From the sinkholes beneath our feet to the global fight against disease, science is bedrock for our prosperity, our security and our capacity to understand the world. As a proud native of Allentown, and as a teacher and a scientist, I write to underscore that our future hinges on pressuring our representatives to preserve federal funding for science and education, investments that are now under threat. Allentown’s investment in an Environmental Advisory Council and a Climate Action Plan reflect a commitment to science, education and our collective future.
As a graduate of Hopewell Elementary School, Southern Lehigh Middle School and Central Catholic High School, I hold tremendous pride in my roots. My father worked for Mack Trucks. Now as a university professor, less than 40 miles north of the Pennsylvania border, I want to share my belief that we must continue to invest in science and education, and we must disavow the attacks on science, education and research institutions. I write this on a vacation day, not in place of teaching my classes or advising my students at Cornell University. I write this to my home community, as an elected member of the National Academy of Sciences, an advisory group to the government. And I write this as somebody that has published more than 300 peer-reviewed scientific articles that have been referenced by others nearly 40,000 times.
The current cuts to science funding, political rhetoric that devalues academic expertise and the threat to programs enhancing diversity, equity, and inclusion at universities will hurt all of us. Biological and environmental scientists like myself work on unsolved problems that impact humanity locally and globally. Why are there so many sinkholes in Allentown and how can they be avoided? Are monarch butterflies going extinct and what does this mean for the health of our neighborhoods? What are the costs and benefits of preserving old-growth forests for producing drinking water versus building water treatment plants? And, can we harness chemical compounds from milkweed plants to treat congestive heart failure?
Our educational system has been the envy of the world for many decades. We teach our students to think broadly, to be open to new ideas, to question, innovate and experiment. At institutions like my own, we not only teach classes, but we conduct original research. In this research we employ college students, Ph.D. students and others, often funded by grants from the federal government. As a point of comparison, the budget for the Department of Defense is around $850 billion; The National Science Foundation, which funds non-human health and non-agricultural sciences (in other words, basic research and education across many scientific fields including engineering, computer science, chemistry, physics, biology and environment) has had a budget of around 1% of that (under $10 billion). Now we face a budget reduction of a staggering $5.5 billion. Our lasting impact on the future — jobs, technological innovation, inspired students, clean air and water, and vaccines need federal investment in science and education. The dismantling of science and education are strategies straight out of the authoritarian playbook. These attacks aim to disempower critics and to transform culture and popular beliefs.
The university professors I know work many more hours per week than they are paid for; they are frugal with grant dollars and generous with their time for students. We believe that the gathering of knowledge, debating the evidence, and teaching students to think critically will serve humanity in the long term. It is a great deal for the country and we stand on our own success. To throw it away would be devastating.
While few would dispute the importance of a strong educational system, it is precisely at the intersection of scientific research and education — in our university labs and classrooms — that our nation’s future is forged and must be protected. When looking at Pennsylvania’s great tragedies — floods, mining disasters, underground coal fires, the meltdown of Three Mile Island, and the opioid epidemic — education and scientific research has a critical role to play in reducing these risks for the future. As a case in point, scientific research provides hydrological models to predict and mitigate flood damage, while education trains engineers to design safer infrastructure. Yes, the U.S. economy is driven by private companies and consumerism. Yet, without checks and balances, without government investment in protecting the people, and without science and education, we will be left to the wills of short-term profit seekers with little regard for our health, well-being and future for our children.
Allentown, Pennsylvania, and America need science and education. Please, tell your government representatives.
This is a contributed opinion column. Anurag Agrawal is the James Perkins professor of environmental studies at Cornell University. The views expressed in this piece are those of its individual author, and should not be interpreted as reflecting the views of this publication. Do you have a perspective to share? Learn more about how we handle guest opinion submissions at themorningcall.com/opinions.