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Doomsday Clock moves closest ever to midnight after Trump's return as concerns over nuclear war, climate change loom
The Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists set the time at 89 seconds to midnight – the closest it has ever been.
The Doomsday Clock, which represents how close humanity is to global disaster, has moved the closest ever to midnight after Donald Trump’s return to the White House. The change occurred on Tuesday, January 28, amid concerns over nuclear war, climate change, and public health – which have increased after Trump’s second term began.
The Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists, the science-oriented advocacy group which created the clock during the Cold War, set the time at 89 seconds to midnight – the closest it has ever been. The last change occurred back in 2022, when the clock was set to 90 seconds to midnight after Russia invaded Ukraine. In 1947, the clock was originally set at seven minutes to midnight.
‘A move of even a single second should be taken as an indication of extreme danger’
The Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists said in a statement, “Our fervent hope is that leaders will recognize the world’s existential predicament and take bold action to reduce the threats posed by nuclear weapons, climate change, and the potential misuse of biological science and a variety of emerging technologies.”
“In setting the Clock one second closer to midnight, we send a stark signal: Because the world is already perilously close to the precipice, a move of even a single second should be taken as an indication of extreme danger and an unmistakable warning that every second of delay in reversing course increases the probability of global disaster,” it added.
Daniel Holz, chair of the group’s science and security board, said that “when you are at this precipice, the one thing you don’t want to do is take a step forward,” according to AP. The group expressed its concerns about cooperation between countries like North Korea, Russia and China in developing nuclear programs. In fact, Russian President Vladimir Putin has even talked about using nuclear weapons in his war against Ukraine.
“A lot of the rhetoric is very disturbing,” Holz said. “There is this growing sense that ... some nation might end up using nuclear weapons, and that’s terrifying.”
The group, meanwhile, added in its statement that the United States, China, and Russia “have the collective power to destroy civilization.” “These three countries have the prime responsibility to pull the world back from the brink, and they can do so if their leaders seriously commence good-faith discussions about the global threats outlined here. Despite their profound disagreements, they should take that first step without delay. The world depends on immediate action,” it said.
