Preparations for ISME18 in Cape Town in August 2020 continue, with the African Local Organizing Committee (LOC) moving things forward at full speed.  Scientific session planning is well underway, and plans for associated scientific and social events promise for an exciting, enriching and enlightening time at the ISME18 meeting in the amazing venue that South Africa offers.  Great thanks to Don Cowan and Thulani Makhalanyane and LOC colleagues for their collective efforts! 

Of note, several sessions at ISME18 will focus on microbes and their impacts on global biogeochemical cycling and climate.  This highlights the centrality of our discipline for scientifically informing critically relevant areas, such as global biogeochemical dynamics, ecosystem services, and climate science.  Of note here, all available science supports the following conclusion: Although microbes have been major drivers of biogeochemical cycling on Earth for >3 billion years, over the past hundred plus years or so, they are now rivaled by the activities of one other species: us!   The global relevance of microbial ecology, and the importance of understanding how microbes impact, and are influenced by, global human activities has never been clearer. 

One alarming development has been the questioning of the scientific process itself by some, with respect to climate science. Certainly, such issues need to be addressed head on (see for example, https://science.sciencemag.org/content/328/5979/689).  The gravity and global urgency of these issues echo across the globe. For example, in March this year I attended the S-20 conference in Tokyo to represent the National Academy of Sciences USA, along with representatives from representative scientific societies of all G-20 participating countries. The S20 mission is to provide science-based recommendations as a joint statement to the G20 Summit.  The focus identified by Japan hosts this year was on “Threats to Marine Ecosystems and Conservation of the Marine Environment –with Special Attention to Climate Change and Marine Plastic Waste”.  The report was presented to Japan’s Prime Minister Shinzo Abe in March for presentation and discussion at the G-20 summit (http://s20japan2019.org/s20/pdf/revised_S20Japan2019Statement.pdf).

In the context of our discipline, microbial ecology, a recent article entitled “Scientists’ warning to humanity: microorganisms and climate change” has just been published (Nat. Rev. Microbiol. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41579-019-0222-5).  This should be of interest to many ISME members, as it explores how microbes affect, and are affected by, climate.  Along with the article, readers are invited to participate as signatories endorsing the ‘Microbiologists warning to humanity” message (https://www.babs.unsw.edu.au/research/microbiologists-warning-humanity).   

The ISME Executive Board has been well aware of the above contribution for some time, and some have already asked us this quite reasonable question: “Why isn’t ISME a signatory on this?”.  The reason is revealed by the answer to another very simple question: “Who is ISME?”.  And the answer to this question is: “YOU are ISME, all of its members!”  The ISME Executives debated whether we had the authority to sign on to the “microbiologists warning to humanity” for all ISME membership, and in the end, we decided that neither we, nor the ISME International Board, can really speak for the diverse and varied opinions of all our ISME members. Therefore, it is up to each of you, as individuals, to endorse the message at the above link, or not, as you see fit.
 

Issues such as the above are central to us all,  not only as microbial ecologists, but also as scientists and global citizens, and need to be addressed and discussed in detail.  We as scientists should strive to communicate these issues from the scientific perspective and consensus, as clearly, responsibly, and authoritatively as possible.  Here’s looking forward to many more such discussions, discourse and debate in our communications, letters, and publications, and at the upcoming ISME18 meeting in Cape Town as well!

Yours truly,​

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Ed DeLong - ISME President