March of the penguins: climate activists protest at British Airways ice rink
12th January 2008 - Around 30 penguins today 'reclaimed the ice' at the Natural History Museum's ice rink in protest at British Airways sponsorship of the museum's annual winter festivities.
The protestors, from the climate action group Plane Stupid, dressed as penguins to highlight the irony of an airline creating an ice rink in central London, whilst its business activities are a major cause of global warming, which is melting the polar ice caps and causing dangerous climate change. The loss of the polar ice will imperil wildlife such as penguins and polar bears and is believed to be a major 'tipping point' which will speed up climate change.
A spokespenguin called Tamsin said: "We've come to remind people that we love ice too, but the ice in our own home is melting as a result of global warming. BA has shown no concern for the issue of climate change. It's a major lobbyist for the expansion of Britain's airports - particularly the third runway at Heathrow - which will lead to a huge rise in greenhouse gas emissions at a time when emissions from other sectors are being cut back."
"It's shameful that an institution like the Natural History Museum should allow British Airways to trade on its eco-friendly reputation by sponsoring this ice rink. BA are pushing for airport expansion which will guarantee we cannot stop catastrophic climate change."
She added, "British Airways' money is dirty, and we hope that next year the museum will find a more appropriate sponsor for their ice rink."
The penguins, carrying banners and placards reading, 'BA Fly, Penguins Die', and 'Freeze Flights' skated and handed out leaflets for around 20 minutes before being forcibly removed from the ice by British Airways security staff. The Natural History Museum stated in response that "The Natural History Museum has strict guidelines for its sponsors, and we are happy that British Airways meet our environmental standards."
