Press release from The Collider:
On April 22, thousands of science supporters are expected to gather in Asheville for the March for Science. The event coincides with a national movement that is advocating for increased investments in scientific research, the use of fact-based public policy, and science as a nonpartisan issue.
This bi-partisan march will begin at Aston Park at 10 a.m. and end at Pack Square where there will be speakers on the importance of science and informational booths about science in Western North Carolina.
Local engineer Tawnya Sowerwine explains why she believes the March for Science is important: “Many people, not just those in science fields, believe that the institution of science, and data that comes from accepted methodologies, should be used to shape public policy. For me, the march is a stand against those who seek to squelch the flow of science-driven information between governmental agencies and the people. In a time of division, science is that which brings us together, through knowledge and the pursuit of truth.”
In a related event, the March for Science will host Nobel Peace Prize-winning scientist Dr. Thomas Peterson for a presentation titled, “What is Science?” on April 11, 5:30 – 6:30 p.m., at The Collider, located at 1 Haywood St., on the top floor of the Wells Fargo building in downtown Asheville. Doors open at 5 p.m. and the event is free and open to the public.
Peterson, retired in 2015 as principal scientist at NOAA’s National Centers for Environmental Information in downtown Asheville, is president of the World Meteorological Organization’s Commission for Climatology. He is an author or co-author of more than 100 peer-reviewed scientific papers, including the Nobel Peace Prize-winning Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change’s Fourth Assessment Report. Foreign Policy Magazine named him one of the top 100 Leading Global Thinkers of 2013 for his work on explaining extreme events from a climate perspective.
For updates on the march, visit website ashevillemarchforscience.weebly.com or Asheville-March for Science on Facebook.
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