March for Science held on Earth Day

On Earth Day, April 22, despite a cold drizzle, 70 people including scientists, University of Maine at Machias (UMM) students and faculty and local activists gathered at UMM's Science Building for the March for Science. The Machias march was held in conjunction with marches in five other Maine communities, a national march in Washington, D.C., and over 600 marches worldwide. March for Science is a nonpartisan group calling for "science that upholds the common good and for political leaders and policy makers to enact evidence based policies in the public interest."
The Machias march organizer, Dr. Meghan Duff, an associate professor in UMM's psychology and community studies program, said she was inspired to base the march in Machias after participating in Eastport and Lubec's women's marches in January.
Science's essential role in addressing climate change was the shared concern for the participants who walked from UMM along Route 1 to the Machias causeway then back to the campus. Many marchers carried signs conveying their messages C "In science we trust," "Science is not silence" and "Support science funding, teaching and research." Downtown businesses displayed signs supporting Earth Science Day while passing motorists enthusiastically waved and honked, encouraging marchers along the route.
Medea Steinman, UMM's supplemental instruction coordinator, turned out to "celebrate and defend science. People have become distrustful and afraid of science, and that really concerns me," she explains.
Tom Adelman of Pembroke, a retired scientist, marched because he is "disturbed by upcoming cuts at the Environmental Protection Agency since a climate change denier now heads the agency."
Kylie Dunphy, a second-year UMM environmental studies student walked with Derek Dubay, a biology major. "I am marching for science because it is not a liberal conspiracy," Dunphy explains.
Some marchers donned costumes for the event. Seven-year-old Jerry Wood from Cooper walked alongside his mother Laura Jamieson, who was dressed as a unicorn. Jamieson's sign read, "I might not exist, but climate change sure does."
Lauren Koss of Pembroke and her 3-year-old son Robin Leavitt also got their start in Eastport's women's march. "That was the first time Robin and I marched together. We are here today because climate change is real," she explains.
Following the march, Dr. Stephen Norton, distinguished Maine professor and emeritus professor, School of Earth Sciences cooperative appointment, Climate Change Institute, University of Maine, Orono, presented a talk highlighting the history of atmospheric pollution. Based on data Norton and his team collected, Norton contends the atmosphere in the United States and Europe "now is cleaner than in the last half century." Norton says it is possible to make improvements in the chemical atmosphere. Soil and lake sediments currently show a decrease in lead, cadmium and mercury. "This is all good news," Norton states. "You figure out where something is coming from and you can do something about it." Norton congratulated the marchers but did not march himself fearing "if I come down on policy my credibility as a scientist comes into question. Science is apolitical. I am on the side of science and a quality environment."