DO SOMETHING! STAND UP FOR SCIENCE
At the recent Democratic National Convention in Chicago, First Lady Michelle Obama delivered a speech that roused my energy and attention. She called on the crowd – and all of us – to DO SOMETHING! She was urging the electorate to take action around November’s presidential election and the congressional races for House and Senate seats. “Don’t just sit around and complain…DO SOMETHING.”
She urged us “to be the solutions that we seek…and to stand up not just for our basic freedoms but for decency and humanity; for basic respect, dignity, and empathy…”
Her words have been percolating in my brain ever since. As a science geek and former Executive Director of the Union of Concerned Scientists, I’ve been thinking a lot about what they might mean for science.
What Science Does for Us
This is not something we recognize, appreciate, and think about every day, but our daily lives overflow with the benefits of science, not to mention the advancement of society. Think briefly about that pill you took this morning, that inhaler in your pocket, or the food you’re enjoying today. Scientific research has led to the development of vitamins, antibiotics, vaccines, and other lifesaving and life-enhancing technologies. And the breakthroughs that inform efforts to diagnose, treat, and prevent disease, like CRISPR.
And then there’s the science that underpins other essential elements for healthy living, like clean air, clean water, healthy soil, and safe consumer products. Not to mention other aspects of modern life that science and technology have put at our fingertips, like computers, cell phones, and the internet.
Beyond this, science allows us to explore and understand the natural world and expands our knowledge of the universe. It informs our understanding of ecosystems, climate change, and conservation, helping us protect and sustain the environment for future generations.
Science and technology are also major drivers of economic growth, creating industries and jobs, e.g., biotechnology, IT, renewable energy, and most recently artificial intelligence. [Lots to say about that last one; maybe another time.]
Scientific data and research also inform decision-making in policy and governance, as well as our own personal decisions and the choices we make.
What We Can Do for Science
Despite the enormous progress and success of our nation’s scientific enterprise, there’s still a lot to do and a lot that can be done. Some science-based public policy challenges and priorities include:
Mitigating climate change, e.g., by reducing greenhouse gas emissions; promoting renewable energy and energy efficiency
Conserving our natural resources and protecting biodiversity
Strengthening the public health infrastructure and preparing for the next pandemic
Promoting science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) education and ensuring diversity, equity, and inclusion in the STEM fields
Fostering and supporting research and policies that address health disparities and social inequities
And here are some possible actions. It’s not an exhaustive list, so ADD YOUR IDEAS in the comments!
Congress could and SHOULD:
Provide our science-based departments and agencies with the budgets and staffing they need to fulfill their missions. These include the FDA, NIH, CDC, DHHS, EPA, DOE, DOA, NOAA, and DARPA.
Provide oversight and governance of emerging technologies to help ensure ethical development and avoid their inadvertent or intentional abuse or misuse
Our government agencies could and SHOULD:
Strongly enforce scientific integrity policies; ensure the scientific integrity of their research and the standards, rules, processes, and policies they adopt
Meaningfully involve communities in decision-making processes, particularly underserved communities.
Streamline government hiring practices to ensure that diverse and qualified scientific experts are joining federal agencies.
And we, too, can and SHOULD do something. For example,
Become or continue to be vocal advocates for science, scientific research, and science-based policy.
Participate in public hearings; provide comments or information for relevant proposed rulemaking processes.
Make our displeasure known when elected officials, political candidates, and policymakers are silent, oppose, or just plain speak nonsense about science-based issues, policies, and practices. [No need to say anything about any particular persons here; you know who they are.]
Be a judge in a school’s science fair. Watch NOVA with your kids. Listen to science podcasts and radio shows, like Radiolab, Science Friday, and 60 Second Science.
Smile and say thank you to the public sector workers you may encounter in the course of your day. Like the ones who deliver the mail, direct traffic, stand ready to respond to emergencies, maintain the parks, repair the roads, pick up our trash, teach your kids, provide other public services for your loved ones. They may not be scientists, but every smile and kind word helps. And do the same for private sector workers, as well.
Get engaged in the 2024 local and national political campaigns to the extent you can – with time, money, ideas, conversation, writing letters, or even knocking on doors.
And be sure to vote in November. Every vote matters.
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