Hundreds in Athens join worldwide marches for science – Online Athens

Maybe it wasnt exactly scientifically confirmed, but it was nonetheless clear that Saturdays March for Science in downtown Athens not a march, exactly, as things turned out exceeded the limits of the police-issued permit for the event in front of the federal courthouse on Hancock Avenue.

I think weve broken the law, folks! an exuberant Mark Farmer, a cellular biologist at the University of Georgia, told the crowd jamming the courthouse lawn from the steps into the street.

Because the local March for Science part of hundreds of such marches held around the world on Earth Day coincided with the popular G-Day intrasquad University of Georgia football game that brings thousands of visitors to town, organizers couldnt get a parade permit for downtown Athens, according to Farmer.

Instead, they were granted a permit to rally on the federal courthouse grounds outside the heaviest G-Day traffic from 11 a.m. until noon, with a limit of 400 people. But one glance around the crowded lawn made it clear that the actual number of people was well above that limit, with one estimate placing the crowd at 600 people or more, who waved signs and chanted as a line of speakers extolled the human progress made possible by science.

And, with a little lighthearted civil disobedience in his heart, as the rally was winding down Saturday morning, Farmer looked at the permit and said, I see nothing on here saying you cant all take your signs and walk downtown!

The Athens event and those held worldwide were aimed at promoting an understanding of science and defending science from issues such as proposed federal government budget cuts that could adversely affect scientific research in this country.

Waving signs with slogans like Grab them by the data and Science is not a liberal conspiracy, the hundreds of people who attended the March for Science in downtown Athens heard from a number of speakers including Marilyn Williams, the director of spiritual care at St. Marys Hospital in Athens.

Prior to becoming a chaplain, Williams worked for two decades in cancer research and health care management, and she spoke Saturday about the nexus between science and religion.

Theres no conflict between the two, she said. Both are just different approaches for understanding our world.

And, Williams said, pastoral care work shows the connection between faith and science.

We really do see where science and faith come together, she said. Theyve always been connected.

Also speaking Saturday was Kathy Fowler, a veterinarian and march organizer who suggested to the crowd that without science particularly the medical research that has improved human health and longevity many of the people at Saturdays march might not have been there.

The scientific discoveries of the the last few centuries are what allowed you to be here today, she said.

Human health has also been improved by scientific advancements in water quality and in properly handling wastewater, Fowler continued.

They all came about because of scientific research and discovery, she said.

The local focus on science will continue in neighboring Oconee County on Sunday, where the Oconee County Democrats will host a nonpartisan event called Walk and Talk with a Scientist.

The walk is scheduled for 3 to 5 p.m. at Herman C. Michael Park off Georgia Highway 53 and Elder Road. Scientists will gather at the walking trail, which is paved and about a third of a mile long.

People can choose a scientist and walk the trail with them while talking about that persons scientific investigations or study. Among the scientists participating in the event are a geologist, an expert in water toxicity, a botanist, a specialist in endangered species and an expert on coral reefs.

Across the United States on Saturday, one of the organizers of the first Earth Day, Denis Hayes, said the crowd he saw on the National Mall in Washington appeared energized and magical, almost like what he saw on the first Earth Day 47 years ago.

Hundreds turned out in light rain for a pro-science rally on the Vermont Statehouse lawn in Montpelier. One of the speakers, Rose Paul, director of conservation science for The Nature Conservancy of Vermont, told the crowd that Science is not a partisan issue. She said climate change is happening and scientists are needed to help understand how shifting weather patterns are affecting the world.

In Nashville, Tenn., hundreds of people braved pouring rain, marching through city streets and chanting science, not silence.

President Donald Trump said in an Earth Day statement that his administration is committed to keeping our air and water clean, to preserving our forests, lakes and open spaces and to protecting endangered species.

But that wont be done, he said, in a way that harms working families, and he added that the government is reducing unnecessary burdens on American workers and American companies, while being mindful that our actions must also protect the environment.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

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Hundreds in Athens join worldwide marches for science - Online Athens