Rallies are set to take place in Vancouver, Montreal, Toronto, Ottawa, Edmonton, Yellowknife, Fredericton and Halifax, along with numerous other communities.
OTTAWA, September 11, 2013 – A year after gathering on Parliament Hill to mourn the ‘Death of Evidence’, scientists and their supporters are back. On September 16th, they will rally across the country to highlight the critical need to maintain evidence-based decision-making through the support of science in the public interest.
Rallies are set to take place in Vancouver, Montreal, Toronto, Ottawa, Edmonton, Yellowknife, Fredericton and Halifax, along with numerous other communities.
“Scientists would rather be doing research than rallying, but many of us are concerned about the health of public science, and feel that Canadians should understand these concerns so they can judge for themselves,” says Dr. Scott Findlay, Evidence for Democracy co-founder and Associate Professor in the Department of Biology at the University of Ottawa. “The Canadian standard of living is, in large measure, a result of scientific discovery and technological innovation. So every Canadian has a vested interest in the health of public science, and the use of scientific evidence to protect and sustain the values we hold.”
These national events were initiated by Evidence for Democracy (E4D) – a new non-partisan organization advocating for the transparent use of evidence in government decision-making.
“Science matters,” says Dr. Katie Gibbs, biologist and Executive Director of Evidence for Democracy. “Good science, when coupled with good decision making is what keeps our water and air clean, keeps us healthy, keeps our food safe and is the engine of economic development.”
As Prime Minister Harper and his cabinet prepare for the next parliamentary session, E4D and scientists across Canada call on them to demonstrate their commitment to science in the public interest by:
- Supporting the open communication of publicly funded science to the public.
- Using the best available science and evidence to make the best decisions.
- Funding scientific research from basic science through to applied.
WHAT: Stand up for Science rally
WHEN: 12:00 pm (noon) September 16th
WHERE: Parliament Hill Ottawa and events across the country
WHO: Speakers for the Ottawa rally include Dr. Béla Joós, associate professor in the Department of Physics at the University of Ottawa; Dr. John Stone, adjunct professor in Department of Geography and Environmental Studies at Carleton University and a member of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change; Dr. Kapil Khatter, a family physician and former Executive Director of Canadian Association of Physicians for the Environment; Gary Corbett, president of The Professional Institute of the Public Service of Canada; and more.
A complete list of Stand Up for Science events can be found on our website: https://evidencefordemocracy.ca/standupforscience
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For further information, or to arrange interviews, please contact:
Dr. Katie Gibbs
katie@evidencefordemocracy.ca
613-866-6921
