Edred Whittingham from Just Stop Oil will speak at greenloop 2023.
Blooloop is hosting the third greenloop sustainability in visitor attractions conference from 25 to 26 April, online. This unique cross-sector event brings together leading sustainability professionals from the world’s major museums, theme parks, zoos and other visitor attractions. They will share strategy insights and lessons learned to inspire us all to become more sustainable in our businesses and help protect the planet.
Speakers announced to date include WAZA, Disney, Merlin, the Science Museum of Minnesota, Ecomusée Tata Somba, Efteling, PortAventura, Museums Galleries Scotland, Two Oceans Aquarium and more.
Protest against fossil fuel investment
Edred Whittingham is a Philosophy, Politics and Economics undergraduate at the University of Exeter and is a supporter of Just Stop Oil. This is a coalition of movements that engages in nonviolent civil resistance to demand that the UK government bans all new fossil fuel licenses and consents in the UK.
The International Energy Agency stated in a 2021 report that there is no need for new fossil fuel infrasturcture projects beyond those already committed at the time of publication. And the Secretary-General of the UN has also spoken out against continued investment in new fossil fuel infrastructure.
Whittingham has been arrested seven times in the past year; in February 2023 he was found guilty of aggravated trespass and in September 2022 he spent a week in prison on remand for contempt of court for breaching a high court injunction after sitting at the entrance to Kingsbury Oil Terminal with fifty other Just Stop Oil supporters.
Most recently Whittingham was seen disrupting the World Snooker Championships.
Just Stop Oil museum protests
In recent months, climate activists in several countries have protested ongoing fossil fuel investment and highlighted the climate crisis by gluing themselves to the frames of paintings or throwing soup over famous artworks. Just Stop Oil threw tomato soup at Van Gogh’s Sunflowers at the National Gallery in London in November 2022.
In response to protests, the Association of Art Museum Directors issued a statement condemning the protests as being “misdirected”.
Why have we invited Just Stop Oil to speak at greenloop?
An interview on GMB in 2022 drew comparisons with a scene in the film “Don’t Look Up”, when the hosts and guest seemed unable to engage sensibly with Just Stop Oil’s spokesperson, Miranda Whelehan. Whelehan wrote later in the Guardian that “presenters and journalists think they know better than chief scientists or academics who have been studying the climate crisis for decades, and they refuse to hear otherwise. It is wilful blindness and it is going to kill us.”
Whether you agree with the action taken by Just Stop Oil or not, the treatment of Whelehan by the presenters makes uncomfortable watching, and did not help the viewer understand what the protests are trying to achieve:
GMB host Richard Madeley has again caused controversy this week with a clumsy comparison of climate activists to paedophiles.
We will be asking Edred to explain Just Stop Oil’s goals, and why action is being taken that risks damaging works of art and the institutions that care for them. We will also discuss what JSO wants museums to do to avoid being targeted.
The psychology behind radical climate protests
We will also have Prof Colin Davis, Chair in Cognitive Psychology at the University of Bristol, discussing the psychology behind radical climate action. Prof Davis has researched the mechanisms by which radical action increases debate and shifts the needle of public opinion.
Don’t miss this thought provoking session.
Why should you attend greenloop?
With all visitor attractions needing to decarbonise and become more sustainable, greenloop will provide practical, actionable advice and case studies for our attendees, with take-aways that they can put into practice, as well as inspirational insights from industry leaders.
When it comes to solving really big challenges, like how do we build sustainable theme parks, resorts and cruise ships around the world, it takes all of us and all of these different industries coming together. And that’s what’s great about greenloop … our collaboration is key to really think about how we build sustainable themed entertainment experiences.
Emily Dow, Design Studio Executive with Walt Disney Imagineering at greenloop 2021
greenloop aims to connect sustainability leaders from across the attractions industry to enable us to move more quickly towards a more sustainable future.
greenloop is a must-attend event, crossing boundaries to bring together really thought-provoking insights and ideas around the way visitor attractions can not only minimise their environmental impact on the planet, but also act as catalysts for positive change. I cannot think of another event which goes near greenloop as a concentrated dollop of practical green inspiration – a must-attend for several of our team
Dominic Hare, CEO Blenheim
Buy tickets here
Early bird tickets are on sale until 16th April 2023 and save you £25 off the price of a full price standard or a group ticket.
Standard tickets are £75 each at the early bird rate. Our £175 early bird group ticket for visitor attraction operators and institutions allows up to 10 attendees for each group ticket for only £17.50 for each attendee at the super early bird rate.
Recordings of the live event will be available afterwards for ticket holders for a limited time.
VAT: If you live in the UK, please select a UK ticket which will add on UK VAT. If you live outside of the UK, please select a non-UK ticket so you won’t be charged UK VAT.
If you are a student and would like a discounted ticket please email Alice at events@blooloop.com using your university email address.
Sponsors
Thanks to our greenloop 23 sponsors:
Sponsorship packages are available. Please contact Alice if you would like to speak, support or join our supplier showcase at events@blooloop.com.
Images: Just Stop Oil
