Science Museum and Shell Sponsorship

To the Science Museum,

We are youth strikers who have mobilised hundreds of thousands of young people to call for climate action over the past 2 years. We recognise the extreme importance of accessible climate education. However, we, and the undersigned supporting organisations, scientists and other individuals, strongly believe the Science Museum’s ‘Our Future Planet’ exhibition is problematic for a number of reasons.

Shell’s sponsorship

The fact that Shell, a company with a vested interest in the continued use of fossil fuels, is financially supporting an exhibition about climate change solutions is appalling. We condemn the Science Museum’s decision to accept this sponsorship and provide Shell with an opportunity for brazen green-washing.

Shell has a history of committing horrific human rights violations, including polluting the Niger Delta, and has been accused of being complicit in the murders of the Ogoni 9 in Nigeria. Solving the climate crisis goes beyond cutting carbon emissions; this must be a fight for climate justice. We stand alongside the activists in the Global South who face violence from fossil fuel corporations, such as Shell, and the communities who are and will be hit hardest by climate change, despite contributing the least to cause it.

Promotion of carbon capture technology

Carbon capture technology will only ever have, at best, a limited role to play in dealing with carbon emissions. Presenting it as a significant solution ignores and diverts from the need for real emissions reduction and an end to the exploitation, extraction and injustice that truly fuels the climate crisis. There is an array of many more impactful technologies which help end the extraction of fossil fuels and mitigate or reduce the impacts of climate change. Choosing to highlight carbon capture and storage technology in particular, rather than other technology functions to justify and uphold continued fossil fuel extraction and use.

It is not surprising that Shell is sponsoring an exhibition so heavily focused on the use of carbon capture and storage. Their own target of net zero by 2050 relies heavily on the unproven possibility of large-scale carbon capture, rather than the necessary rapid shift away from fossil fuels. Shell has an vested interest in gaining widespread support for carbon capture and storage technology.

The use of the youth strike movement in promotional materials

We strongly oppose the Museum’s decision - evidenced by Channel 4 News’ coverage of the exhibition - to use the actions of young climate activists to promote an exhibition funded by a fossil fuel company. This goes against our values as a movement and the very basis of what we are fighting for.

We are disappointed to see references to the Youth Strike 4 Climate movement in media coverage of the exhibition, and refuse to be associated with Shell and any exhibition or institution taking money from them.

We are asking the Science Museum to drop Shell sponsorship for the ‘Our Future Planet’ exhibition or we, and the organisations signed below, will call for a boycott of this exhibition.

We hope to hear back from you, regarding this, as soon as possible.

Signed:

UKSCN London

Youth Strike 4 Climate Brighton

Bristol Youth Strike 4 Climate

Bromley YouthStrike4Climate

Fridays for Future Exeter

Guildford Youth Strike 4 Climate

UKSCN Herts

Youth Strike 4 Climate Manchester

Matlock4Climate

Youth Strike 4 Climate Midlands

Roade Climate Strikes

Student Climate Action Norwich

Sheffield Youth Strike for Climate

Staffordshire Youth Strike 4 Climate

Stratford-upon-Avon YouthStrike4Climate

Youth Strike 4 Climate Swansea

UKSCN Wales

Wareham Youth Strike for Climate

Supported by:

350.org

50 Golborne

Ackroyd & Harvey

Adblock Norwich

Adfree Cities

Biofuelwatch

BP or not BP?

Cambridge Zero Carbon Society

Car-Free Norwich

Climate Museum UK

Climáximo

Corporate Europe Observatory

Croydon Climate Action

Culture Unstained

Divest Hackney

Eco Action Families

Environmental Rights Action, Nigeria

Equity

Equity for a Green New Deal

Extinction Rebellion Bath

Extinction Rebellion Bristol

Extinction Rebellion Bury St Edmunds

Extinction Rebellion Cambridge

Extinction Rebellion Devizes and Marlborough

Extinction Rebellion Norwich

Extinction Rebellion Plymouth

Extinction Rebellion Richmond

Extinction Rebellion Scientists (XRS)

Extinction Rebellion Sheffield

Extinction Rebellion UEA

Faith for the Climate

Feral X

Fossielvrij NL

Fossil Free Culture NL

Fossil Free London

Fossil Free Norfolk

Fossil Free Politics campaign

Frack Free Somerset

Frack Free Surrey

Frack Free Sussex

Frack Off London

Friends of the Earth England, Wales and Northern Ireland

Friends of the Earth Europe

Friends of the Earth International

Gas Free Pensions

Gastivists Collective

Glasgow Calls Out Polluters

Global Witness

Green New Deal UK

Greenpeace UK

Health of Mother Earth Foundation/Nnimmo Bassey

Imperial Labour Society

London Friends Of The Earth Network

London Labour Students

Medact, Ben Eder (Climate & Health Campaign & Programme Lead)

Milieudefensie

MOSOP (Movement for the Survival of the Ogoni People)

Mothers CAN

Museums For Future International

Music Declares Emergency

Nanas UK

New Weather Institute

ONCA

Operation Noah

PCS Union Culture Group

People & Planet

Platform

Reclame Fossielvrij - Fossil Free Advertising

Red Line Art Works

Science For The People (Cambridge)

Scientists for Extinction Rebellion

Scientists for Global Responsibility

Shale Must Fall

Teach The Future UK

Teachers for Truth (educators in Extinction Rebellion Cambridge)

Tipping Point UK

UCU Environment Officer

UK Youth Climate Coalition

Under 18 Young Greens

Wretched of the Earth

XR Brighton

XR Families

XR Youth UK

Alex Bush - Lecturer in Environmental Remote Sensing at Lancaster University

Ali Stopher

Alice Robijns - Research Scientist

Andrew Simms

Anna Vickerstaff - 350.org, UK Lead

Bella Radenovic

Benjamin Franta - Historian of Science

Caroline Lucas MP

Chris Paul - MSc researcher, and advocate/Director: Mobilities Justice CIC

Clemens Kaupa - Scientist

Daniel Hirschman - Assistant Professor of Sociology

Dr Abigail Perrin - Scientist

Dr Alexander Penson - Scientist

Dr Alice Bell - Author & Campaigner

Dr Alison Green - Executive Director, Scientists Warning Foundation

Dr Andy Yuille - Research Fellow

Dr Barbara Howey

Dr Caroline Vincent

Dr Hazel Ball

Dr Jacob Ainscough - Senior Research Associate at University of Lancaster

Dr Louise Carver - Lancaster Environment Centre. Geographer

Dr Lucy Burke

Dr Mike Whitfield

Dr Pauline von Hellermann - Anthropologist & director of EcoEd2030

Dr Rebecca Whittle - Lancaster Environment Centre, Lancaster University

Dr Sherry Zaman - NHS

Dr Stuart Parkinson - Climate scientist & campaigner

Dr Valeria Scagliotti - Postdoctoral Research Associate

Dr. Emily Heath - Earth Scientist

Dr. Geoffrey Supran - Research fellow at Harvard University

Dr. John Cook - Research Fellow at Monash University

Dr.Susi Arnott (Biologist)

Emeritus Professor Keith Beven, FRS

Emma Sayer - Scientist & contributor to the exhibition

Evan Wroe - Chemistry PhD candidate at University of Cambridge

Farhana Yamin - Climate Lawyer

Gareth Spencer - PCS Southbank Centre Branch Organiser

George Monbiot

Gordon Walker - Professor

Guy Edwards

Heather Moorhouse - Postdoctoral Researcher

Joe Hayns - Bectu's Art Technicians Branch & the Art Workers Forum

John Beardmore - Engineer & Researcher

Jon Spooner - Artistic Director & Chief Executive Unlimited Theatre

JP Sapinski - Assistant Professor of Environmental Studies

Juliana

Julie Ward - Former MEP & Vice Chair European Parliament Culture & Education Committee

Kate Strudwick

Kirsti Ashworth - Research Fellow in Atmospheric Sciences

Kirsty Forber - Senior Research Associate at Lancaster University

Lesley Saltman - Nazreen Dance Company

Marco Grasso - Scientist

Michael Attenborough CBE D. Litt

Nicola James - Final Say For All Foundation

Nils Markusson - Senior Lecturer in the Politics of Environmental Technology

Orlando Jopling

Pete Knapp

Prakash Kashwan - Climate Social Scientist

Professor Bill McGuire - Professor Emeritus of Geophysical Hazards, UCL

Professor Duncan McLaren

Professor Kate Pickett - Epidemiologist

Professor Megan Povey - Professor of Food Physics

Professor Peter Newell

Professor Robert N. Proctor - Professor at Stanford University

Professor Simon Lewis - Climate Scientist, UCL

Professor Simon Pirani - Honorary Professor at University of Durham

Rebecca Bromley-Trujillo - Assistant Professor

Robin Ince - writer/performer

Saleemul Huq - Scientist

Sandra Pallier - Designer

Sandy Martin - Executive member, Socialist Environment & Resources Association (SERA)

Sandy Paul - MSc Environmental Technology at Imperial

Simeon Gill

Simon Batterbury - Visiting Professor at Lancaster University

Sita Brand - Storyteller

Tim McCann - Engineer

Tina Nieman Da Costa

Tristram Wyatt - Zoologist & Senior Research Fellow

Victoria Burns

Will Attenborough - Actor & Campaigner