Taking a stand for science

Science marches take place across the globe to raise awareness

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A large crowd gathers in Oakland for the Science March. (source: WPXI (Channel 11 news)

The March for Science, formerly known as the Scientists’ March on Washington, was held on April 22, which is also Earth Day; however, this year, the march didn’t just take place in Washington. It took place all around the world, generated by people who believe in the importance of science.

The march in Washington gathered a large crowd of people that wanted their input to be heard by the politicians whose environmental ideals differ from their own. People gathered to raise their concerns against these possible incoming policies that could be hazardous to the country, and maybe even to the planet. As previously mentioned, the march happened in a lot of places. Cities such as Oakland, Los Angeles, Orlando, Richmond and many more in our country brought people together for a cause worth marching for. Even countries like Australia, France and Mexico had a few marches scheduled.

President Donald Trump plans to eliminate policies such as the Climate Action Plan and Clean Water Rule. The Climate Action Plan was started by the Obama Administration in 2013 and the Clean Water Rule was established in 2015 by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). The Trump administration claims that cutting these policies will help working Americans by raising wages by more than $30 billion over the next seven years. Cutting both of the policies could prove disastrous to our country’s environment, and perhaps even the surrounding environments.

The Climate Action Plan called for action to reduce carbon pollution, raise energy efficiency, expand renewable energy sources and strengthen resilience against extreme weather and climate change. A plan of this caliber takes time in order to make any progress, so the last three years have been spent mostly laying out the blueprints for further course of action.

The Clean Water Rule was established to clarify water resource management and is a provision underneath the Clean Water Act of 1972. This bill primarily focused on minimizing water pollution, which is a serious problem internationally. Flint, Michigan is currently being impacted by toxic drinking water since 2014, resulting in 14 deaths to date.

The marches that took place around the globe were only small steps towards the March for Science’s main goal. That goal is ensuring that science is applied when creating any type of policy. One way they plan on accomplishing this goal is by encouraging people to appreciate and engage in the sciences. That may include things such as labs, projects, fairs and more marches in the future.

The March for Science stresses the importance of education, communication, and respect between scientists and members of the communities. They encourage all scientists to listen and understand the perspective of others, so that more steps can be taken towards the future of a world where political policies and science intertwine.