The ‘Doomsday Clock’ stays at five minutes to midnight as scientists accuse world leaders of ignoring climate change
- Clock symbolises the future of humanity – with midnight ending our time on the planet
- Scientists say world leaders are ignoring climate change to focus on economic recovery
By Mark Prigg
PUBLISHED: 16:04 GMT, 15 January 2013 | UPDATED: 16:50 GMT, 15 January 2013
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The hands of the infamous ‘Doomsday Clock’ that shows the future of humanity will remain at five minutes to midnight, scientists said today.
The clock, which has midnight as a symbol for human destruction, has not moved since last year, the influential group of scientists behind it decreed.
However, they wrote an open letter to President Barack Obama, urging him to partner with other global leaders to act on climate change and accusing world leaders of ignoring the problem to focus on economic recovery.
Former U.S. ambassador to the U.N., Thomas Pickering,in front of the Doomsday Clock – which scientists have kept at 11:55pm for 2013, claiming world leaders are ignoring climate change to focus on the economy
THE DOOMSDAY CLOCK
The Science and Security Board of the Chicago-based Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists, in consultation with the Governing Board and the Board of Sponsors, which includes 18 Nobel Laureates, reviews the implications of recent events and trends for the future of humanity with input from other experts on nuclear weapons, nuclear energy, climate change, and emerging threats.
The Clock hand has been moved 20 times over the past 65 years, since its appearance in 1947 on the first cover of the Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists.
‘The politics of economic recovery have distracted world leaders from the long-term threats that face humanity, specifically the dangers presented by climate change and nuclear weapons,’ said the Science and Security Board of the Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists, who control the clock.
‘2012 was a year in which global problems pressed forward, but too many of its citizens stood back.’
The clock has remained stationary since January 2012, when the Clock’s hand was moved forward one minute, from six to five minutes before midnight.
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In an unusual move, Board members directly addressed US President Barack Obama in an open letter published today.
They acknowledge the steps the president took to ‘nudge the country along a more rational energy path,’ – but also warm of global warming’s effect on the US.
‘2012 was the hottest year on record in the contiguous United States, marked by devastating drought and brutal storms,’ the letter says.
‘These extreme events are exactly what climate models predict for an atmosphere laden with greenhouse gases. 2012 was a year of unrealized opportunity to reduce nuclear stockpiles, to lower the immediacy of destruction from weapons on alert, and to control the spread of fissile materials and keep nuclear terrorism at bay.
‘2012 was a year in which — one year after the partial meltdown at the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Station — the Japanese nation continued to be at the earliest stages of what will be a costly and long recovery.’
The scientists sent an open letter to President Obama urging him to focus on climate change during his second term
Robert Socolow, Chair of the Science and Security Board, said, ‘We have as much hope for Obama’s second term in office as we did in 2010, when we moved back the hand of the Clock after his first year in office.
‘This is the year for U.S. leadership in slowing climate change and setting a path toward a world without nuclear weapons.”
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Where do people get the idea that the planet has stopped warming? The ten warmist years ever recorded were in the last 15 years but now climate scientists tell us that the rate of increase has slowed by 20%. This does not mean global warming has stopped. If you have a burst pipe in your bathroom and you stem the flow by 20% your bathroom will still get flooded it will not stop. you my friend have fallen into the classic trap of “since records began” which seems like a big deal when printed in papers etc, in reality the records are only about 100 years old so far from being “the warmest year ever etc” its only the warmest year by 0.2 of a degree or so in the last 100 years hardly something to keep you awake at night, the world has existed for 100’s of millions of years and gone through many different phases of climate, some much greater than now so why is a tiny raise of fractions of a degree all suddenly man made and our fault?
– chugernought , derby, 16/1/2013 17:38
The problem is we are all out of touch with what we consume and produce. The solution is local, local food, local waste, local employment, local energy. If your energy was produced at the end of your street what would you choose? Nuclear? Coal? Solar? If you had to dispose of all your own waste how many things would you buy in little plastic trays?
– Alastair , London, 16/1/2013 17:20
Let me see: believe the majority of experts in the filed or believe some dumb DM punter?….errmmm – Andy HB , Hebden Bridge, 16/1/2013 10:38 – I don’t know how old you are Andy but I would guess pretty young. We are not all dumb, many have had a good education and have lived long enough to know not to listen to all you are told, particularly when the sums don’t add up. If history tells us anything its that when all say something is a certainty its not. Winston Churchill spent years in the wilderness telling us of the Nazi danger to be ignored. Here’s the lyrics from a song that I know that sums up “experts” perfectly. “I heard it on the radio too much of what they said wasn’t so and now we’ve got to do those things that they thought before were so wrong to be healthy and strong.” Think for yourself, many experts have an axe to grind.
– Eric Arthur Blair , Plymouth, United Kingdom, 16/1/2013 15:57
They all went down the beach afterwards and did doughnuts on the beach in their SUVs.
– Jetty , London, United Kingdom, 16/1/2013 15:55
Where do people get the idea that the planet has stopped warming? The ten warmist years ever recorded were in the last 15 years but now climate scientists tell us that the rate of increase has slowed by 20%. This does not mean global warming has stopped. If you have a burst pipe in your bathroom and you stem the flow by 20% your bathroom will still get flooded it will not stop.
– Working class hero , USSSR, 16/1/2013 15:49
THE CLIMATE HAS *** A L W A Y S *** CHANGED – WHY DO WE NEED TO ‘SLOW’ IT DOWN? ABSOLUTE INSANITY AND WE ARE CALLING IT SCIENCE??????
– Bob , Earth, 16/1/2013 15:30
Wish OUR leaders would ignore “climate change”, but that’s unlikely given the cart loads of cash they are making out of it! Will now go and start one of my v8’s to offset any “green” initiatives I have been forced to pay for by the government
– chuggernought , derby uk, 16/1/2013 14:24
Eric Arthur ! Pity about the last name ! but you are correct regarding the religion you are talking about. It will take over, and that will be the end of all of us , unless steps are now taken to HALT its growth. It is THE most dangerous religion on this planet – C.M.Calvert , Poole, United Kingdom, 16/1/2013 10:32 It is but its self destructive and barbaric nature will ensure its demise,not ours.Churchill was right.While the rest of the planet reaps the fruits of perogress they’ll still be throwing stones.
– Keith , Crawley, United Kingdom, 16/1/2013 13:23
Who cares really what a load of tosh
– Rob , Leeds, United Kingdom, 16/1/2013 13:06
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Wether climate change is man made or not (jury is still out and will be for another 50 yrs plus) trying to control it is a useless waste of money because it will never work. As for the ‘self appointed ‘ climate experts they will always be stating that we are almost sure it is happening but we need more research (more money). As for the ludicrous prediction that the sea levels will rise by cm I wonder wether these scientists have ever been on the Pacific or the Atlantic oceans. As far as I can see melting all the ice on the planet would be like spitting in a reservoir.Still some people believe this rubbish.
– Kenny70 , Solihull, United Kingdom, 16/1/2013 17:58
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