Peng! Collective Slams Shell at their PR event in Berlin Favorite 

In 2013, Shell sent out press releases about their upcoming event, the Science Slam, which would aim to “celebrate the company’s responsible oil production” and “showcase ideas for renewable energy by scientists and students.” Essentially, Shell organized this event in the hopes that it would allow the multinational oil company to appear as if it is actually concerned about the environment and finding alternatives to oil. Unfortunately, as activists have pointed out, Shell truly spends a small portion of its 467 billion USD revenue on wind and solar energy. Instead, the company primarily focuses its resources on cultivating plants for biofuel, and these cultivation practices result in the deforestation of rainforests and land-grabbing, among other destructive practices. In addition, Shell recently decided to drill for oil in the Arctic, which would ultimately impact the Arctic’s indigenous populations, as well as the global climate.

On December 11th, 2013, members of the Peng! Collective dressed up as scientists and attended the Science Slam in Berlin, where they simulated an oil spill during their group’s presentation. When one of the “young scientists” stopped the simulated oil spill, he said “We can pull the plug out of here, but not in the Arctic.”

Jean Peters, one of Peng! Collective’s “young scientists” said “This event is all about corporate responsibility. Shell needs to start taking responsibility for its mistakes and stop repeating them. It needs a reality check. We are here to help, and can be booked for any further consultation. There is still a lot of dirt to clean up.” In other words, the Peng! Collective wanted to show Shell that they must be held accountable for their detrimental practices and their future, Arctic-oriented, plans.

According to the Peng! Collective, they are a “group of activists, creative, scientists, and thinkers producing creative political students and enriching campaigns with subversion, humor, and civil disobedience.”