Doomsday Clock remains 100 seconds from the apocalypse

Symbolizing the imminence of a planetary cataclysm, the doomsday clock remains 100 seconds from final chime, with no improvement seen from this record set in 2020.

The Bulletin of Atomic Scientists keeps its symbolic Doomsday Clock this 2022 at 100 seconds from midnight , in its assessment of how close we are to the apocalypse .

While its authors believe the past year offered glimmers of hope that humanity could reverse its march toward global catastrophe, factors such as the continuing and dangerous threats posed by nuclear weapons, climate change, disruptive technologies, and COVID-19 19 were exacerbated by “an ecosphere of corrupt information that undermines rational decision-making,” according to the agency’s statement.

The Bulletin of Atomic Scientists is an academic publication aimed at the general public dedicated to issues related to the survival and development of humanity, facing the threats of nuclear weapons, weapons of mass destruction, climate change, emerging technologies and diseases.

Bimonthly, it was first published in 1945 as the ‘Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists of Chicago’ , when it was founded by members of the Manhattan Project after the atomic bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki.

What is the Doomsday Clock?

The so -called Doomsday Clock first appeared on the magazine’s cover in 1947. Although it originally represented the threat of nuclear holocaust, since 2007 it has also represented the threat of climate change .

The 2022 Doomsday Clock statement lists the steps that must be taken to address current threats.

1. The presidents of Russia and the US must identify more ambitious and comprehensive limits on nuclear weapons and delivery systems by the end of 2022. Both must agree to reduce reliance on nuclear weapons by limiting their roles, missions and platforms, and reduce budgets accordingly. The United States and other countries should accelerate their decarbonization, matching policies with commitments. China should lead by example by following sustainable development pathways, not fossil fuel-intensive projects, in the One Belt One Road initiative.
2. Leaders in the US and other countries should work through the WHO and other international institutions to reduce biological risks of all kinds through better control of animal-human interactions, improved surveillance and reporting of international diseases, increased production and distribution of medical supplies, and expanded hospital capacity.
3. The United States should persuade allies and rivals that not being the first to use nuclear weapons is a step toward security and stability, and then declare such a policy in concert with Russia (and China). 
4. President Biden should remove the exclusive authority of US presidents to launch nuclear weapons and work to persuade other nuclear-armed countries to establish similar barriers.
5. Russia should rejoin the NATO-Russia Council and collaborate on risk reduction and measures to prevent escalation. North Korea should codify its moratorium on nuclear tests and long-range missile tests and help other countries verify a moratorium on the production of plutonium and enriched uranium.
6. Iran and the United States must jointly re-adhere to the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action and start new and broader talks on Middle East security and missile limitations.
7. Private and public investors must redirect funds from fossil fuel projects to climate-friendly investments.
8. The world’s richest countries must provide more financial support and technological cooperation to developing countries to take strong climate action. COVID recovery investments should support climate mitigation and adaptation goals across economic sectors and address the full range of potential greenhouse gas emission reductions, including capital investments in urban development, agriculture, transportation, industry heavy, buildings and appliances, and electrical energy.
9. National leaders and international organizations must devise more effective regimes to monitor biological research and development efforts.
10. Governments, technology companies, academic experts, and media organizations must cooperate to identify and implement practical and ethical ways to combat Internet-enabled misinformation and disinformation. At every reasonable opportunity, citizens of all countries should hold their local, regional and national political officials and business and religious leaders accountable by asking “What are you doing to address climate change?”