Science is meant to be the pursuit of objective truth and unbiased understanding -- but the humans learning from science are rarely either “objective” or “unbiased.” New scientific findings have often been controversial because they challenge the status quo, but especially today, science is under great threat. In the United States, science has become increasingly polarized between the two political parties, Democrats and Republicans. Studies have shown that party affiliation has become a major factor in general trust in science, leading to disparities in vaccination status, belief in climate change, and more. 

Partisan belief in science also has adverse effects on the entire planet. The climate has drastically changed due to human activity, with temperatures climbing, rising sea levels, and ice disappearing. 3.6 billion people live in areas susceptible to climate change, and millions of people are already suffering from physical and mental illnesses, disaster events, lack of access to food and water, and more. However, the belief that climate change is currently happening at all is significantly lower for Republicans than for Democrats. If disbelievers in climate change continue to prevent wide-scale government action, the United States and the whole globe will experience even more extreme storms, droughts, wildfires, and heatwaves. If disbelievers in climate change continue to prevent wide-scale government action, the United States and the whole globe will experience even more extreme storms, droughts, wildfires, and heatwaves, leading to countless lives lost -- both human lives, and all life on Earth.