We're less than a week into the Trump presidency and the war on reality itself is already in full swing. Between 'Alternative Facts,' the media gag placed on federal institutions with a base in science, and issuing a decree that all scientific studies by the EPA will now need to be reviewed by political staff before making the results public, things are looking rather bleak for the scientific community and the future of scientific studies within the United States.
With the successful turnout of the Women's March this past weekend, scientists are hoping to make the same statement and have begun organizing what they're calling a March for Science.
It began as an idea on the r/politics subreddit and quickly turned into a movement that now has a Twitter account, Facebook page, and its own website to act as official outlets for the movement.
Caroline Weinburg, a public health researcher and one of the co-chairs of the march, explained why the movement has gained popularity so quickly in an e-mail she sent to Gizmondo.
"Our motivation is pretty straight forward. Scientists worldwide have been alarmed by the clear anti-science actions taken by the Trump administration. It has been less than a week and there have already been funding freezes and efforts to restrict scientists from communicating their findings (from tax-funded research!) with the public. These actions are absurd and cannot be allowed to stand as policy."
Political issues are one thing, but this administration's warpath on all things fact-based has people from all walks of life and all political backgrounds wanting to get involved.
As of now, there are over 40 'rogue' federal accounts being run by employees from the EPA, NASA, USDA, and other departments that have had a media gag placed on them as well.
No official date has been set for the march, but according to the movement's Twitter account, an announcement will be coming soon.
A message from the organizers #ScienceMarch pic.twitter.com/2h7DOJjap5
— March for Science (@ScienceMarchDC) January 26, 2017
What are your thoughts on this?
(h/t gizmondo)
from Distractify http://distractify.com/trending/2017/01/26/war-on-reality
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