Collaborators
Part of the Climate Change exhibition.
Part of the Climate Change exhibition.
Climate Change: The Threat to Life and A New Energy Future was organized by the American Museum of Natural History, New York, in collaboration with the Abu Dhabi Authority for Culture and Heritage, United Arab Emirates, The Cleveland Museum of Natural History, The Field Museum, Chicago, Instituto Sangari, São Paulo, Brazil, Junta de Castilla y Len, Spain, Korea Green Foundation, Seoul, Natural History Museum of Denmark, Copenhagen, Papalote Museo del Nio, Mexico City, and the Saint Louis Science Center.
Established in 2005, Abu Dhabi Authority for Culture and Heritage (ADACH) is the United Arab Emirates' government institution in charge of safeguarding, conserving, and promoting the heritage and culture of Abu Dhabi. At a time when Abu Dhabi is witnessing unprecedented development, ADACH reinforces the willingness of the people of the UAE to preserve their national identity and cultural values while embracing progress and change. ADACH is underpinned by sound principles that seek to preserve Abu Dhabi's tangible and intangible heritage, to promote creativity and intellectual prowess in all forms, and to champion a society open to others and to intercultural dialogue. For that reason, ADACH's programs include lectures and conferences as well as poetry recitals, exhibitions, heritage festivals, and other artistic expressions of Emirati identity and its Arab and Islamic roots.
"Climate change is one of the defining issues of the 21st century," says David Beach, director of the GreenCityBlueLake Institute at The Cleveland Museum of Natural History. "We are honored to collaborate in the development of this compelling exhibit that will educate the public about the serious threats posed by climate change—as well as the exciting opportunities for reducing greenhouse gas emissions and creating a more sustainable human presence on Earth."
The Cleveland Museum of Natural History, incorporated in 1920, has inspired a passion for nature and science among generations of people in Northeast Ohio and around the world. With outstanding collections, research in 11 natural science disciplines, educational programs, and exhibits, the Museum is a resource for scientists and students from kindergarten to university. The Museum actively conserves biological diversity through the protection of more than 4,000 acres of natural areas. It promotes health education with local programs and distance learning that extends around the globe. And, with the recent addition of the GreenCityBlueLake Institute, the Museum is becoming a center of thought and practice for the design of green and sustainable cities.
"We are pleased to collaborate with the American Museum of Natural History on this important exhibition," says John W. McCarter, Jr., President and CEO of The Field Museum in Chicago. "Climate change is one of the most crucial issues of our time. Through exhibitions such as this, museums can inform and educate the public about the causes and effects of climate change while also providing ideas for practical, long-range solutions."
Chicago's Field Museum is one of the world's foremost natural history museums. A must-see destination, the Field's permanent exhibitions include Sue, the largest T. rex ever found; Evolving Planet, a journey through the history of life on Earth; The Ancient Americas, an exploration of our hemisphere's first cultures; Underground Adventure, a bug's-eye view of the world beneath our feet; and Inside Ancient Egypt, a chance to unravel mysteries and discover treasures. In addition to showcasing these and many other exhibitions, The Field Museum is also a renowned research institution with over 200 scientists on staff. The Museum's collections total 23 million artifacts and specimens—all kept on-site and available for research. Museum scientists work in more than 90 countries to study and preserve the Earth's biodiversity and to understand the world's many diverse cultures.
"In collaborating with Climate Change, the Instituto Sangari has taken on two extremely important tasks," says Ben Sangari, founder and President of Instituto Sangari in São Paulo, Brazil. "The first is to encourage the global audience of this exhibition to look at Brazil's key role in addressing climate change, and the second is to deliver quality education on this topic throughout Brazil, activating the next generation to engage in making positive changes."
Instituto Sangari is involved in various projects with the aim of disseminating the importance of scientific education for social inclusion and economic development, and advocates for discussion of education policy in Brazil at the national level. Founded in 2003, the Institute is part of the Sangari group, which has been present for over 40 years in Europe, North and South America, Africa, and the Middle East, with a focus on developing tools for investigative scientific learning.
Castilla y Leon is a region of Spain recognized for its historical, cultural, and linguistic importance, as well as for its natural and forest heritage: It is home to one of the richest biodiversities in Europe. The Junta de Castilla y Leon, the government of this Region, has reaffirmed its commitment to the environment and intends to meet the challenges of the 21st Century with education, participation, and solidarity. Part of this commitment is an avant-garde initiative called PRAE "PRopuestas Ambientales Educativas," a 40,000 sq. m. (430,000 sq. ft.) space for global environmental education that includes a big Environmental Park devoted to biodiversity, recycling and renewable energies, and a Centre of Environmental Resources. The Centre, which will open in January of 2009 with Climate Change, has received national and international acclaim because of modern eco-efficiency and bioclimatic construction. "We have chosen to collaborate with the American Museum of Natural History in the production of Climate Change not only because of the quality and singularity of its AMNH exhibitions but also because we share the same sense of urgency," says María Jesús Ruiz, regional minister of Environment. "We need to involve all citizens in the fight against climate change, a problem that goes beyond national and international boundaries and is already affecting the globe."
"We are honored by the opportunity to collaborate with the American Museum of Natural History on this important exhibition to raise public awareness of the impact of climate change and to come up with ideas to combat climate change," said Choi Yul, president of the Korea Green Foundation. "Climate change is a global phenomenon, but it severely affects the developing countries and poor island states in the Asian region." Climate change threatens the lives of people in those Asian developing countries that are relatively vulnerable to effects such as a decrease in rainfall, strong storms, loss of biodiversity, spread of disease, and water scarcity. In addition, 4 billion people, two-thirds of world's population, live in the Asian-Pacific region, half of whom live in coastal areas. Unstable rainfall will induce substantial declines in agricultural crop productivity. Subsistence farmers depending on rainfall in Asia are at risk from climate change.
The Korea Green Foundation has carried out ecological restoration and plantation projects in China and Mongolia to tackle climate change in Asia. We have taken action to protect the environment in Asia beyond national boundaries by conducting a campaign, Wells of Life, to give freshwater to children and local people suffering from water borne diseases in Asia where the environment is polluted and water is scare. The Korea Green Foundation strives to disseminate the consequences of climate change and to encourage the public to make a difference by holding a successful exhibition in Korea.
"We are very pleased to be part of this important exhibit and proud to present it in collaboration with such distinguished partners. We are particularly pleased to host the exhibit in Copenhagen during COP15, the United Nations Climate Change Conference, which takes place in Copenhagen in November 2009," says Dr. Morten Meldgaard, Director of the Natural History Museum of Denmark. "COP15 represents a unique chance for the world community to set global goals for reducing CO2 emissions. Ultimately, the success of meeting these goals stands and falls with their acceptance in the general public. We hope that the exhibit, on its way around the world, will stimulate the awareness upon which such an acceptance must build."
Natural History Museum of Denmark is the country's national museum of natural history. In its exhibits, visitors can touch a piece of Mars, experience living plant species extinct in nature, and ponder over the size of a sperm-whale. The museum has in its collections 14 million specimens of animals, plants, minerals and fossils and it carries out extensive research on taxonomy, biodiversity, evolution, and conservation. The museum welcomes many international scientists and students as well as more than 0.5 million visitors a year. The Natural History Museum of Denmark was established on 1 January 2004 by the merging of four separate institutions: the Botanic Garden, the Botanical Museum and Library, the Geological Museum and the Zoological Museum. The Museum is also part of the University of Copenhagen.
Papalote Children's Museum is the second-most-visited museum in Mexico. Since we opened our doors 15 years ago, we have received more than 36 million visitors in all of our venues. Papalote is a favorite place for Mexican families where they can carry out many fun and non-formal learning activities.
In 2004, we signed a collaboration agreement with the AMNH that has allowed us to present three different wonderful experiences in our Digital Dome. Now, we are very excited to work together again on the new exhibition Climate Change. It will help our audiences to better understand the causes and consequences of this world threat. We are certain that all children and adults visiting this exhibition will become aware of the problem and will commit to be part of the solution.
"The Saint Louis Science Center greatly values this opportunity to collaborate with the American Museum of Natural History on such a vitally important topic," said Douglas R. King, President and CEO of the Saint Louis Science Center. "Changes in our climate have far-reaching implications for the health of our planet and the quality of life on Earth for generations to come. We see this exhibition as a critical resource for helping the public understand the challenges we face and for telling stories of hope for the future."
The Saint Louis Science Center is one of the five largest science centers in the United States, serving 1.2 million visitors annually. This must see destination includes a four-story OMNIMAX Theater, the air-supported EXPLORADOME, the James S. McDonnell Planetarium, and the state-of-the-art Taylor Community Science Resource Center. The goals of the Saint Louis Science Center are to educate, inspire and motivate visitors of all ages and engage the community in public dialogue about science-related issues of the day. Recently, the Science Center has opened a new Breakthrough Gallery, the Life Science Laboratory and launched an annual science festival to link the public with scientists, research and important issues.
