‘The People of the Sea’ was written for the Future Problem Solving, Scenario Performance Competition. I chose this topic because I am passionate about the environment and I would like to delve deeper into the issues that confront us in the environment in the future.

Future Problem Solving challenges students to think futuristically of possible consequences for current events. I chose to write about the North Pacific Gyre, the large collection of plastics and other garbage that have accumulated in the Pacific Ocean.

The challenge was to write and perform a future scenario in less than five minutes that is related to the topic I chose. It needed to be filmed in a single, continuous take!

‘The People of the Sea’ is set in the year 2060, and tells the story of a group of climate refugees who have been driven from their homes as a result of global warming. The have found refuge upon the now solid floating plastic mass in the North Pacific known as Atlas. The story looks at how to solve the dilemma of removing the toxic plastic mass that is contaminating the ocean and reducing the biodiversity of the seas, and at the same time provide a prosperous future for the inhabitants of Atlas without them becoming refugees once again.

Through the research I have completed to write this story, I have learned about the great significance and impact of the ocean garbage on the food chain and the biodiversity of our oceans. Once the plastics are discarded into the ocean, they are extremely difficult to remove and photo-degrade into smaller and smaller particles which have devastating effects on ocean life. I have learned that everyone has a responsibility to act to improve the water quality of our oceans and preserve our ocean wildlife.

Jonathan Coman

Year 6 Sandringham House, Firbank Grammar