Peter Doherty: why Australia needs to march for science

Peter Doherty.

(The following article is adapted from a speech to be delivered at the Melbourne March for Science on Saturday 22 April, 2017)

The mission posted on the March for Science international website states:

“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. The March for Science is a celebration of science.”

March for Science events will be held
across the world on April 22 2017.

To me, it seems the reason concerned people across the planet are marching today is that, at least for the major players in the English-speaking world, there are major threats to the global culture of science.

Why? A clear understanding of what is happening with, for example, the atmosphere, oceans and climate creates irreconcilable problems for powerful vested interests, particularly in the fossil fuel and coastal real estate sectors.

Read Peter Doherty’s story on The Conversation - “Peter Doherty: why Australia needs to march for science.”