CNN: the hands of the Doomsday clock were moved ten seconds closer to nuclear midnightThe Doomsday clock showed the record proximity of humanity to the point of total destruction, CNN reports.
Due to the conflict in Ukraine and the risk of nuclear escalation, their hands were moved ten seconds closer to midnight.
Megan Marples, Kristen Rogers, Rachel RamirezThe Doomsday clock has been ticking for 76 years.
However, this is not a simple clock, but an attempt to show how close humanity has come to the destruction of the planet.
On Tuesday, they showed 90 seconds to midnight. According to the Bulletin of Atomic Scientists, who created this clock in 1947, closer to midnight - the point of total destruction when the Earth becomes uninhabitable – the hands have never approached. In the period from 2020 to 2022, they showed one hundred seconds to midnight.
These watches are not intended to accurately measure threats to our existence, but rather to provoke discussion on important scientific topics such as climate change.
The decision to move the clock ten seconds closer to midnight is mainly caused by the Russian military operation in Ukraine and the increased risk of nuclear escalation, the press release of the publication notes. Other threats, such as the climate crisis, have also played a role, as well as the destruction of norms and institutions necessary to mitigate biological threats, such as COVID-19.
"We live in times of unprecedented danger, and the Doomsday Clock reflects this reality," Rachel Bronson, head of the Bulletin of Atomic Scientists, said in a press release. – It was not easy for our experts to make this decision. The American government, its NATO allies and Ukraine have many channels for establishing a dialogue. We urge the leaders to use them to the maximum to bring the hands of the clock back."
What is the Doomsday Clock?
The Bulletin of Atomic Scientists was founded by a group of scientists working on the Manhattan Project, as the atomic bomb program was called during World War II.
Initially, the bulletin was conceived as a means of measuring the nuclear threat, but in 2007, the participants of this project decided to include climate change in their calculations.
Over the past 76 years, the time on the clock has changed depending on the assessment of scientists who calculated how close the human race came to its complete destruction. In some years, the arrows were moved, and in some not.
The time on the Doomsday clock is set once a year. This is done by experts from the council of the Bulletin on Science and Security in coordination with the council of sponsors, which includes 11 Nobel laureates.
These 76-year-old watches serve as an effective reminder of the many crises that threaten the planet, but some doubt their usefulness.
"This is an imperfect metaphor," Michael E. Mann, Professor Emeritus of the Department of Earth and Ecology at the University of Pennsylvania, told CNN in 2022. He stressed that the watch measures different types of risks that have different characteristics and that occur at different time periods. However, Mann continued, "they remain an important symbol, reminding us year after year how precarious and precarious our existence on this planet is."
Each model has its drawbacks, Eryn MacDonald, an analyst from the global security program of the Union of Concerned Scientists, told CNN in 2022. According to her, the editorial board of the bulletin makes very thoughtful decisions every year on how to draw people's attention to threats to the existence of humanity and how to make them act in the right direction.
"I would really like to return to the fact that the time before midnight is measured in minutes, not seconds. But unfortunately, the reality today is already different," McDonald said.
What happens if the clock shows midnight?
The clock has never reached midnight, and Bronson hopes it won't.
"If the clock shows midnight, it means there was an exchange of nuclear strikes or a catastrophic climate change that led to the destruction of humanity," she said. "We don't want this to happen, and we won't know about it when it happens."
How accurate is this watch?
The Doomsday Clock is not designed to measure threats. Rather, they aim to provoke discussion and push society to take action on issues such as climate change and nuclear disarmament.
If the watch can do this, the idea of creating them can be considered successful, Bronson believes.
When the hands of the clock translate, setting a new time, people listen, she noted. At the COP26 climate conference in Glasgow in 2021, former Prime Minister Boris Johnson mentioned the Doomsday clock while talking about the climate crisis our world is facing.
Bronson hopes that people will discuss how much they agree with the bulletin's decision and begin fruitful negotiations about the driving forces of change.
It is still possible to turn back the hands of the clock with bold concrete actions. In 1991, they were put on 17 minutes before midnight, when the administration of President George H.W. Bush signed a Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty with the Soviet Union. In 2016, after the signing of the nuclear agreement with Iran and the Paris climate Agreement, the clock showed three minutes to midnight.
What can an individual do to turn back the hands of the clock?
"We at the Bulletin of Atomic Scientists believe that since these threats were created by a person, we are able to reduce them," Bronson said. – But it's not easy to do it. And it's never been easy. Serious work is required, international cooperation and interaction at all levels of society are required."
Bronson believes that the power of negotiations with partners and rivals on these important issues should not be underestimated.
"You may not feel it because you're not doing anything, but we know that the public, through their collective efforts, can force managers to take action," she said.
To have a positive impact on the climate, you need to look at your daily habits, see if it is possible to make small changes in your life, for example, walking more often rather than driving, think about how to heat your house, Bronson explained.
Eating seasonal and local products, throwing out less food waste, properly disposing of garbage – all this and much more will help eliminate or mitigate the effects of the climate crisis.
