Thousands brave the elements to partake in March for Science in Washington, DC
The March for Science at the National Mall attracted tens of thousands to share their views about the current political climate despite rainy conditions.
Rain poured over Washington, D.C. on Saturday as scientists and citizens alike, carrying a variety of protest signs, flocked to the foot of the Washington Monument. Hundreds of scientific organizations and universities signed on to partner with the march as dozens of musical acts and speakers performed throughout Saturday.
The day-long celebration of science was organized by the Earth Day Network, meant to encourage policy-makers to use scientific evidence to craft legislation. It was hosted by musician Questlove and YouTube personality Derek Muller.
Four students from the College of New Jersey share a laugh at the March for Science on the National Mall to support their chosen career paths in science. (Photo/AccuWeather/Courtney Barrow)
The march also had three honorary co-chairs, including Dr. Mona Hanna-Attisha, the pediatrician and health advocate fighting for clean water in Flint, Michigan; Dr. Lydia Villa-Komaroff, one of the first Mexican-Americans to earn a PhD in the natural sciences, and famed children's educator and best-selling author Bill Nye. Nye is currently the CEO of the Planetary Society- one of the march's partners- and star of the new Netflix series Bill Nye Saves the World.
<center><blockquote class="twitter-video" data-lang="en"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">Science brings out the best in us. With it, we know the cosmos and our place in the universe. <br><br>Let's change the world! <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/MarchForScience?src=hash">#MarchForScience</a> <a href="https://t.co/CtwPgxabks">pic.twitter.com/CtwPgxabks</a></p>— Planetary Society (@exploreplanets) <a href="https://twitter.com/exploreplanets/status/855871795609706496">April 22, 2017</a></blockquote>
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Marches were also organized in several cities around the country and the world, including New York City, Los Angeles, Chicago, London and Berlin. According the March for Science website, over 400 marches were planned around the world.
A variety of signs were on-hand for the March on Science in Washington, D.C. on April 22, 2017. (Photo/AccuWeather/Courtney Barrow)
According to the march's website, the event is meant to support publicly funded research as part of a diverse, non-partisan community.
"The March for Science is a celebration of science. It's not only about scientists and politicians," the website read. "It is about the very real role that science plays in each of our lives."
The march held a personal meaning for the tens of thousands of participants, each with a different reason that drove them to participate.
"I feel science has kind of fallen on hard times in the U.S., or at least a hard perception from the public for reasons that aren’t entirely clear to me," said Rick Carlson, director of the Department of Terrestrial Magnetism at the Carnegie Institution for Science. The institution is one of the long list of organizations to partner with the march.
"It’s such an exciting time scientifically... so I’m just out here to support science, the excitement of it, the beauty of it, [and the] artistic aspects of it," he said.
"This has got be more than funding for your lab or your job or research dollars. This is about what scientists are," said Glen MacDonald, president of the Association of American Geographers.
"Scientists are servants, and we can never forget that, he said. "We serve the people, we serve this planet, and most of all, we serve the truth."
People march past the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency during the March For Science in Washington, Saturday, April 22, 2017. (AP Photo/Sait Serkan Gurbuz)
Earth Day was first celebrated in 1970, which, according to organizers of the modern celebration, included teach-ins similar to the ones seen on Saturday.
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