KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) - Hundreds gathered in a downtown Kansas City, Missouri, park on Earth Day in support of calls for scientific freedom without political interference and spending necessary to make future breakthroughs possible.
Similar to other rallies Saturday worldwide, Missouri's was meant to promote the understanding of science and defending it from various attacks. Those include proposed U.S. government budget cuts under President Donald Trump, such as a 20 percent slice of the National Institute of Health.
The Missouri event attracted 62-year-old retired petrochemical engineer Peter Lane. He told a reporter "people don't realize that science touches every part of their lives."
Sixty-seven-year-old retired librarian Carroll Makemson also attended with her husband. She said "there's a lack of understanding about what we need to do about our people, our country and our earth."