Take to the Streets for Science!

Do you like antibiotics, GPS navigation, images from the Hubble telescope, hurricane watches and winter storm warnings, air travel, earthquake-proof building techniques, and the ebola vaccine? If so, then you like SCIENCE!  Join STAND Central New Jersey, hundreds of other organizations and hundreds of thousands of other people in the March for Science this Saturday, April 22nd. 

The main march will be held in Washington, D.C., but there are 517 satellite marches planned on six continents! Here in New Jersey, we can drive or take a train to the DC March, or we can choose to go to one of several nearby satellite events:

• The D.C. March.  Begins north of the Washington Monument, with teach-ins from 9-10am, a rally from 10am-2pm, and the March itself, which begins at 2pm.
• Atlantic City March. Begins at the Boardwalk on Albany Ave. 2-5pm.
• March for Science Lehigh Valley, in Bethlehem, PA. At Payrow Plaza, 1-3pm.
• Doylestown, PA March. Begins at State & Main, 12pm.
• New York City March. Begins with a rally at Central Park West at 62nd St., 10:30am. March begins at approximately 11:30. March route ends at 52nd and Broadway.
• Philadelphia March. Start assembling at 10am on the South side of City Hall. March begins at 11. March ends at Penn’s Landing–Great Plaza, with speakers and live music.
• Princeton March. Rally at Hinds Plaza at 10am. March begins at 11am.
• Trenton March. STAND CNJ is proud to be a sponsor of the Trenton March for Science! Begins at 10am with a program of speakers at the War Memorial, followed by a March to the New Jersey Statehouse Annex.

You can find satellite marches in other states or countries here.

The goals of the March for Science include demanding evidence-based policy and regulations that serve the public’s best interest, ending gag rules and other restrictions that prevent scientists from speaking openly about their research, and increasing funding and hiring for scientific research.

A large coalition of partners representing scientific, education, advocacy and medical organizations have joined together to help sponsor the March in D.C., including the Union of Concerned Scientists, The Nature Conservancy, the National Science Teachers Association, the Center for Science in the Public Interest, and the American Public Health Association, among many, many others. In addition to STAND CNJ, local organizations sponsoring marches in New Jersey include Action Together New Jersey, American Federation of Teachers-NJ, New Jersey Education Association, Communications Workers of America, Hope Rises Up, NOW NJ, Sierra Club New Jersey, Working Families Alliance of NJ, Princeton Marching Forward, Young Democrats of Atlantic County, the South Jersey Democratic Women’s Forum and more! The complete list of sponsors for the Trenton march is here.

Even if you are unable to attend a March for Science on Saturday, there are still many ways you can help the event have a larger, more meaningful impact. Sharing information, articles and photos about the March before, during and after the event is always a helpful way to shape public opinion. But don’t stop there. Write a letter to the editor explaining why you support the March for Science. Write a letter to your representatives explaining why you stand in solidarity with those who march on Saturday, though you are unable to march yourself. You can take these actions on the day of the March, or at a different time that works better with your schedule.

A few more specific action ideas for everyone, whether you are able to attend a march on Saturday or not:

• NJ March for Science in Trenton organizers are calling on NJ residents to sustain the spirit of the march by asking their state legislators to create a comprehensive state climate change strategy, as New Jersey is the only state along the Eastern seaboard that has no climate change adaptation plan, despite our many miles of beaches and shore towns.
• Defend science-based policy and regulatory protections by urging Senator Booker and Senator Menendez to vote against HR 1430, the HONEST Act, and HR 1431, the EPA Science Review Board Advisory Act, which have already passed in the House. These two bills threaten to make it harder for evidence-based research and scientists to guide policy at the EPA. Call Sen. Booker at 973-639-8700 and Sen. Menendez at 973-645-3030.
• Take part in the Union of Concerned Scientists’ current priority action by contacting your 3 members of Congress and urging them to reject the many cuts in the president’s proposed budget to evidence-based, scientific programs and agencies.
• More broadly, organizers of the D.C. March for Science are encouraging supporters of the March to participate in a Week of Action from April 23-29. A description of daily actions can be found here.

Saturday is coming soon — get ready to march and/or take action for evidence-based government and scientific research!

And mark your calendars for the marches still ahead….

• The People’s Climate March (4/29)
• The Immigrants’ and Workers’ March (5/1)
• The Equality March for Unity and Pride (6/11)