Several scientists are reportedly planning a march on Washington and have taken to social media to garner support for the movement.
A Twitter account that started on Monday has periodically sent out updates and requests for people to get involved.
The date of the March will be announced officially next week! Do not believe any rumors of a date until then!
— ScienceMarchonDC (@ScienceMarchDC) January 25, 2017
It has never been more important for scientists of all stripes to come together and have their voices heard in government.
— ScienceMarchonDC (@ScienceMarchDC) January 25, 2017
Thank you so much to everyone who volunteered today. We have hundreds of volunteers! If you don't hear back immediately, don't worry.
— ScienceMarchonDC (@ScienceMarchDC) January 25, 2017
The idea began from a subreddit, The Washington Post reported, where scientists discussed a way to respond to the Trump administration’s skepticism of climate change and other science-focused policy issues.
”Please arrange this. it won't change trump-mans mind, but by all that is sacred, it needs to be done. Show the governing body you won't just do nothing,” one Reddit user said.
"I'd go in a heartbeat,” said another.
One postdoctoral fellow at the University of Texas Health Science Center took action, the Post reported, creating a Facebook and Twitter account, a website, and a Google form to solicit volunteers. The Twitter account noted that hundreds of volunteers had so far signed up.
The Twitter account had more than 79,000 followers by 7 p.m. Wednesday night.
"Although this will start with a march, we hope to use this as a starting point to take a stand for science in politics,” reads a statement on the website. "Slashing funding and restricting scientists from communicating their findings (from tax-funded research!) with the public is absurd and cannot be allowed to stand as policy.”
"This is a non-partisan issue that reaches far beyond people in the STEM fields and should concern anyone who values empirical research and science.”
The Trump administration has issued a ban on employees of the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) from posting updates on social media and speaking with members of the press. However, that didn't stop the Badlands National Park from tweeting out multiple messages on Tuesday promoting climate science.
“Today, the amount of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere is higher than at any time in the last 650,000 years. #climate," read one of the since-deleted tweets.
Trump also reportedly asked the EPA to take down the climate change webpage from its website.
The site, which includes basic information about the effects of climate change and details of greenhouse gas emissions, was still up as of Wednesday morning, though it reportedly may go dark the same day.
Caroline Weinberg, a health writer, told the Post that reports of the gag orders issued by the Trump administration on scientists from federal agencies, including the EPA and the research arm of the Department of Agriculture, “lit a fire under us."
We are absolutely planning on organizing sister science marches. We'll have much more information for you next week!
— ScienceMarchonDC (@ScienceMarchDC) January 25, 2017
A statement on the website alludes to the “alternative facts” phrase coined by Trump aide Kellyanne Conway when defending a statement by White House press secretary Sean Spicer.
"There are certain things that we accept as facts with no alternatives,” the Scientists March on Washington website reads. “An American government that ignores science to pursue ideological agendas endangers the world.”