Paris Earth Day: Citizens, Visitors and French Institutions March for Science

On April 22, Earth Day 2017, the citizens of the world participated in a massive March for Science. The initiative was launched by U.S. scientists inspired by “new policies threatening to further restrict scientists’ abilities to carry out research and communicate their findings.”

The crowd continued to swell

Paris Earth Day, March for Science;  the Paris crowd continues to swell

The UK, Germany, Switzerland, Ireland, Norway, Belgium, the Netherlands, New Zealand and Australia as well planned solidarity marches.

 

Institutional Participation

Paris Earth Day, March for Science; institutional participation

 

happy march

Paris Earth Day, March for Science; march for the future

 

young participation in action

Paris Earth Day, March for Science; young participation in action

 

virtues of science

Paris Earth Day, March for Science; virtues of science

“Les vertus de la science sont le scepticisme et l’indépendance de la pensée.”

“The virtues of science are the skepticism and independence of thought.” ~Walter Gilbert

Walter Gilbert (1932) is an American physicist, biochemist, molecular biology pioneer, and Nobel laureate.

 

alternative facts square root of -1

Paris Earth Day, March for Science; ‘ science lover’, biological researcher and mathematician

The signs read:

Les faits alternatives sont the square root of – 1 (Alternative facts are the square root of negative 1)

Une petite marche pour la science – Un grand pas pour l’humanité! (A small walk for science – A great step for humanity!)

Parents and children agree

Paris Earth Day, March for Science;  parents and children agree   

The March was a celebration of science. It proclaimed the very real role that science plays in each of our lives. The March celebrated and supported the need to respect and encourage research that gives us insight into the world.

remembering important success

Paris Earth Day, March for Science; remembering important success

Generally, directors of public research institutions uphold the process of science as a tool for discovery that allows constant expansion and refinement of  knowledge and understanding of the universe. Facing the problem of working with restricted budgets augments the conviction that “defunding and hiring freezes in the sciences are against any country’s best interests.”

Support for the initiative of this public-spirited march for the sciences included:

Chambaz, President of CURIF (Coordination of French Research-Intensive Universities)
Alain Fuchs, President of CNRS
Yves Lévy, CEO of INSERM
Philippe Mauguin, CEO of INRA
Antoine Petit, Managing Director of INRIA
Daniel Verwaerde, Chairman of the CEA

Argentin visitors

Paris Earth Day, March for Science; Argentin visitors

 

Paris Earth Day, March for Science; value freedom of knowledge

There is no Planet B. Join the #MarchForScience. 

“The March for Science champions robustly funded and publicly communicated science as a pillar of human freedom and prosperity. We unite as a diverse, nonpartisan group to call for science that upholds the common good and for political leaders and policy makers to enact evidence-based policies in the public interest.”

sharing and preparing

Paris Earth Day, March for Science; sharing and preparing

As the trend increases in attempting to discredit scientific consensus and restrict scientific opportunities for discovery, the world speaks in defense of supporting access to scientific knowledge. The Gallery below offers more interesting perspectives.

 

 

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