The March for Science in Washington, D.C., proceeded from the Washington Monument down Constitution Avenue toward the U.S. Capitol.
POLICY
Chemists march for science Practitioners, professors, students, and fans join with throngs in support of science Chemists, chemistry students, and fans of continued,” she told C&EN. chemistry took to the streets on April 22 In Chicago, Laure Dussubieux, a chemist along with hundreds of thousands of others at the Field Museum who brought her famin support of science across the U.S. and ily to the march, said she wanted her two the world. Billed as a nonpartisan event, the daughters to understand that science perMarch for Science drew demonstrators who meates every aspect of life. Moreover, she’s touted their love for science. More than 500 worried about the current climate for scimarches took place around the globe. ence in the U.S. “I hope this march is going Many marchers in the U.S. called for the to show people that science is important government to continue funding research and is worth funding,” she said. in the face of calls by many in Congress to A Chicago-based chemist with EPA who cut nondefense spending and proposals by requested not to be named said she marched President Donald J. Trump to slash federal to support the important work of the agency. support for many areas of science. Some “Science is everything, and this Admincriticized Trump’s climate change policies, istration is not paying attention to the including his plan to eliminate all of the En- facts,” she said. But although she hoped the vironmental Protection Agency’s climate marches across the country would send a programs. message to the White House, The march in Washington, “unfortunately, I don’t think D.C., attracted participants it’ll change anything,” she said. from all over the country. One While many scientists and was Monica Ohnsorg, a chementhusiasts rallied, some reistry graduate student at the See more searchers opted out. Some University of Minnesota, Twin photos of the march argued that organizers failed Cities, who pulled an all-nighter at cen.acs.org/ to appropriately address issues to finish a homework set before chemistsmarch. of diversity and inclusion, and catching a 6 AM flight to the html others were unhappy with what nation’s capital. they viewed as the politicizaOhnsorg said she came to Washington to tion of the event. attend her first demonstration because she The American Chemical Society, which sees the future of science in collaborative publishes C&EN, officially supported research such as the National Microbiome the march in conjunction with its annual Initiative and the Brain Research through Chemists Celebrate Earth Day events, with Advancing Innovative Neurotechnologies the proviso that march organizers maintain (BRAIN) Initiative. “We have to let the gov- a nonpartisan stance.— SARAH EVERTS, ernment know that these initiatives need CHERYL HOGUE, LISA JARVIS, JYLLIAN to be continued; the funding needs to be KEMSLEY, AND MICHAEL MCCOY
More Online
12
C&EN | CEN.ACS.ORG | MAY 1, 2017
▲ Demonstrators in Washington, D.C., called for continued federal funding for research grants.. ▼ Karen P. Chiang, who teaches
chemistry at the University of San Diego, stressed the importance of chemistry at the march in San Diego.
CREDIT: CHERYL HOGUE/C&EN (GROUP WITH BANNER, FUND NIH SIGN); NICOLE DANOS (CHIANG); SARAH EVERTS/C&EN (DIRKS); LISA JARVIS/C&EN (CHICAGO); MICHAEL MCCOY/C&EN (NYC); LINDA WANG/C&EN (EARTH DAY); CHERYL HOGUE/C&EN (SWALLOW AND HILL); JYLLIAN KEMSLEY/C&EN (ALEMÁN); RUDY BAUM (PORTLAND); ANEL KENJEKEEVA (COSTA RICA)
Science Concentrates
▲ A high school student showed
his chemistry enthusiasm at Chicago’s march.
▲ Participants in New York City’s March for Science braved rain.
▶ University of Minnesota, Twin Cities,
chemistry professor Lee Penn and graduate students Becky Rodriguez and Monica Ohnsorg brought messages about science to the march in Washington, D.C. ▲ Anika Dirks, a biochemist at the Leibniz Institute for Neurobiology in Magdeburg, Germany, marched in Berlin.
▼ ACS’s Chemists
Celebrate Earth Day event in Washington, D.C., coincided with the March for Science there.
▶ Chemistry fans Poppy Swallow and Marissa Hill traveled to the march in Washington, D.C., from Ellicott City, Md., with their mothers.
▲ California State University, Stanislaus,
chemistry professor Elvin Alemán (center) made the three-hour trek with several students to march in San Francisco. ▶ Chemistry students Sebastian Hernandez, Jochebeth Godínez, and Veronica Suarez from the University of Costa Rica marched in San Pedro, Costa Rica. ◀ Climate change and
environmental protection were themes at the marches, including in Portland, Ore. MAY 1, 2017 | CEN.ACS.ORG | C&EN
13
