From its blunt name (which the usual suspects are certain to describe as “political”) to the colourful slogan stickers with which visitors adorn themselves, Our Broken Planet is steeped in the culture of Extinction Rebellion and similar grassroots climate movements. Paired with a handful of well-chosen artefacts from the museum unique collection, it makes for a striking bijou exhibition.
The exhibition rests largely on the contributions of the NHM’s hundreds of resident scientists, who were asked: “What is breaking the world or fixing it?” Their answers span the gamut of environmental concerns: deep sea mining; carbon-intensive agriculture; zoonoses (infectious diseases jumping from animals to humans); wildlife smuggling; plastic waste, and fast fashion. Some of these challenges are represented by a single artefact.
The Trustees...