NY American Museum of Natural History mounts exhibit about climate crisis causes and solutions

One of America's most renowned science museums dives into politics again this week with a new exhibition on climate change that curators say is an effort to separate fact from fear.

Three years after tackling the divisive issue of evolution in an exhibition on Charles Darwin, the American Museum of Natural History in New York is mounting a show called "Climate Change: The Threat to Life and A New Energy Future."

A U.N. climate panel, comprising hundreds of scientists and policymakers, found last year with 90 percent certainty that climate change is spurred by human activities, specifically the burning of fossil fuels that release climate-warming carbon dioxide into the atmosphere.

But some people remain skeptical that human activity is responsible. Among them is Republican vice presidential candidate Sarah Palin, who cast doubt on the cause of global warming during a debate this month.

Curator Edmond Mathez said that when he proposed the exhibition a few years ago, he was frustrated that public awareness did not match the alarm felt by scientists.

"The news media was presenting climate change as a controversial issue, which is complete nonsense, it's not (controversial)," Mathez told Reuters on Tuesday at a preview of the exhibition that opens on Saturday and runs in New York through August 2009.

'WE DID IT CORRECTLY'

"I'm sure there are some people that will condemn it out of hand," he said of the exhibition. "What's important to me as a scientist is my colleagues will walk through here and say we did it correctly, that we present the issue objectively."

He said scientists are inclined to be skeptical, so it is remarkable that so many agree on the causes of climate change.

"There's always a group of people that are simply not going to believe it, and it's not clear to me that many of those actually know very much about the science."

Mathez said comments by Palin questioning the cause of climate change "border on irresponsible."

Museum President Ellen Futter said the museum has a history of tackling issues "at the nexus of science and society."

"Although scientists ... still can't predict with precision exactly which impacts will take place where, how frequently and to what degree, there is now overwhelming scientific consensus, 90 percent of scientists agree, that there is an urgent need to address the problem," Futter said.

The show examines causes and effects of climate change as well as possible ways to slow it down, such as boosting the use of nuclear, wind and solar power.

Exhibits include interactive displays for visitors to pledge to make changes in their behavior, such as buying low-energy light bulbs, recycling waste or bicycling to work.