To the country’s top museums of science & natural history, including American Museum of Natural History, the Field Museum, California Academy of Sciences, & the Natural History Museum of Utah:
In the face of climate catastrophe, we urge you to take leadership by doing more than observing and curating history — by standing up to help make it. Please divest your funds from the fossil fuel industry.
This moment calls for leaders that are willing to do more than observe and curate history — it calls for leaders who are ready to help make it. We believe museums of science and natural history can be those leaders.
Museums are key institutions where the general public, especially young people, learn about science and the natural world. Museums understand the urgent threat of climate change — so why invest in the fossil fuel industry that’s putting us on a crash course?
The Code of Ethics for Museums states:
“It is incumbent on museums to be resources for humankind and in all their activities to foster an informed appreciation of the rich and diverse world we have inherited. It is also incumbent upon them to preserve that inheritance for posterity.”
Hundreds of universities, cities, faith communities, and other institutions have joined the call to align their investments with their values and are sending a clear message: The actions of the fossil fuel industry are incompatible with a livable future, and we’re taking a stand against it.