Recently, through marches, protests, and rallies, many individuals have been compelled in today’s modern day civilization to defend the necessity of the study of science. When I heard this, my first thought was “surely, this is a joke of some sort.”

The fact that there is a need to defend science  baffles me. Science is the foundation of intellectual life; without this knowledge we are nothing. Without it, we would have no understanding of our place in the universe, the organisms with which we share this Earth, as well as the patterns that exist in all corners of the vast cosmos.

The problem with a decreased emphasis on science is that our society is based on progress. Technological advances are now at the forefront of modern medicine, politics, and education, to name a few. Energy is becoming more efficient, more sustainable. We are finally setting up the first possible outlets with which we could communicate with any life forms outside of our species and our world.

This is not a partisan debate; it is a moral one.

The March for Science was held in more than 600 cities worldwide on Apr. 17, 2017, with the goal of celebrating the role scientific progress has made in the history and development of civilization.

Topics addressed included: the indisputable effects of global warming on all our lives, the preservation of natural resources, and the importance of governmental involvement and education.

Additionally, a key issue that have many marchers concerned about is global warming and its effects on the world. There are those who disbelieve in the legitimacy of global warming.  For those who have not had an adequate education in science, they think that  global warming may be too gradual or minute to notice to have an effect on earth.  Additionally, many science-deniers have concerns that modern-day scientists are “too far off” to be of relevance.

However, this way of thinking is false. Issues such as global warming have only augmented with our growing dependency on technology, electronics, and natural resources.

To the left is a graph of growing CO2 levels in the atmosphere  ranging from 1750-2010. The growth is exponential. If the slope continues to rise at an alarming increased rate, who knows what the future will hold.

To the organizers, the march was only the beginning of their attempt to present the facts to the world. The March for Science hopes to have an increased role in society as a motivator and educator.