The event is combined with the 47th annual Earth Day observance, which is expected to draw millions of people to cities and towns across the country, with the main event in Washington, D.C. Philadelphia’s demonstration will start at City Hall, with a march that ends up at Penn’s Landing.
The events of that day had enormous impact on public policy.
“Instead of evidence-based decision making, you just make up your own facts,” said researcher Sylvia Nuremberg, speaking at a sign-making party in Philadelphia ahead of the march.
“And if we start with that, if that becomes the norm, what’s going to happen to us?” Nuremberg, a research scientist, has never felt the need to march before.
Climate change, and the new Trump administration’s easy dismissal of it’s dangers, along with plans to de-fund the EPA and other scientific research has scientists like Nuremberg scared.
It’s a novel thing for scientists to march.
Caffeine is one of my favorite chemicals.” Rael says she expects 10,000 to 20,000 people to march in Philadelphia.
So she works the room full of young volunteers making signs.
“We’re out there collecting data and we want things to be objectifiable, but at some point as scientists, I think it’s ok to stand up and say ‘you know we need to be political about this.’ We need people to be well informed.” But whether or not scientists can leave the lab and become a political force is still a question.
Whiteford says in some ways, the success of any demonstration is dependent on news coverage – but he says like everyone else, scientists can run for office, and they do have the power to boycott companies supporting the Trump Administration.