"I'M glad that the oil companies exist, without them we would be in big trouble."

It is not a phrase you expect to hear from a scientist who has seen the melting of the polar ice caps and has controversially suggested that our population needs reducing.

But Professor Chris Rapley has not become director of the Science Museum to stand still, and his thinking reflects that unconventional approach.

"We have a vast resource here holding thousands of fascinating objects but at present we aren't able to give them the care they deserve.

"We don't have the staff or the resources to preserve these historic pieces and that is why securing more funding is essential."

The 60-year-old from Bath has strong connections to Swindon, and after only a week in the job he has identified putting the town on the map as a key priority.

"I used to come here as a child to look at the Great Western works, in fact we used to sneak in to get a closer view.

"Swindon at that time was known throughout the country for the engineering talent in the works and we want to create the same reputation for the Science Museum."

The 545-acre Wroughton site holds 92 per cent of the total Science Museum collection, and Prof Rapley will spearhead the bid of win £50m of lottery cash.

A live vote will take place on ITV later this year to decide whether Wroughton will win over sites such as Sherwood Forest and a new Eden Project.

Prof Rapley said: "We are absolutely dependent on the people of Swindon to get behind us, because it could prove crucial in securing votes.

"Local people work here and we have consulted heavily with them in forming our blueprint.

"They have said they are keen to have a sustainable build for the new museum, which is something we will take into account."

Prof Rapley accepted that recent staff cuts had affected morale, but said that new management practices would return confidence to the museum.

"It is often the case that changes have a short-term impact but I have worked with large organisations before and know it will prove beneficial in the long run."

Prof Rapley's most high-profile employment was as director of the British Antarctic Survey.

While working there he saw the damage climate change has done to the planet, and he predicts that things will get worse before they get better.

"I remember when climate change was first raised as a concern at the beginning of the 1980s.

"It was the first evidence of the impact of a population which had grown and was consuming more than ever before.

"I read a paper which said this would significantly alter nature - even systems as fundamental as the nitrogen cycle - by a period between the mid 1990s and 2030.

"That happened in 1998 and illustrates how far we have gone down that road."

But even with the publication of the Stern Report on climate change last autumn the message has been slow to get through, due in part to the media.

Prof Rapley said: "By their nature papers seek to provide the opposing points of an argument because it is more interesting.

"But it means that the minority of scientists who continue to deny what is becoming accepted fact are gaining too much exposure."

Nonetheless, Prof Rapley is an optimist about people's capacity to change, including the bogey figures of the oil companies and airlines.

"There is a point of psychology here which says if you force someone to change, they will resist.

"If we go to the airlines and say you have to reduce your flights, there will be no incentive to act positively.

"Whereas if you challenge them to come up with greener ways of flying it's amazing to see how they react.

"People criticise the oil companies but they are essential to our world.

"Look at what happened during the fuel crisis, when people were almost reduced to starvation in just a few days.

"It illustrates how we need to take people with us when we talk about climate change and what can be done."

It is an easy argument to make, so I pushed Prof Rapley for an example.

"BP and Shell have been tremendously proactive in researching biofuels, despite the negative image they have. They have created entire departments devoted to alternative fuels and I am confident we will see the fruits of that in the next few years."

In the meantime the professor is keeping his focus on securing the lottery bid and making Wroughton a world-class visitor attraction.

"We have great transport links with the motorway nearby, there are some mind-boggling exhibits here and we have a dedicated staff.

"We just need people to vote and persuade friends and family to do the same."

To support the Science Museum visit the website www.voteinspired.org.uk.