standing up for science

I don't know if I've mentioned it before, but I volunteer on the American Chemical Society's advocacy team.
Honestly, that word - volunteer - is part of who I am and has been since at least the time when I was a teen, volunteering at the long-gone Savannah Science Museum. I did anything that was needed, from rolling coins to handling the snakes for the children's birthday parties.
(smile)
With Act4Chemistry, the legislative action network, the volunteers serve as watchdogs for the new Senate and House bills which affect science, research, and scientists in all career paths.
Usually, the email only asks for a single action, addressing a single issue.
Today, I was asked to respond concerning three different issues.
The first I addressed concerned the Hidden Figures Congressional Gold Medal Act, also known as H.R. 1396 and S. 590. This piece of legislature is in support of diversity in the sciences, hence the reference to the movie in the Act's name. This is not the first time this Act has been promoted for the awarding of medals to Katherine Johnson, Dr. Christine Darden, Dorothy Vaughan, and Mary Jackson, for their significant contributions to U.S. science during the Space Race, as women who had previously been unrecognized for those achievements. This act distinguishes these four women and awards a fifth medal in honor of all the women who contributed to the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) during this period. At this time, the Senate has passed the Act; the email asked that they be thanked and that the Representatives be urged to do so.
The second issue today was in support of responsible research practices. H.R. 2051 and S. 999 are the Sustainable Chemistry Research and Development Act 2019. This Act to encourage sustainable thinking from start to finish in the chemistry enterprise is also on its second voyage through Congress. I advocated for the creation of an inter-agency panel to coordinate federal sustainable chemistry efforts, for the support of public-private partnerships, and for a boost in investment in federal research.
The final issue that addressed equality in the workplace. Combating Sexual Harassment in Science Act of 2019 is new legislation calling for research to better understand the causes and consequences of sexual harassment in STEM fields. I lent my support for H.R. 36 and S. 1067 by contacting the members of Congress who represent me and urging them to vote for approval of the Act.
I do enjoy being an active member of Act4Chemistry.
Much like the donation of blood, the process takes little time and effort on my part.
Someone else is doing all the work - in this case, keeping an eye on the actions of Congress, drafting an email to alert folks like me, even drafting an email for me to use to alert my elected representatives to my preferences in their voting.
My thanks to these workers in the wings.
The least I can do is take action when it is asked.