TIME IS TICKING ON SAVING EARTH
January 25, 1945 STATS OF THE DAY
TIME is ticking closer to a global apocalypse, the Doomsday Clock warned yesterday.
The clock, which is a symbol of the likelihood of a man-made global catastrophe, estimates that the planet is closer than ever to an apocalypse.
The clock was set at 90 seconds to midnight yesterday — the closest is has been set to midnight in its history and marking its 76th anniversary.
The clock-keepers’ perceived threat of Armageddon is not cooling off as it had been set at 100 seconds to midnight for the previous three years.
Scientists set the Doomsday Clock at 90 seconds to midnight due to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine and the increased risk of nuclear escalation.
Experts said the new time was also influenced by continuing threats posed by the climate crisis and the breakdown of global norms and institutions needed to mitigate risks associated with advancing technologies and biological threats such as Covid-19.
The Doomsday Clock statement said: “Russia’s war on Ukraine has raised profound questions about how states interact, eroding norms of international conduct that underpin successful responses to a variety of global risks.
Weapons
“And worst of all, Russia’s thinly veiled threats to use nuclear weapons remind the world that escalation of the conflict—by accident, intention, or miscalculation—is a terrible risk.
“Russia has also brought its war to the Chernobyl and Zaporizhzhia nuclear reactor sites, violating international protocols and risking widespread release of radioactive materials.
“Efforts by the International Atomic Energy Agency to secure these plants so far have been rebuffed.”
Scientists also said the effects of the invasion of Ukraine also undermine global efforts to combat climate change as countries dependent on Russian oil and gas have sought to diversify their supplies and suppliers.
This led to expanded investment in natural gas exactly when such investment should have been shrinking.
Global carbon dioxide emissions from burning fossil fuels rose again in 2022 after having rebounded from the Covid-19 economic decline to an all-time high.
The decline in Chinese emissions was overshadowed by a rise in the US, India, and elsewhere.
Crisis
also warned pandemics like the coronavirus crisis can no longer be considered rare, once-acentury occurrences as the total number and diversity of infectious disease outbreaks has increased significantly since 1980.
The countdown to the Doomsday Clock was established in 1947 by experts from The Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists who were working on the Manhattan Project to design and build the first atomic bomb.
Rachel Bronson, CEO of Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists, said: “We are living in a time of unprecedented danger, and the Doomsday Clock time reflects that reality.
“90 seconds to midnight is the closest the Clock has ever been set to midnight, and it’s a decision our experts do not take lightly.
“The US government, its NATO allies and Ukraine have a multitude of channels for diaExperts logue; we urge leaders to explore all of them to their fullest ability to turn back the Clock.”
Former President of Ireland Mary Robinson added: “The Doomsday Clock is sounding an alarm for the whole of humanity. But our leaders are not acting at sufficient speed.
“From cutting carbon emissions to strengthening arms control treaties we know what needs to be done,” she added.
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