Why Did Emma Thompson Drag a Gigantic Polar Bear through London?

Emma Thompson may be famous for her roles in some of the world’s most successful silver screen films however this year, the veteran actress has uncovered a new passion. As London slept its way through a chilly September night Emma and her daughter helped drag a giant polar bear through the deserted city streets. Their final destination? Shell’s London HQ. The sight was nothing short of whimsical, with Emma recalling “There's something dreamlike about the large black eyes of this gentle giant, a mesmerising glimpse of a world beyond.”

Actress advocates for the arctic

So what inspired the famous British born actress to take part in the protest? After personally visiting the Arctic last year Emma was deeply touched by the beauty of the polar region, revealing that the experience “has remained deep in my subconscious ever since.” She and her daughter were on hand to take a stand against Shell’s arctic drilling proposals and force them to “snap out of this nightmare before it has a chance to take hold.” At least that’s how Emma describes it!

While Emma didn’t play a role in physically building the polar bear, she did contribute a poem contemplating how Shell employees will explain their actions to their grandchildren when the arctic no longer exists.   

Emma urges the planet to take a stand

Emma is inherently passionate when it comes to stopping arctic drilling, accusing Shell of sinking its drills into one of the world’s last wild places in a bid to find a new source of profit. She stresses that while the world can debate the science of climate change and examine the risks of an oil spill to its heart’s content, “At some point we must recognise that this is also a moral issue, a choice that we face as together. At some point we need to draw a line and pick which side we are on. Shell has chalked an invisible line around its building by taking out an injunction against Greenpeace. Today I decided to cross it,” she concludes.

Strong words from a wise woman!

Oil spills are a hugely controversial topic, particularly when it comes to Shell’s arctic drilling expeditions. In the article ‘Is it worth ‘splashing out’ just in case?’ Chris Brennan, Level Product Specialist at Endress+Hauser Ltd discusses the benefits of investing in high level alarms to prevent overspill. If Shell’s arctic drilling does go ahead, the mega-corporation will undoubtedly be employing stringent spill monitoring measures.

Images sourced via Flickr Creative Commons. Credits: Garry Knight