As you all know, Detective Society members are not just clever. They are determined, compassionate and brave, and always willing to stand up and help those in need. And today there’s a new campaign that you can all help with: Authors4Oceans.

Oceans are amazing, and we couldn’t live without them (that’s not an exaggeration! They help produce a lot of the oxygen that we need to breathe) – but we’ve been using so much plastic that it’s clogging up the water and hurting the animals that live there.

Adults need to do better, and that’s why my friends and I (led by Lauren St John and MG Leonard) created Authors4Oceans. We want to tell bookshops, publishers and schools to STOP using plastic straws, plastic cutlery, plastic bags and other single-use plastics (stuff that you only use once and then throw away). And we hope that there are enough of us speaking up for the people in power to listen!

How can YOU help?

• Say no to plastic straws in your drinks
• Ask for tap water in a glass instead of a bottle of water
• Ask for metal cutlery, not plastic cutlery
• Sign the pledge on our website
• Talk to adults and ask them to pledge as well

But what if the adults around you won’t listen?

• Be annoying! Be very annoying! Send them cute gifs of dolphins and sea turtles. Write lists of well-considered arguments and read them out loud when you know everyone is listening. Channel Daisy Wells.
• Create a petition. Get everyone in your class to sign, or everyone on your street. There’s strength in numbers.
• Start a campaign. Make placards and posters (using recyclable paper, please) and write catchy chants. MAKE people listen to what you have to say! (But remember, always be polite and follow the rules, unless the rule is something like ‘No campaigning’, because that is a bad rule.)

And what if the adults DO listen?

• Brilliant! You know some great adults. They can help you with your petitions and campaigns, and make sure they reach an even wider audience.
• Ask them to sign the pledge – and tell all of their friends to sign it too.
• Get them to help you enter our competition OCEANS ARE NOT RUBBISH! This is open to artists in Years 3-8, and all entries have to be submitted by a teacher – so make sure your school is on board.

This is a really important campaign, and we can all help out. Good luck, Detectives – I trust that you’re on the case!