only in some areas Not really I'm not sure Click your choice to see results and speak your mind. "Good for you using your gift to create and make a difference. … Bravo, Mr. Momoa," one Instagrammer wrote. "There should not be any single use water bottles for sale anywhere," a commenter agreed. "Thank you for your commitment and influencing the next generation," another praised. Join our free newsletter for good news and useful tips, and don't miss this cool list of easy ways to help yourself while helping the planet.
