I was talking to some friends the other day – and this has been a year of sharp contrasts. Personally, I am doing great. Professionally, Sci4Ga is crushing it. Yet, the world is burning down around us. We all probably know people who have lost funding and jobs due to government cuts. They are literally shooting at scientists.
Yet, I am maintaining my optimism. I was giving a talk to law students the other day and the professor said that he is trying to focus on relentless optimism. I made it a point to end my talk with “why I still have hope.” That turned out to be a really easy slide to make.
People keep showing up. On Aug 8, over 500 bullets were fired at the CDC. On Aug 16, we had a press conference, and then hundreds of people, seven organizations (including Sci4Ga), and multiple policy makers rallied in downtown Atlanta to share that “Sound Science Saves Lives.” Despite of, or because of, their fear – people are still showing up and speaking up.
Our press conference featured:
- Congressman Hank Johnson
- State Senator Jason Esteves
- State Senator Josh McLaurin
- State Representative Jasmine Clarke
- Dr. Patrick Breysse, Former CDC Employee
- Dr. Hannah Cooper, Public Health Researcher
- Dr. Cindy Powell, Medical Doctor
- Staci Fox, President and CEO, GBPI
Science for Georgia is part of at least five coalitions that are all working on different aspects of creating positive change in the world. From water issues, to polluting facilities, to energy burden, to data centers – we are providing data, information, handouts, and support to local communities rallying against current and potential harm in their neighborhoods.
And this is where we are. Every time you do something positive, you beat back the darkness. Keep on keeping on with your relentless optimism (also, know it is okay to just eat a pint of ice cream in front of Netflix – this is a marathon not a sprint).
And – I would be remiss if I didn’t thank our friend Kyle Gabriel from MycoLogic. He gave an excellent GSJ on mushroom growing and the indoor climate automation needed to make this happen.
Here is how you can do something positive this upcoming month:
Sept 11 – Monthly Membership Meeting – join us online to tell us what you care about and learn how you can get involved.
Sept 17 – Join us in Athens to learn effective ways to contact your Lawmakers
Sept 19 – SCIENCE COMEDY! We all need to laugh.
Sept 21 – Monthly water testing on the South River
Sept 21 – Climate Survival: Drip Irrigation
Sept 25 – Science Junction: learn about Georgia’s water wars
Thank you for showing up and speaking up. Thank you for making science matter here!