Brown short bob. Pink-dyed pixie cut. Blue mullet with streaks of green. Flowing golden locks, long and strong enough for a man to climb a whole tower with. Hair is incredible! Just think of all the possibilities it holds: you can curl it, straighten it, dye it, shave it off completely or bleach it to hell by accident and it’ll all come back! (Or not, but that’s a different story.)

Some people grow out their hair for a good cause. Whether it be for donations to make human-hair wigs for those in need, or as part of a charity they wholeheartedly believe in. One such person made waves recently for just that cause, and he is no other than Jason Momoa! He posted a video of him cutting his luscious hair off to raise awareness of the impact of single-use plastic, so let’s see what all the fuzz is about!

More info: Instagram | Mananalu Water

Jason Momoa, best known for his roles in Game of Thrones, Dune, and Aquaman, shared a video of him getting his long, luscious hair cut

Image credits: prideofgypsies

At the end of the day, changing one’s hair is a big step in an unknown direction. You won’t know whether you love it or hate it until you go for it. So my advice to all you wonderful readers is to go for it! I remember my grandma had a few angry words to say whenever I cut my hair short; she likes it quite long, you see. So if I can survive my nan’s wrath, you can too!

So Jason Momoa filmed his hair getting cut last Monday. “Aloha, everyone,” he began in the video he posted on his Instagram account, before adding, “Hand me those braids.” He then held two long pieces of cut braided hair in front of the camera and said, “I’ve never even felt wind right there!”

It’s a significant move for the American actor, whose hair became a signature part of his look, but the message he’s bringing forth with such an action is far more important

Image credits: prideofgypsies

He continued to explain that raising awareness to eradicate single-use plastic inspired his decision to cut his hair. “I’m tired of these plastic bottles,” he said. “We gotta stop [using] plastic forks. All that s**t. It goes into our land, our ocean. It’s just so sad, so please: anything you can do to eliminate single-use plastic in your lives, help me!” Seems like a great message in its own right, but let’s dive a little deeper.

For those of you who don’t know, Jason is a 43-year-old American actor who made his acting debut with Baywatch: Hawaii, but is best known for his roles of Khal Drogo in Game of Thrones and as Aquaman. Who am I kidding, Momoa is best known for his long hair and muscled physique.

Jason has been fighting to reduce single-use plastics with beach cleanup and educational outreach events, as well as by founding a company named Mananalu Water

Image credits: prideofgypsies

He was born in Honolulu, Hawaii, and the naturescape inspired his love for the ocean. So much so that he dreamt of becoming a marine biologist. Well, he somewhat accomplished this dream by playing Aquaman. The success of the franchise gave way to the rise of his influence, as well as his platform, which he decided to use for good.

Jason is aiming to bring attention to his initiative, named Mananalu Water, to reduce single-use plastics globally, or, ideally, to ensure they’re no longer present in our day-to-day lives. Single-use plastics, or disposable plastics, are used only once before they are thrown away or recycled. These include things like plastic bags, straws, coffee stirrers, soda and water bottles, and most food packaging.

With the help of Ball Corporation, he brought forth water bottles made out of aluminum rather than single-use plastics

Image credits: prideofgypsies

As he wrote in the caption of the Instagram post: “Here’s to new beginnings – let’s spread the aloha. Be better at protecting our land and oceans. We need to cut single-use plastics out of our lives and out of our seas. Plastic bottles, plastic bags, packaging, utensils, all of it. Let’s aloha our ‘āina [trans. land] together!”

Tiny detour: Aloha has a beautiful meaning. Although Hawaiians use this word when greeting or parting from someone, the word has a deeper cultural and spiritual significance, defining a force that holds together existence. The literal meaning of aloha is “the presence of breath” or “the breath of life.” Aloha is a way of living and treating each other with love and respect.

Image credits: mananalu.water

Now they’re in partnership with rePurpose Global to remove, recycle, and repurpose plastic from the ocean in an initiative called Drink One, Remove One

Image credits: mananalu.water

Considering the fact that our oceans are suffocating from plastic, every little initiative counts. Pew Trusts argue that around 11 million metric tons of plastic enter the ocean every year, the equivalent of a garbage truck full of plastic every minute. A 2020 report, “Breaking the Plastic Wave,” projected that the inflow will increase to 29 million metric tons per year by 2040 without ambitious action.

Thus, Mananalu Water was born. They were kind enough to answer a few questions Bored Panda had for them, such as how did it all come about? During one flight, Jason noticed that water came in single-use plastic bottles but soda, beer, and juice were all in aluminum cans. Why couldn’t water be packaged in aluminum instead? He soon partnered up with Ball Corporation and got the ball rolling.

Now they’re in partnership with rePurpose Global to remove, recycle, and repurpose plastic from the ocean to make the earth a better place for future generations, with an initiative called Drink One, Remove One. Mananalu donates a percentage of every aluminum bottle sold to air in the removal of plastic waste from our water systems.

Image credits: repurpose_global

As stated on their website: “Mananalu is a catalyst for change… a wave of change that will eliminate single-use plastic bottles. Pronounced {mah-nah-nah-loo} in Hawaiian, it means just that. ‘Mana’ is the sacred spirit of life, and ‘Nalu’ is a powerful wave that pushes across the ocean.”

Pew Trusts believes that one of the many obstacles to raising awareness of this challenge is that most people in the world cannot see the extent of the ocean plastic pollution problem. Even while standing on a beach, we might notice a few straws, bottle caps, and toys at the tideline, but we can still gaze out over the ocean and conclude that it’s beautiful, pristine, and thriving.

What we don’t see is the pervasive pollution beneath the surface, or the trillions of microplastic particles, from vehicle tires, textiles, and other sources, suspended from the surface to the seafloor.

“All that s**t, it goes into our land, our ocean,” he said in the video. “So please: anything you can do to eliminate single-use plastic in your lives, help me!”

Image credits: mananalu.water

Image credits: mananalu.water

They believe that with organized immediate action by both governments and industry—the two entities with the most power to effect large-scale change—we can reduce the flow of plastics into the ocean by up to 80% by 2040. Although it will not be an overnight change given the far-reaching effects and uses of plastic day-to-day, as long as there’s movement forward, there is hope.

Mananalu Water is just one of the ways people can reduce the amount of plastic they use. The team at Mananalu believes that the easiest and least disruptive change anyone can make is to “bring and refill their own water bottle as much as possible. Buy a plastic alternative for bottled water if available and recycle it if it’s aluminum.”

As the NRDC states, individual choices—and the collective shifts they bring about—add up quickly. Making just one simple swap, like purchasing a reusable water bottle, can spare the environment hundreds of plastic bottles each year.

Mananalu Water is just one of the ways people can reduce the amount of plastic they use. Individual choices—and the collective shifts they bring—add up quickly

Image credits: mananalu.water

Here are a few more tips for ridding yourself of single-use plastics for good. Always pack a reusable bag when shopping. Cook more often to reduce your use of plastic-heavy takeout containers. Avoid individually packaged goods, like snack packs. Avoid plastic wrap altogether by storing leftovers in reusable containers. Try reusable and compostable beeswax wraps for an easy and decorative option.

The Mananalu team believes that it’s time for a change and time to make more and bigger waves! However, each of us needs to play a part in it.

You can watch the full video here

 

View this post on Instagram

 

A post shared by Jason Momoa (@prideofgypsies)

We hope that Jason enjoys his newfound hairstyle! At the point of writing, we have yet to see the completed look, but we’re sure he’ll look as handsome as ever.

Let us know your thoughts in the comments below, and tell us – do you believe aluminum bottles are the future? Don’t forget to upvote to spread the word and follow the writer for more sassy, yet educational content. Aloha!

People seem very supportive of his message and cause, also complimenting him on his new look. Let us know your thoughts in the comments!

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