Doomsday Clock 2023 moved closer to midnight, global catastrophe now nearer than ever before

This year’s Doomsday Clock announced disclosed that it is just 90 seconds to midnight which means that the world is now closer to annihilation than it has ever been since the first nuclear bombs were dropped at the end of World War II. On Tuesday, the Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists said that the time on the Doomsday Clock moved forward from 100 seconds to midnight to 90 seconds to midnight.

In a statement explaining the move, the scientists said that the hands of the Doomsday Clock were moved forward “largely (but not exclusively) because of the mounting dangers of the war in Ukraine”. They also noted that the war in Ukraine “may enter a second horrifying year” with both sides convinced that they would emerge victorious. They further noted that Ukraine’s sovereignty and broader Europe’s security arrangements have largely been held since the Second World War ended.

“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,” they also said before taking into account Russia’s threat of using nuclear weapons which “remind that escalation of conflict is a terrible risk”.

According to scientists, the war’s effects are also undermining the global efforts to combat climate change. In order to prevent the situation in the world, The Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists suggested finding a path to “serious peace negotiations” which could go a long way toward reducing the risk of escalation. They also called for global action as “every second counts”.

FAQs:

1. When did war in Ukraine start?
   February 20, 2022
2. What is the Doomsday clock?
   It is a symbolic representation of how near the end of the world is.