Doomsday clock inches forward to three minutes from catastrophic midnight
A GROUP of scientists founded by the creators of the atomic bomb say the world is now three minutes from a catastrophic midnight and the closest it has been in 30 years.
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DOOMSAYERS, prepare your bunkers. The ‘Doomsday Clock’ is ticking.
The Bulletin of Atomic Scientists, a group founded by the creators of the atomic bomb, say the world is now three minutes from a catastrophic midnight and the closest it has been in 30 years.
The clock moved forward two minutes, citing global warming and the proliferation of nuclear weaponry as the world’s greatest threats.
“This is about Doomsday; this is about the end of civilisation as we know it,” Bulletin executive director Kennette Benedict said.
“The probability of global catastrophe is very high, and the actions needed to reduce the risks of disaster must be taken very soon.”
The Bulletin of Atomic Scientists was created in 1945 and the clock first appeared two years later on the Bulletin’s magazine cover. The minute hand has moved as far from midnight as 17 minutes (1991) but was once just two minutes away (1953).
The last time the clock was at three minutes to midnight was in 1983 during the Cold War between the US and the Soviet Union.
Richard Somerville, a member of the 20-member board of scientists at the Bulletin, said the burning of fossil fuels will lead to a “major climatic disruption globally”.
‘The urgency has nothing to do with politics or ideology,” Dr Somerville said.
“It arises from the laws of physics and biology and chemistry”.
Although ultimately futile, there is some soothing confirmation of world despair when the Doomsday Clock makes a move http://t.co/rp5ZKslE6O
â Allison C. Meier (@AllisonCMeier) January 22, 2015
Breaking: Committee of Concerned Scientists resets Doomsday Clock to 5 minutes to James Taylor
â David Burge (@iowahawkblog) January 21, 2015
Originally published as Doomsday clock inches forward to three minutes from catastrophic midnight