Global Warming at Museums in Munich

Surveys indicate that museums are at the top of the heap when it comes to public trust. In comparison with almost all other institutions and professions, such as medicine, law, the media, scientists, politicians, etc., museums stand out in the public mind as places where you can count on getting solid, accurate information.

This places a burden on us, however, to preserve and foster this trust. So when it comes to global warming, museums have a dilemma. At the Deutsches Museum, the largest museum in Germany and ueber-well respected internationally by virtue of its strong exhibitions and scholarly research over the past century, it was a difficult choice as to how to present the issue of global warming.

Some options considered were: Avoid the topic as still somewhat uncertain? Provide just the science to date? Advocate action in everyday life to build awareness and reduce the impacts?

After considerable internal debate, the Deutsches Museum decided to side with the IPCC’s findings – the UNESCO-sponsored International Panel on Climate Change - which is made up of many scientists, policy makers, and others. For nearly two decades, the IPCC has worked to provide the current information on global warming. Three working groups focus on: 1) the scientific basis for global warming, 2) the impacts to society of global warming, and 3) mitigation measures. In a series of increasingly strong reports, the IPCC has taken an unequivocal position that global warming is happening, that humans are the cause, and that we must act now to avoid catastrophic in our own lifetime. Here is a dramatic graph of world population over time near the entrance to the gallery.

In its Environment gallery, the Deutsches Museum has approximately 1,000 sq m of predominantly panel displays with a detailed treatment of the causes of global warming and what everyone can do about it. Students in grades 7-10 can take part in special 90-120 minute programs on global warming in this galley, as shown in the picture.

Another science museum in Munich, the Museum of Mankind and Nature, just opened a new special exhibition last Friday (July 23) called “Climate Protection: Everyone Can!” This exhibition was created by the Bavarian State Consumer Protection agency and funded by the Bavarian Ministry for Environment, Health, and Consumer Protection. In comparison with the permanent exhibition at the Deutsches Museum, this new exhibition bypasses most of the science behind global warming and goes straight to the bottom line, strongly advocating a series of actions that consumers should take now, such as eating locally grown foods, driving less, and buying energy efficient appliances. The exhibition is also panel-based, with doors on the panels providing additional text. There is also a TV exhibit with a long video clip and a computer quiz station, plus free literature and a visitor comment book.