Today, to commemorate Earth Day and condemn the dangerous influence of climate change denial, scientists and their supporters marched all over the world. They demanded respect for evidence-based science, decried the deleting of data, advocated for research funding, and called for countries to meet the requirements of the Paris Climate Agreement. Protesters have posted pictures of their funny signs, creative costumes, and dancing, chanting crowds under the hashtags #MarchforScience, #MarchePourLesSciences, #MarchaPorLaCiencia – and Scotland’s unique #AyeforSci.
In London, the crowds were joined by one of the world’s most famous “doctors”: Peter Capaldi! The Twelfth Doctor joined the march with thousands of other people concerned for the future of the planet.
Look who’s turned up at #ScienceMarchLdn!!! #sciencemarch #PeterCapaldi #DoctorWho pic.twitter.com/wqkUy5Jc44
— March for ScienceLDN (@LDNsciencemarch) April 22, 2017
Dr Who is a fan of #socialscience #PeterCapaldi #ScienceMarchLdn @ScienceMarchUK @DrWhoOnline pic.twitter.com/vwKE5XFSrj
— CfSocialScience (@CfSocialScience) April 22, 2017
Protesters also marched in Abuja, Nigeria:
Thank you Nigeria 🇳🇬 Great organizing!!! #marchforscience #globalsciencemarch pic.twitter.com/dZ43ng20Vn
— Lucky Tran (@luckytran) April 22, 2017
In Cuernavaca, Mexico:
La ciencia nos une para un mayor beneficio de todos #MarchaPorLaCiencia #ScienceMarch #Mexico #Cuernavaca #Morelos pic.twitter.com/FlBOKLSYwL
— ScienceMarch Morelos (@MorelosCiencia) April 22, 2017
In Dublin, Ireland:
As usual, @NiamhTalking90 articulates the point succinctly 😎😎 @ScienceMarchIE #sciencemarchie pic.twitter.com/xVv4bTNY1j
— claireoconnell (@claireoconnell) April 22, 2017
In Kampala, Uganda:
Marching on some cool sciency beats! @ScienceAlly @joanconrow @nbstv @TwineJonan @Sarah_Evanega @kevinfolta #marchforscience #Uganda pic.twitter.com/ym9NagT3TU
— Nassib Mugwanya (@nmugwanya) April 22, 2017
when a picture says a million words! #marchforscience #marchforscienceug pic.twitter.com/xcIaJQiTj9
— UBIC (@UgandaBIC) April 22, 2017
In New York City, New York, United States:
Nominee for nerdiest sign #ScienceMarch pic.twitter.com/6QSdp556P2
— Virginia Hughes (@virginiahughes) April 22, 2017
In Ottowa, Canada:
some excellent signs in the #marchforscience in Ottawa! @ScienceMarchOTT pic.twitter.com/Ihk05BuY7N
— Michelle (@SciFiMichelle) April 22, 2017
In San Francisco, California, United States:
.@ScienceMarchDC @ScienceMarchBER @MarsZaZnanost @ScienceMarchTUE @douglasfinch “Nevertheless, she persisted.”
Seen at San Francisco’s #MarchForScience: pic.twitter.com/I7zC4I9TCC
— Gizmodo (@Gizmodo) April 22, 2017
.@ScienceMarchDC @ScienceMarchBER @MarsZaZnanost @ScienceMarchTUE @douglasfinch DON’T👏🏽DEFUND👏🏽DATA👏🏽
Pro-science protesters take to the streets of San Francisco to #MarchForScience: pic.twitter.com/bkp85qKWnm
— Gizmodo (@Gizmodo) April 22, 2017
In Santiago, Chile:
Mira @criordor marchando en santiago! pic.twitter.com/D2HOzJ3j6v
— Barbara Saavedra (@bsaavedrap) April 22, 2017
#MarchaPorLaCiencia en Santiago de Chile pic.twitter.com/VQVLvwJSM5
— Mauricio Monsalve M (@moe_monsalve) April 22, 2017
In Sao Paulo, Brazil:
La comunidad cientÃfica brasileña se unió a la #MarchaPorLaCiencia #ScienceMarch en el #DiaDeLaTierra #EarthDay en #SaoPaulo #Brasil pic.twitter.com/qP4fOiqJAi
— David de la Paz (@daviddelapaz) April 22, 2017
In Sydney, Australia:
Great turnout at #marchforscience Sydney. Amazing support for science! @ScienceMarchSyd @ScienceMarchAu pic.twitter.com/AVypMdepzR
— Andrea Finno (@afinno) April 22, 2017
In Tokyo, Japan:
March for Science Tokyo!🌸🌏🚀🔬#ScienceMarch #marchforscience pic.twitter.com/aaFepnTHaP
— Science March Tokyo (@SciMarchTokyo) April 22, 2017
In Washington, D.C., United States:
how many ppl are at #ScienceMarchDC? this many: pic.twitter.com/OOfgrZz4KE
— Azeen Ghorayshi (@azeen) April 22, 2017
Today, we’re at the #MarchForScience promoting the progress of science and the useful arts of engineering. pic.twitter.com/VJJKSMahD3
— Bill Nye (@BillNye) April 22, 2017
They even marched at the North Pole and Antarctica!
March for Science North Pole Edition https://t.co/9A3UGtNpLz pic.twitter.com/PtQLYtMK5G
— Bernice Notenboom (@BerniceNot) April 21, 2017
Overwinterer at the Neumayer Station also support the #MarchForScience – our message of support from Antarctica! @ScienceMarchDC pic.twitter.com/7qObD39aY4
— AWI Medien (@AWI_de) April 22, 2017
There were hundreds of marches and tens of thousands of participants across the globe, with at least one planned protest/march on each continent.
While I’m delighted by the turnout and excitement for this march, it’s worth saying that scientific institutions and practices aren’t always used in the service of right. From eugenics to the Tuskegee experiments to the nuclear arms race, scientific institutions certainly don’t have a spotless record in the history of human progress. Science is a tool, and like any tool, it can be wielded for either right or wrong. It’s on us as citizens to think critically about things like corporate-sponsored studies (Smoking is great for you, says this new study funded by Marlboro!), and it’s on the scientific community to look out for junk data.
However, it’s undeniable that rigorous testing, repeatable results, and reliable data have produced truly unbelievable advances for humanity. (Right this very moment, I’m typing these words on a computer and posting them instantly on the internet using electricity, while wearing glasses that allow me to see clearly and taking birth control that keeps me from getting pregnant; I have never known anyone who had smallpox. This is miracle-level for most of human history.)
It’s also clear that facts matter, and that denying the overwhelming evidence of climate change will eventually doom the planet. As so many of the signs from today’s marches said, “There is no Planet B.” So we’ve got to fight for this one, and these marches were an amazing, global start.
(Via Twitter, Nature, and Africa News; image via Shutterstock)
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