Politics

These Signs Show How the Scientific Community Feels About President Trump

February 19th 2017

As scientists across the country gathered in Boston this weekend for the American Association for the Advancement of Science's annual meeting, hundreds used the occasion to take a stand against President Donald Trump.

Attendees told news organizations that the purpose of the rally was to make a demonstration of solidarity against Trump's administration, which they consider to be anti-science.

Geoffrey Supran, a postdoctoral fellow at Harvard University and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, told ABC News that protestors wanted to send the message that "science is the backbone of our prosperity and progress."

Scott Pruitt protestFlickr / Lorie Shaull - flickr.comThe protest comes just days after the United States Senate confirmed Trump administration pick Scott Pruitt to serve as administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency. Pruitt had on several occasions sued the EPA in his previous role as attorney general for the state of Oklahoma.

These signs highlight some of the major concerns the scientific community is expressing about the Trump administration.

In addition to the Pruitt pick, Trump and his administration have raised concerns among scientists by reportedly subjecting existing research to political review, signing-off on fossil fuel pipeline projects, and rolling back regulations to protect rivers and streams from coal related pollution.

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