Wednesday, 27 October 2021

Science Museum in a Shade of Greenwash?

For decades, UK Institutions such as Art Galleries, Theatre Companies, Football Clubs and Museums have been encouraged by government to seek Corporate Sponsorship to help run their activities. This can be very lucrative but sponsors only 'give' money, when they judge it will be in their interest to do so. Sponsorship can quickly turn into a laundry exercise for rich, but somewhat dubious companies/countries. This is especially well illustrated by a vigil of London's Science Museum by climate activists (https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2021/oct/27/climate-activists-occupy-science-museum-over-fossil-fuel-sponsors). Kensington's Science Museum is expected to showcase all aspects of Science and is much frequented by children. The museum was occupied by members of the London Branch of the UK Student Climate Network (UKSCN). The UKSCN demonstrators were armed with sleeping bags and candles for an overnight occupation. The activists objected to the Museum's sponsorship by fossil fuel companies, including Adani, BP, Equinor and Shell. The products of the fossil fuel companies have a major role in climate-changing 'greenhouse gas' emissions. Petrol and diesel emissions also make air quality so poor, it has been linked to respiratory disease and thousands of early deaths. One need hardly, of course, mention the environmental impacts of many substantial pollution events (e.g. oil leaks) linked to these companies. The UKSCN activists were particularly incensed By news that fossil fuel sponsorship had been used to create a new gallery in the Science Museum. This development is branded as the 'Energy Revolution: The Adani Green Energy Gallery'. It must strike some people as being a shameless example of 'greenwashing'. The companies that generated your problems will (slowly?) produce the solutions. Perhaps Museums etc shouldn't have to be so dependent on sponsorship?

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