CAN YOU HELP US EXPOSE SHELL'S WILD LIE?
Shell is the third largest oil company in the world.
It is also the new sponsor of the Natural History Museum’s Wildlife Photographer of the Year exhibition.
Despite attempts to ‘greenwash’ its reputation via blanket advertising and cultural sponsorship, Shell is still heavily implicated in producing ever-greater quantities of the oil and gas that are destabilising our climate to such an alarming degree. Climate change is set to wipe out millions of plant and animal species and to devastate the poorest regions of the planet. Shell’s activities also result in oil spills which are major causes of death and destruction for many varieties of life. Its planned refinery and pipeline project in Country Mayo, Ireland, threatens a pristine ecosysystem, not to mention the homes and livelihoods of the inhabitants. Lastly, Shell is currently constructing a massive development at Sakhalin Island in Russia which is threatening the survival of the Western Pacific Grey Whale. For all these reasons, Shell should not be sponsoring the Wildlife Photographer of the Year exhibition. We call on the Natural History Museum to end its sponsorship deal with Shell.
If you agree with us that this is a ridiculous situation, here’s what you can do:
1.) Help get the word out, either with more copies of our postcard, or by contacting people – particularly photographers – who might be up for helping out or contributing images to our ongoing counter-exhibition (see 2.)
2.) We've put together a 'Shell's Wild Lie' counter-exhibition, which paints what we hope is a truer portrait of Shell and of wider climatic impacts on people and wildlife. We've taken it around the country as well as to the gates of the Natural History Museum (on the 11th anniversary of the murder of Ken Saro-Wiwa in Nigeria, November 10th 2006), and it's now available to borrow if you're running an event where it might be appropriate. It's also up online at www.artnotoil.org.uk/gallery/v/shell
3.) Tell NHM boss Michael Dixon directly what you think of Shell (not to mention BP, which is a Museum partner): (020) 7942 5000;
m.dixon@nhm.ac.uk, & cc to
feedback@nhm.ac.uk and us.
We believe there can be a greener and fairer future for the planet and its people, a future that will require in part the consigning of the oil industry to the history books. Our campaign hopes to be one small step in that direction. Thanks for reading, and for anything you’re able to do.
Friends of the Earth UK is also campaigning on this issue: see www.foe.co.uk/shell
Art Not Oil/London Rising Tide, c/o 62 Fieldgate Street, London E1 1ES.
Tel: 07708 794665
info@artnotoil.org.uk www.shelloiledwildlife.org.uk www.artnotoil.org.uk www.londonrisingtide.org.uk
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