Did you hear about Science Moms?

By Roberta Attanasio

All around the world, mothers are concerned about their kids’ future. What world will they live in? A world where humanity is still waging war on nature, or one at peace? Science Moms want to talk about our world and what we can do to make it a better place—they are climate scientists concerned about their kids’ future and believe that, with moms everywhere, it’s possible to build a cleaner, safer future for all kids.

This is how Science Moms define themselves: “We are a group of climate scientists and mothers who care deeply about the planet that our children will inherit. Together, we aim to demystify climate change, talk honestly about how it will affect our children and give moms the facts they need to take action.”

Humanity is at war on nature, and as António Guterres, Secretary-General of the United Nations, recently said: “Making peace with nature is the defining task of the coming decades.”

In other words, we need to tackle the climate, biodiversity, and pollution emergencies. Can Science Moms help to carry out this task, at least as it relates to climate change?

Their message is clear: “There are lots of things you can do to help reduce carbon pollution on a small scale. But, our individual actions can only do so much. If we really want to tackle climate change, we need to think bigger and the government can implement policies that will help us quickly meet our goals. The #1 thing you can do to protect your children’s future is to let your leaders know this is an important issue for you, as a mom. This isn’t about party or ideology. It’s about our kids.”

John Marshall, a veteran marketing executive and consultant and a founder of Potential Energy, told The Washington Post that mothers are the “sweet spot” for inspiring social change. “They have a long track record of political activity: Mothers Against Drunk Driving helped lower the legal limit for blood alcohol content in drivers. Moms Demand Action has lobbied for initiatives to prevent gun violence. Politicians prize their votes; corporations go after their pocketbooks. They are also disproportionately likely to say they are already concerned about climate change, making it easier to move them to act.”

In an interview with Mashable, Emily Fischer—a Science Moms co-founder and atmospheric scientist at Colorado State University—recalled the threat of last year’s Cameron Peak fire in Colorado, the largest in the state’s history. Her family had to flee the blaze while on a hiking trip. Though they were ultimately safe, wildfire smoke in their neighborhood lingered in the air for months. Her daughters kept asking: “Can we go outside today?” Fischer studies climate change, wildfires, and the effects of wildfire smoke, but she struggled to balance her children’s safety and their emotional well-being. She said: “That is exhausting, and that is what climate change will be for moms: It will be exhausting.” 

As clearly explained in the recent report “Making peace with nature: a scientific blueprint to tackle the climate, biodiversity and pollution emergencies” by the United Nations Environment Programme, the well-being of today‘s youth and future generations depends on an urgent and clear break with current trends of environmental decline. The coming decade is crucial for halting these trends—Earth’s environmental emergencies and human well-being need to be addressed together to achieve sustainability.

Science Moms aim to arm mothers everywhere with the tools and resources needed to act and fight to preserve our children’s future, thus helping to break the current trends of environmental decline. In their resources page you can find books for moms, books for kids, and a fascinating TED Talk—all about climate change.