All References to Climate Change Have Been Deleted From the White House Website.” When a Reditt user responded to that January 20 headline by remarking “There needs to be a Scientists' March in Washington,” he wasn’t expecting what followed. A Texas professor launched a campaign after spotting that remark, which rapidly went viral. March for Science chapters were quickly formed across the world, including two in India. And on April 22, World Earth Day, hundreds of thousands of people joined over 600 marches across the world, including the North Pole and Antarctica, in support of the scientific spirit. “There is no planet B” said many of the posters carried by the marchers.
The event, which aims to promote science among policy makers and youngsters, will end with the People’s Climate March on April 29. While the organisers insist the event is apolitical, many others who joined did not think so. If anything, it is a much-need move against the increasing assault on facts by populist politicians and religious leaders. “We are the resistance against the orange menace in Washington!” screamed a banner in France. The ‘orange menace’, who occupies the White House, has sanctioned massive cuts in funding for scientific research, has climate change deniers in his cabinet, and is backed by conservative Christians who oppose evolution being taught in schools.
But ignoring science will not make global warming go away. Nor will it help nations which are already peddling religious teachings and unverified ‘facts’ as part of their academic curriculum. In India, where the march has two chapters —in Hyderabad and Coimbatore—rationalists have been gunned down or lynched by bigots who believe science threatens their religion. It is ironical that as the world gets increasingly connected because of technology based on science, it has become necessary to remind people about its importance.