The Alfred Wegener Institute supports the “March for Science”

Science represents one of the most important pillars of our society. It helped to spawn the Enlightenment and democracy, shapes countless aspects of our day-to-day lives, and will remain indispensable for the prosperity of future generations. Further, science thrives on the freedom of opinion, on tolerance and international exchange, and on the shared goal of understanding the world we live in and using peaceful means to make it just a bit better every single day. In short, science is one of our most valuable resources, which is why the Alfred Wegener Institute supports the “March for Science”. 

In numerous countries around the globe, populist movements are currently manipulating the facts to support their own views and goals. “Undesirable” research is being hampered and good science is being called into question – a trend that could seriously jeopardize important achievements like the Paris Agreement. Further, there is a risk that the public will lose faith in science in general, when scientific findings are disputed at higher, influential political levels. Though many areas are affected, climate and environmental research – and with it, the core duties of the Alfred Wegener Institute – are especially at risk. One of our declared missions is to document and predict climate changes in the Earth’s polar regions as accurately as possible. Scientists are obligated to, and must enjoy the freedom to point out the truth, even if it is inconvenient: research conducted in the Arctic and Antarctic, but also closer to home in the North Sea, clearly shows the impacts of climate change.

These are facts that we have to take seriously. We use them as the basis for making recommendations on how society can best respond to changes in the environment. But suitable responses will ultimately only be achieved if scientific findings are also accepted as being valid. As such, it is vital that the scientific community remains a dependable, trustworthy and independent source of information to guide many of society’s most important decisions. That’s something we all have to fight for – as researchers and as citizens.