The Annual Meeting of the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS) is taking place this weekend, and thousands of scientists will rally this Sunday in Boston’s Copley Square to stand up for science in the Trump administration.
EuroScience, on the other hand, has gathered signatures from 46 science organizations in Europe in an open letter to President Trump. The document condemns the new government for limiting the exchange of ideas and imposing cultural bans that affect the field.
The scientific community has significant concerns about their work under Trump’s mandate. Adding insult to injury, several agencies have been shaken up to keep quiet until further notice, and the President has not even elected a science advisor to the White House.
American scientists will make their voices heard
Organized by the Union of Concerned Scientists, ClimateTruth, and the Natural History Museum, Sunday’s demonstration will be a smaller protest in comparison with the upcoming March for Science on Earth Day.
Speaking to the press, Gretchen Goldman of the Union of Concerned Scientists said the scientific field was living a unique moment in time, and that the community was ready to push back if they saw themselves oppressed by any kind of threat coming from Trump.
“FROM THE MUZZLING OF SCIENTISTS AND GOVERNMENT AGENCIES TO THE IMMIGRATION BAN, THE DELETION OF SCIENTIFIC DATA, AND THE DE-FUNDING OF PUBLIC SCIENCE, THE EROSION OF OUR INSTITUTIONS IS A DANGEROUS DIRECTION FOR OUR COUNTRY,” she said.
Most recently, the Environmental Protection Agency and the U.S. Department of Agriculture issued gag orders to prevent employees from speaking to the press.
The new head of the EPA, Scott Pruitt, has been fighting the agency in court for several years on climate change grounds. Trump’s cabinet is also juggling the option of shutting down the Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy from the federal department.
The world has its eyes on Trump’s science policy choices
46 entities and organizations signed an open letter to Donald Trump last week, requesting the administration uphold values such as transparency and freedom of information in the field of science.
The British Royal Society, the British Biophysical Society, the European University Association, EuroScience, and the national science academies of several EU nations signed the letter.
The document was forwarded to the President of the European Council Donald Tusk, and the head of the European Commission Jean-Claude Juncker. All member states of the European Union and affiliated bodies also received it.
In the eve of the Annual General Meeting of the AAAS, it was also sent, of course, to the President of the United States in solidarity with the American Association.
Donald Trump had previously received a similar letter just over a week ago on February 10, penned by the Association and signed by 180 national science entities or supporting bodies and universities. The President has yet to comment on any of the two letters.
Source: The Washington Post
