I’m Returning To Trump’s America To Stand Up For Science
A new University of Hawaii professor, who spent years abroad, says in the current political climate the U.S. needs more science — and more scientists than ever.
Donald Trump鈥檚 presidency has not been good for science or scientists. Since Trump took office 15 months ago, his administration has聽 to terminate many federally funded research programs and slash funding for others. Trump鈥檚 appointees are working to聽聽and conservation policies.
The president and some of his Cabinet members have聽聽among scientists that human activities are dramatically changing Earth鈥檚 climate. And across all policy areas, Trump has shown clear聽.
I am a聽聽studying human impacts on coral reefs and other ocean ecosystems. Given what鈥檚 happening in Washington, D.C., the recent move by a handful of prominent U.S. climate scientists who have accepted French President Emmanuel Macron鈥檚 鈥淢ake Our Planet Great Again鈥 offer of millions of euros to聽聽for the rest of Trump鈥檚 presidency makes perfect sense.
Their choices make a bold and important statement 鈥 one that I strongly support. But I鈥檓 going the other way.
I鈥檓 an American expat in Australia, where I moved in 1999 as a Fulbright scholar to study how human activities were harming the Great Barrier Reef. Except for four years doing my Ph.D. at the University of California, Santa Barbara, I鈥檝e lived here ever since. During that time, the聽, the聽聽and the聽聽have funded the majority of my research and salary.
Corals 鈥 and scientists 鈥 under pressure
But now, after many years abroad, my husband (also a marine biologist) and I are moving back to the United States with our three children. Although this choice may seem counterintuitive in a political climate that is overtly hostile to science and solving environmental problems, I believe that science and scientists are needed in the United States now more than ever before.
There鈥檚 a practical motive for our shift to the University of Hawaii. Finding two faculty jobs in the same place is rare enough that the universal conundrum of dual-career academic couples like us has its own name: 鈥渢he two-body problem.鈥
Practical factors can, however, make it seem professionally unwise for scientists to move to the United States now. Federal research funding, upon which many academic researchers depend, will likely suffer major blows under the Trump administration.
For example, although the National Science Foundation fares relatively well under President Trump鈥檚聽, its funding for research platform construction and scientific instrumentation acquisition would decrease by more than 50 percent if Congress supports the administration鈥檚 request. The Environmental Protection Agency鈥檚 funding would drop to its lowest level since the early 1990s, and its climate change research funding would be eliminated. The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration鈥檚 budget would be slashed by 20 percent. NOAA鈥檚 climate change grants and the聽, which supports thousands of researchers studying coastal, ocean and Great Lakes topics, would be terminated.
These potential cuts loom at a time when the world鈥檚 coral reefs are in crisis. Stresses on reefs include聽聽due to climate change; fishing, which is cutting key parts out of marine food webs; and pollution from coastal development and agriculture.
Key Trump administration proposals are likely to worsen these problems.聽聽will critically undermine the protection that they offer coral reef ecosystems from the damaging effects of fishing. Expanding offshore drilling to virtually all U.S. waters and聽聽will increase the risk of oil spills. On a global level,聽聽will make it harder to limit warming, which will reduce coral reefs鈥 chances of surviving in altered oceans.
Speaking out, with data
Despite these challenges, as a scientist who wants to leave the planet in better shape than what we have today, I feel almost obligated to return to the United States. In the current political climate, people with evidence-based decision-making skills are needed more than ever. Scientists outside of government can and should seize opportunities to comment on government actions and聽
The notion of 鈥渃hange from within鈥 inspires me into action. At the University of Hawaii, I want to do more than publish peer-reviewed papers that will be read by other scientists but not likely by the public nor policymakers. Engaging with mainstream and social media, giving public talks to non-science audiences, and getting involved in public policy dialogue are just a few ways to help 鈥溾 and solve problems.
Many renowned scientists have spent large parts of their careers speaking out about important societal and environmental issues. One great communicator, the late Stanford University biologist聽, worked tirelessly to help the public and policymakers understand climate disruption and humans鈥 role in it, and contributed to four climate science assessments by the聽.
Another role model, Oregon State University marine ecologist聽聽also became a vocal conservationist who聽聽to train other researchers to speak out on issues of public importance. She ultimately became the head of NOAA and a scientific adviser to President Barack Obama.
Hawaii is hardly the focus of my concerns 鈥 it鈥檚 among the most environmentally progressive states. But even there, fishing, pollution and climate change threaten coral reef ecosystems, particularly near the human-populated main Hawaiian Islands. Many scientists both within and beyond Hawaii are helping to guide wise decision-making on these issues.
It is challenging but also exciting to be a scientist in this unique time and place. I鈥檓 eager to engage with whoever will listen in Washington, Hawaii and elsewhere to do what I believe is every modern-day scientist鈥檚 responsibility: informing actions that will help make the world a better place.
This article was originally published in . It is part of a series in which scientists share their perspectives on the聽.
