March for Science returns for second year to Bay Area
Following up on an event that drew 70,000 people at multiple locations across the Bay Area last year, and 1 million around the world, advocates for improved science literacy and research funding will hold a streamlined version of the March for Science this Saturday.
But rather than dozens of marches in San Jose, San Francisco, Walnut Creek and other areas like last year — which focused largely on President Trump’s decision to pull out of the Paris Climate Agreement and his proposed cuts toNASA, theNational Institutes ofHealth, the EPA and other agencies— this year’s event will be consolidated in one place: Lake Merritt in Oakland.
“The lack of understanding of scientific knowledge and the lack of general interest in what is happening in science, or the ability to read a scientific journal — those things are very concerning,” said Holly Cordeiro, a spokeswoman for the march organizers. “It’s easier to be misled. People need to make up their own minds and have their own informed opinions.”
Running from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m., at the Lake Merritt Amphitheater and Henry J. Kaiser Auditorium, the free event will feature a rally around the lake at 2:30 pm Saturday, along with speakers, music, booths from local science institutions, and interactive demonstrations over the entire four hours. Details are available at www.marchforsciencesf. com.
AMarchfor Science event in Santa Cruz is scheduled for 10 a.m. April 21 at Santa Cruz City Hall, to coincide with the city’s Earth Day festivities.
Last year, more than 1 million people marched in 600 March for Science locations around the world. Nobel Prize-winning physical chemist William Moerner spoke at the San Jose rally, which drew more than 10,000 people. Across the Bay Area, people carried signs with messages like “Make America Smart Again,” “Science, not silence,” “Half Lives Matter!” “No Science, No Beer” and “I can’t believe I have to protest for science.” They also toted signs with quotes
from Albert Einstein and pictures of Carl Sagan, Rosalind Franklin and Marie Curie.
The march is sponsored by more than 20 organizations, including Oakland’s Chabot Space and Science Center, The Tech Museum of Innovation in San Jose, the American Geophysical Union and the Lawrence Hall of Science.
Last month, facing opposition in the closely split Senate, Congress passed, and Trump signed, a massive $1.3 trillion spending bill that overrode most of the president’s proposed budget cuts to science, environment and medical programs, maintaining them at levels near or slightly above where they were during the Obama administration.
But there is still cause for concern, given Trump’s efforts to roll back environmental standards and reg- ulations. Organizers say the goal this year is to increase public awareness about the role science plays in daily life, maintain public funding for scientific research and inspire young people of all backgrounds to pursue scientific careers.
So far there are 230 cities in the United States participating in the 2018 March for Science, which is sponsored by the American Association for the Ad- vancement of Science, and leading scientific organizations, museums and other groups. Marches are scheduled to be held Saturday in New York, Washington D.C., Chicago, Houston, Atlanta, and numerous California cities, including Los Angeles, Sacramento, Fresno, Santa Barbara, Riverside, Palm Springs.