On April 17th, I attended the Table Talk regarding the March for Science that occurred on Earth Day, April 22, 2017. Initially, what attracted me to this Rose event is the fact that I’ve become more interested in the environment and studying sustainability, so I thought that the talk would provide me with some knowledge as to what the march was for.
What I learned, however, was more shocking than I expected. While I thought that under the Trump administration, funding for certain research sectors would be reduced, I didn’t realize to what extent those proposed cuts were. The numbers further amplified the importance of the March to me. Additionally, during our talk, we spoke about how individuals could effectively communicate the importance of science to those who are more skeptical; given the nature of such a complex topic, we didn’t come up with a definitive answer but just that when conversing, it’s important to not put down another person’s beliefs because that only then makes them a stronger proponent of their beliefs.
I think you raise an important point about not putting down other’s beliefs. We have to recognize that people often have beliefs that have been ingrained in them for years, and that changes of perspectives and beliefs simply do not occur overnight. However, if people approach their communication/sharing of knowledge in a respectful and patient fashion, I think the results could be really great.
Thank you for this post angela. I agree we must mobilize to make the world a more green place. I am glad I attended the talk and was given insight on how scary out situation is.
I also fear for the cuts the current adminstration plans to make on science and research. Especially things pertaining to sustainabliity and combating climate change. This is the only Earth that we have yet I think sometimes we take it for granted as if there is another one for us to go to. It is unfortunate that our current adminstration does not see the severity of this.