Environment

Climate activists ‘occupy’ Science Museum over fossil fuel sponsorship

Youth climate activists have “occupied” London’s Science Museum in protest at its sponsorship deals with fossil fuel companies.

Members of the London branch of the UK Student Climate Network (UKSCN London) said they were holding a candlelight vigil at the famous landmark on Tuesday evening for “the victims of the museum’s fossil fuel sponsors: Shell, BP, Equinor and Adani”.

The group planned to stay overnight, sharing photos on Twitter showing sleeping bags rolled out in the museum’s Kensington building.

The Metropolitan police said officers were in attendance and that no arrests had been made.

The demonstration comes after the Science Museum last week announced a new gallery, called Energy Revolution: The Adani Green Energy Gallery, which is supported by a subsidiary of the Adani Group.

Adani is a multinational conglomerate involved in coal extraction and coal-fired power stations.

Biologist Dr Alexander Penson, who took part in the sit-in, said it was “appalling” that the museum was persisting in fossil fuel sponsorship and starting a new relationship with Adani.

In an Instagram Live video by UKSCN London from inside the museum, he said: “The way that they tell it is that they are working with the green energy arm of the company and they then just forget about the coal.

Candles on the floor of the museum
Candlelit vigil at the Science Museum. The group said they planned to stay overnight at the museum. Photograph: UKSCN/Twitter
“We can all agree that we need new green infrastructure, that we need green jobs … but you can’t just then forget about the dirty infrastructure that we need to retire.”

The museum has also faced criticism for partnering with Shell to fund its Our Future Planet exhibition about carbon capture and storage, and nature-based solutions to the climate crisis.

The agreement with the fossil fuel company included a gagging clause, committing the museum not to say anything that could damage Shell’s reputation.

UKSCN activists attempted to spend the night in the museum in June in protest at the Shell sponsorship, but abandoned the move when they were threatened with arrest by police officers.

The group also previously staged demonstrations outside the Science Museum, alongside activists from the environmental movement Extinction Rebellion.

Ines, 17, a member of UKSCN London, said: “We are less than a week away from the start of Cop26. Now is the time to abolish fossil fuel companies, not collaborate with them or invite them into our cultural spaces.

“The Science Museum’s senior management and board have shut down any attempt at a conversation with young activists and scientists.

“Meanwhile, they are welcoming some of the worst perpetrators of the climate crisis with open arms … The Science Museum needs to seriously rethink its sponsorship deals before it loses its remaining credibility and legitimacy as a scientific institution.”

The occupiers negotiated with museum staff to be moved from the second floor of the building to the Energy Hall near the main entrance so that they would have access to toilets for the whole night, they said in a video posted to Twitter.

UKSCN London had earlier tweeted that the institution was “denying us access to basic safety and hygiene by locking the toilets and refusing to give us safe, sanitary and dignified toilet facilities”.

The Science Museum has been approached for comment.

In a press release announcing the new Energy Revolution gallery, due to open in 2023, the museum said it will examine “how the world can undergo the fastest energy transition in history to curb climate change”.

Dame Mary Archer, chair of the Science Museum Group, said: “We’re hugely grateful to Adani Green Energy for the significant financial support they are providing for this gallery.”

A spokesperson for the Met said: “At approximately 17:40hrs on Tuesday, 26 October, police were made aware of a protest inside and outside a museum on Exhibition Road, SW7.

“Officers remain in attendance and are engaging with the protesters. There have been no arrests.”

Environment

300 environmental offenders sanctioned by Kwara Govt

About 300 environmental offenders were sanctioned on Saturday by the Kwara State Government for violating the environmental law of the state.

They were arrested and prosecuted before various mobile courts during the monthly sanitation exercise held at the weekend across the state.

The state government, however, commended residents of the state for compliance towards the successful monthly sanitation exercise held on Saturday, within and outside the state capital.

The Commissioner for Environment, Hajia Nafisat Musa-Buge, gave the commendation in Ilorin while fielding questions from journalists, at the check point, along Lagos road, immediately after the exercise.

“Let me use this medium to express our delight with an increase in the level of compliance, by the good people of Kwara State, towards the successful sanitation exercise, most especially, the metropolis. I urge you all to sustain the tempo.”

The commissioner, who was represented by the Permanent Secretary of the ministry, Alhaji Abubakar Ayinla, appreciated the mobile courts Judges, monitoring and security agents, transport unions and relevant bodies, for their steadfastness in the discharge of their duties.

She implored the people, to strictly adhere to the three hours sanitation exercise, scheduled for the cleaning their residential and business environments, in order to sustain clean and safe environment, for a healthy living, according to a statement by the press secretary of the ministry, Kamaldeen Aliagan in Ilorin on Sunday.

Environment

NiMet predicts 3-day thunderstorms from Monday

The Nigerian Meteorological Agency, NiMet, has predicted thunderstorms from Monday to Wednesday across the country.

NiMet’s weather outlook released on Sunday in Abuja envisaged localised thunderstorms over parts of Kebbi and Zamfara states in the northern region during the morning hours.

According to NiMet, localised thunderstorms are anticipated over parts of Zamfara, Kaduna, Bauchi, Kebbi, Adamawa, and Taraba states during the afternoon and evening hours.

In the North Central region, the agency said localised thunderstorms are expected over parts of Niger and Kwara states during the morning hours.

It added that later in the day, localised thunderstorms are anticipated over parts of the Federal Capital Territory, Nasarawa, Plateau, Kwara, Kogi, and Plateau states.

NiMet further stated that localised thunderstorms are expected over parts of Cross River, Akwa Ibom, Lagos, and Ondo states in the southern cities during the morning hours.

The agency anticipated localised thunderstorms over parts of Oyo, Ondo, Osun, Ogun, Imo, Enugu, Ekiti, Edo, Ebonyi, Delta, Bayelsa, Rivers, Cross River, Lagos, and Akwa Ibom states later in the day.

For Tuesday morning, NiMet said localised thunderstorms are expected over parts of Taraba, Adamawa, Kano, Katsina, and Jigawa states in the northern region.

It forecast localised thunderstorms over parts of Adamawa, Taraba, Kaduna, Zamfara, Kebbi, Sokoto, Bauchi, Borno and Gombe states later in the day.

According to NiMet, localised thunderstorms are anticipated over parts of Plateau and Nasarawa states during the morning hours.

In the afternoon and evening hours, it predicted localised thunderstorms over parts of the Federal Capital Territory, Plateau, Nasarawa, and Niger states.

In the southern cities, localised thunderstorms are expected over parts of Delta, Edo, and Ondo states during the morning hours.

Later in the day, localised thunderstorms are anticipated over parts of Ogun, Edo, Ekiti, Ondo, Imo, Enugu, Anambra, Lagos, Delta, Rivers, Bayelsa, Cross River, and Akwa Ibom states.

The agency predicted morning localised thunderstorms over parts of Kaduna, Zamfara, and Kebbi states in the northern region on Wednesday.

It envisaged localised thunderstorms over parts of Taraba, Adamawa, Borno, Bauchi, Kaduna, Zamfara, Kebbi, Jigawa, and Kano states.

In the North Central region, localised thunderstorms are anticipated over parts of the Federal Capital Territory, Plateau, Nasarawa and Kogi states in the morning hours.

Later in the day, localised thunderstorms are expected over parts of Niger, the Federal Capital Territory, Nasarawa, Plateau, and Benue states.

Localised thunderstorms are expected over parts of Cross River and Akwa Ibom states in the southern cities during the morning hours,” the agency said.

According to the agency, localised thunderstorms are expected over parts of Oyo, Osun, Ekiti, Ondo, Lagos, Enugu, Abia, Ebonyi, Cross River, Rivers, Akwa Ibom, Delta, and Bayelsa states later in the day.

NiMet urged residents to avoid flood-prone areas as there could be a high likelihood of urban flooding in major cities due to heavy downpours and strong winds might precede the rains in areas where thunderstorms are likely to occur.

It urged the public to stay informed through its weather updates.

It also advised airline operators to get airport-specific weather reports (flight documentation) from NiMet for effective planning in their operations.

Environment

NiMet forecasts 3-day thunderstorms across Nigeria

The Nigerian Meteorological Agency (NiMet) has predicted thunderstorms from Thursday to Saturday across Nigeria. NiMet’s weather outlook released on Wednesday in Abuja predicted thunderstorms over parts of Kebbi state on Thursday during the morning hours in the North.

“Later in the day, thunderstorms are expected over parts of Adamawa, Taraba, Kaduna, Kebbi, Sokoto, and Zamfara.

“In the North central region, thunderstorms are expected over parts of Niger, and Kwara states during the morning hours.

“Later in the day, thunderstorms are expected over the Federal Capital Territory, Kwara, Niger, Plateau, and Benue states,” it said.

According to NiMet, in the southern region there are prospects of thunderstorms over parts of Ebonyi, Imo, Abia, Ondo, Edo, Cross River, Rivers, Akwa Ibom, and Delta states during the morning hours.

It anticipated thunderstorms over parts of Enugu, Ondo, Imo, Abia, Ebonyi, Anambra, Oyo, Edo, Ogun, Osun, Cross River, Rivers, Akwa Ibom, Lagos, and Delta states later in the day.

“For Saturday, in the North central region thunderstorms are anticipated over parts of Taraba and Adamawa states in the morning hours.

“In the afternoon into evening hours, thunderstorms are expected over parts of Katsina. Kebbi, Zamfara, and Sokoto states.

“In the North Central region, there are prospects of thunderstorms over parts of Plateau and Niger states during the morning hours,” it said.

According to NiMet, thunderstorms are expected over parts of Niger, Nasarawa, and the Federal Capital Territory later in the day.

“In the Southern region, thunderstorms are expected over part of Ondo, Ogun, Cross River, and Delta states during the morning hours.

“Progressing into the afternoon/evening hours, thunderstorms are envisaged over Oyo, Ogun, Edo, Abia, Imo, Ebonyi, Delta, and Cross River states,” lt sad.

According to NiMet, in the northern region, thunderstorms are expected over parts of Taraba State in the morning hours of Sunday.

It forecast thunderstorms over parts of Katsina, Kano, Kaduna, Taraba, and Jigawa states later in the day.

It predicted cloudy skies in the North central region with intervals of sunshine are anticipated over the region in the morning hours.

“Thunderstorms are expected over parts of Kwara, Kogi, and Benue States during the afternoon into evening hours.

“In the southern region, thunderstorms are envisaged over Oyo, Ogun, Edo, Ondo, Delta, Rivers, and Lagos states.

“Later in the day, thunderstorms are anticipated over parts of Imo, Abia, Ebonyi, and Cross River states,” it said.

The agency urged residents to avoid flood- prone area as there is high likelihood of urban flooding in major cities due to heavy downpours.

According to NiMet, strong winds may precede the rains in areas where thunderstorms are likely to occur, public should take adequate precaution while relevant authorities are to adhere to safety advisories issued by relevant authorities.

“Public and Airline operators are advised to get updated weather reports and forecasts from NiMet for effective planning in their operations.

“Residents are advised to stay informed through weather updates from NiMet.

“Visit our website www.nimet.gov,” it said. (NAN)