Au Natural History Museum de Londres, un contrat de sponsoring avec une entreprise d’énergie incluait une clause de silence, ravivant les critiques sur la transparence des musées et les effets du pétrole sur la faune marine.

The example is in English to help you practice 😉

Ready-to-use Example

Founded in 1881, the Natural History Museum in London is among the UK’s most visited museums, attracting over **5 million visitors **annually. It houses around 80 million specimens. Museums often rely partly on corporate sponsorships or partnerships because public funding is limited.

In September 2016, the museum signed a contract with the Danish energy firm Dong Energy (later renamed Ørsted) to sponsor Wildlife Photographer of the Year. The contract included a clause preventing the museum from making any statement or publicity that could be foreseen as “discrediting or damaging the reputation” of the company. Clauses like these are reportedly no longer used in new contracts, yet groups such as Fossil Free London continue to criticize such sponsorships and call for greater transparency and ethical standards in museums.

One photo in the 2016 exhibition showed a cormorant beneath an oil rig. The caption highlighted how rigs can provide shelter and food for wildlife, while downplaying or omitting negative environmental effects.

Oil companies’ impact on marine wildlife

• Major oil spills release millions of liters of crude oil into oceans and coastlines. The Deepwater Horizon spill (2010) released about 4.9 million barrels into the Gulf of Mexico, killing hundreds of thousands of seabirds, turtles and marine mammals.
• Even small spills can kill large numbers of birds by coating feathers, reducing insulation and buoyancy, often causing death from hypothermia or drowning.
• Exposure to toxic fumes can cause organ damage in marine mammals, including whales, dolphins, seals and otters. After the Exxon Valdez spill (1989), the local sea otter population declined by about 40%.
• Marine biodiversity is extremely sensitive to disruption. Corals exposed to oil stress show bleaching and reduced growth.

This raises several interesting questions :

1. Should a museum accept controversial funding to raise awareness and educate the public, or refuse support that risks compromising its integrity
2. How can museums balance financial sustainability with editorial and scientific independence
3. What solutions can help museums avoid ethical compromises, such as diversified funding, stricter contracts or public crowdfunding

Pour aller plus loin

Tu as aimé cet exemple ? 🔥

Découvre 30 autres exemples d’anglais sur tous les thèmes du programme, prêts à l’emploi pour cartonner à ta prochaine colle 💪

👉 Clique ici pour accéder à tous les exemples !