Scientists aren’t usually known for taking to the streets, but that’s just what they did in New York yesterday as part of the March for Science. It was one of more than 600 rallies yesterday for scientists and their supporters.
Though the organizers repeatedly stressed they didn’t view the march as a protest — the official purpose of the demonstration is merely to highlight the role of science in society — the signs carried by people at the march suggested otherwise. Many had pointed thoughts about the current administration. Some focused on the Environmental Protection Agency — its current director, Scott Pruitt, is very cozy with the oil industry. He also denies that climate change has a human cause. Signs in support of facts — the real variety, not the alternative kind espoused by Kellyanne Conway — were also a common sight.
Donald Trump has threatened many federal agencies that fund scientific research with budget cuts; more than 10 percent of the science budget is scheduled to be slashed in 2018. (The EPA is slated to lose nearly a third of its funding under the proposal.) His cabinet is packed with Pruitt and his ilk, a group who do not seem particularly interested in scientific expertise. The hostility to scientific consensus isn’t limited to the executive branch, either; House Republicans held a fake inquiry on climate change in order to attack the only credible scientist that testified.
We’ve rounded up our favorite signs from the protest here, along with one bonus costume.