Why scientists are marching on Earth Day

The authors call for a global "March for Science" on April 22 to combat the "post-truth" era, where emotion and personal belief often outweigh objective facts in shaping public opinion and policy. They highlight how the disregard for evidence affects critical issues such as climate change and public health. To effectively counter this trend, the authors argue that the scientific community must maintain rigorous ethical standards, improve the communication of scientific certainty, and promote a "scientific temper" and higher science literacy among the public and policymakers.

• Scientists are organizing a global "March for Science" on April 22 to "celebrate and defend science at all levels – from local schools to federal agencies," responding to a "post-truth" era where objective facts are less influential than emotion and personal belief.
• The "post-truth" sensibility has entered the political mainstream, impacting policies regarding the health and wellbeing of the planet and its inhabitants, exemplified by US President Donald Trump's denial of "overwhelming evidence for climate change."
• To maintain credibility and combat post-truth rhetoric, the scientific community must ensure rigorous peer review and avoid ethical lapses, as "falsified data or deliberately misleading conclusions" damage the reputation of all scientists.
• There is an urgent need for scientists to improve communication strategies to increase science literacy among the public, media, and policymakers, specifically by explaining the methods and rigor of evidence collection and validation.

APA

Krief, S. M. G. M. H. H. A. (2017). Why scientists are marching on Earth Day. World Economic Forum. https://www.weforum.org/stories/climate-action/why-scientists-are-marching-on-earth-day/

Chicago

Krief, Stephen Matlin, Goverdhan Mehta, Henning Hopf, Alain. Why scientists are marching on Earth Day. World Economic Forum, 2017. https://www.weforum.org/stories/climate-action/why-scientists-are-marching-on-earth-day/.

Wikipedia

{{cite press release |last1=Krief |first1=Stephen Matlin, Goverdhan Mehta, Henning Hopf, Alain |title=Why scientists are marching on Earth Day |publisher=World Economic Forum |date=21 April 2017 |url=https://www.weforum.org/stories/climate-action/why-scientists-are-marching-on-earth-day/ |access-date=23 October 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@misc{krief2017why, author = {Krief, Stephen Matlin, Goverdhan Mehta, Henning Hopf, Alain}, title = {{Why scientists are marching on Earth Day}}, publisher = {World Economic Forum}, year = {2017}, month = apr, url = {https://www.weforum.org/stories/climate-action/why-scientists-are-marching-on-earth-day/}, urldate = {2026-10-23}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }