Why Texas coast needs SCIENCE

A&M students say march is important for those who want the field to shape policy

W e’re graduate student researchers at Texas A&M University at Galveston. Because of the endless possibility that science can offer, we are taking part in the March for Science on Saturday, April 22.

We are lucky to work on the eastern Texas coast. Driving by refineries, chemical plants, fishing piers, and large tankers, we see the power of innovation in science and technology in this productive region. That motivates us to make these technologies even better and more sustainable for the future, keeping in mind the safety of our citizens.

Each day, we observe how passionately researchers at Texas A&M work to promote discovery and communication in science and apply it to societal issues. Some of our group’s research questions include: Can wetlands trap excess carbon? Can models be made to predict how hurricanes form, strengthen and can impact the coastline and its inhabitants? Can sandy flood deposits offshore the Texas coastline be be used to predict future floods?

At the local, state, federal, and international level, science should be the tool of first resort for informing policy views. Science provides facts, weighs risks, and evaluates what is effective, and therefore should be used when developing sound and sustainable policy.

More than 100 partners, representing some of the largest scientific societies in the world, will be marching for science on April 22 — to remind policymakers of all political affiliations, in the U.S. and abroad, that they can look to science to explore and explain our world, enhance our daily lives, and improve policy outcomes that directly affect us as citizens. In addition to the March for Science in Washington, D.C., scientists and supporters of science will also be marching in 16 cities in Texas, including Houston, and in more than 400 other locations around the world.

This march is for anyone who considers themselves to be a supporter of science. The need to recognize the importance and possibility of science grows stronger every day.