Jason Momoa represents small island nations in moving U.N. speech addressing climate change

Hawaii-born actor Jason Momoa recently made his first appearance in front of the United Nations on Friday (September 27), to address the devastating world impact of climate change.

On Friday, the Aquaman star joined world leaders at the U.N. General Assembly, on behalf of island nations. While there, Momoa and others reviewed the progress made by the SAMOA Pathway, a U.N. initiative and program adopted in 2014, designed to address the unique environmental concerns specifically impacting small island nations and developing states.

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In his speech, which Momoa posted to his Instagram page, he addressed the toxic traits of people’s dismissive actions towards the environment.

“We are the living consequence of forgotten traditions. We suffer a collective amnesia of a truth that was once understood; the truth that to cause irreversible damage to the earth, is to bring the same to ourselves,” the 40-year-old actor stated.

He continued, “We, the island nations, and all coastal communities, are the front-lines of this environmental crisis. The oceans are in a state of emergency. Entire marines of the ecosystem are vanishing with the warming of the seas,” Momoa said.

The actor and husband to actress Lisa Bonet also went on to detail the alarming stats of plastic and other non-biodegradable waste.

“As the waste of the world empties into our waters, we face the devastating crisis of plastic pollution. We are a disease that is infecting our planet… we are polluted. It is a great known fact that a great garbage patch floating in the Pacific [ocean that] is larger than the country of France… and shockingly there are more plastic particles in the ocean than stars in the milky way. That’s shameful.”

The Hawaiian star then spoke directly to the hazardous effects of harmful waste emission to neighboring islands, including rising sea levels.

“Entire islands are drowning into the sea due to the enormous volumes of emissions generated by first world countries. Island nations contribute the least to this disaster, but suffer the weight of its consequences. Our governments and corporate entities have known for decades the changes needed, and yet changes have yet to come,” Momoa declared.

 

In another Instagram post, Momoa called the experience to speak to the U.N. “life-changing,” while also thanking his family for the support.

“It takes an amazing team and support system to pull off something like this. I am deeply grateful to my wife and children, my mother.”

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