Fighting for Science’s Role in Society
Councilmember Elizabeth Brown to speak at
Columbus March for Science
[COLUMBUS-OH]
On Saturday April 22, Councilmember Elizabeth Brown and thousands of
science enthusiasts will sound their collective voice for the first-ever
worldwide March for Science.
Councilmember
Brown will speak at the event held outside the Ohio Statehouse. There are
over 500 March for Science locations.
This
event is partially in response to the proposed federal budget cuts that
eliminate funding for biomedical research, STEM-education programs, and efforts
to understand and combat climate change.
“Investing
in research and STEM education benefits every part of society” said
Councilmember Brown. “Public policy should focus on expanding research
opportunities and sharing its benefits with everyone.”
Some
of the largest proposed cuts will come from the Environmental Protection Agency
(EPA), which is facing a 31% budget reduction of $2.5 billion. The reductions
include cutting funding in half for the EPA’s Office of Research and
Development and eliminating funding for international climate-change programs.
The
National Institutes of Health (NIH) also faces an 18% budget reduction of $5.8
billion. The NIH is a research network that funds and conducts research efforts
aimed at curing cancer, heart disease, mental illness and other disease
throughout the world. In 2017, The Ohio State University received $55 million
from NIH for the funding of 152 research projects while Nationwide Children’s
Hospital’s research division received $13 million.
“Public
displays like this march send a powerful signal to our leaders and our
communities,” Brown continued. “My hope is that these events will raise
awareness of the importance of science and its positive impact on all of our
lives.”
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