Stand up for Science Rally

Ventures Into Scepticism

Real Sceptic has its origins as a companion site for the videos produced by Collin Maessen. The site has progressed beyond this original purpose and now predominantly includes articles that are independent of the content released on YouTube. However this original content is still an important part of the site.

This page serves as an archive for videos produced and released on YouTube. You can find full transcripts, source listing and used media files for the videos. We are currently in the process of transcribing all the audio.

Please note that the first nine videos are of a substantial lower quality than videos that were produced after these. As these first nine videos were as much, and in some case more, about learning to edit videos and learning how to tell a story in sound and images.

Video description

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Organizers:

  • Beka Economopoulos, The Natural History Museum
  • Brant Olson, ClimateTruth.org

Speakers:

  • Andrés Soto, Community Organizer, Communities for a Better Environment
  • David Karabelnikoff, Alaskan Native, Idle No More
  • James Coleman, South San Francisco High School
  • Kim Cobb, Georgia Power Chair, Georgia Tech
  • Leila Salazar-Lopez, Executive Director, Amazon Watch
  • Michael Mann, Director, Earth System Science Center, Penn State University
  • Naomi Oreskes, Professor of the History of Science, Harvard University
  • Peter Frumhoff, Science and Policy Director, Union of Concerned Scientists

About the Stand up for Science Rally:

Around 500 people gathered on Tuesday 13 December to protest the attacks on science. To protest the coming Administration that proposes to gut science funding, speculates about pulling out of the Paris Climate Agreement, want's to appoint a climate science denier to head the EPA, and wants to derail the Clean Power Plan.

The American Geophysical Union's Fall Meeting is the first major gathering of climate scientists since the election. The annual Fall Meeting, which brings 26,000 scientists together, offers a global stage for scientists, allies, and impacted communities. They used this as an oppertunity to stand together and send a message that we must Stand Up for Science.

Their message is that we all must affirm that:

  • Climate change is a real, human-caused, and an urgent threat.
  • We must uphold the United States' commitment to the Paris Climate Agreement.
  • We must protect scientific integrity in policymaking.
  • We must protect government scientists from censorship or suppression.
  • We must reduce carbon pollution and U.S. dependence on fossil fuels.
  • We can make the U.S. a clean energy leader, and champion the just transition to a new energy era that works for all of us.

Their message is that it's not just about climate science but also about freedom of inquiry. It's about the future of evidence-based policy. It's about the disproportionate impacts on communities of color and low-income communities. And it's about solidarity.

Ventures Into Scepticism