JUPITER, Fla. — A Jupiter filmmaker has traveled the globe documenting the environment, and now he wants to share the importance of protecting it with the local community.
Tom Fitz will narrate his latest film — "Sea Change - The Future of Our Oceans" — about plastic pollution at the Maltz Jupiter Theatre on Tuesday at 7 p.m. The event is free to attend.
WATCH BELOW: Filmmaker inspires local students to fight plastic pollution
Documenting where plastic bottles end up is part of Fitz's job. His film notes that globally, 1 million plastic bottles are used every minute.
"So I approach filmmaking from the underwater end of things. As a kid, I lived in Bermuda, so I fell in love with the ocean," Fitz said.
What he did not love was how plastics have become so ubiquitous.
"Plastic is everywhere, so wildlife is consuming plastic, is living amongst it," Fitz said.
His film asks what would happen if plastic could be intercepted in rivers before it reaches the oceans. Through his company, Schoolyard Films, Fitz aims to bring clarity into the classroom. His short films have been screened in local schools and are available to watch online.
"My time in the classes was so much fun, and the kids were so engaged, and curious and so motivated to learn more," Fitz said.
Working with kids from Jupiter High School and Loggerhead Marinelife Center, the students are seeking solutions.
"The students went to the Palm Beach County commissioners," Fitz said.
During a meeting, students told commissioners that local marine life is in a fight for its life against plastic.
"That's brilliant," Fitz said.
Fitz hopes his work lights the way for young environmentalists to carry the message forward.
"I feel that my generation has done a pretty rotten job of being good stewards," Fitz said.
His film emphasizes that now is the time to act before it is too late.
Click here to register for the free screening of the film.
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