The apocalypse clocksymbolizing the threat of a planetary disaster, was enforced at midnight minus 100 seconds by the group of scientists who run it, calling for the ineffectiveness of governments in managing pandemic and their lack of preparedness for nuclear and climate threats.
This symbolic clock was created in 1947 by the NGO Bulletin of Atomic Scientists, to warn of a nuclear disaster. Last year, the hands had advanced 20 seconds, indicating the time closest to midnight in the watch’s history.
“The deadly and terrifying covid-19 pandemic serves as a historic wake-up call, a clear example that national governments and international organizations are ill-prepared to face the threats from nuclear weapons and climate change that really could civilization. end, ”said Rachel Bronson, the organization’s director.
Every year, a group of experts, made up of 13 Nobel laureates, marks the new hour.
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“Wake up!” He asked the heads of state of the great powers, the former governor of California and the president of the NGO, Jerry Brown. Civilization, ”said Rachel Bronson, the organization’s director.
“The United States, Russia and the world’s nuclear powers must stop yelling at each other. It is time to eliminate nuclear weapons, stop building them. The same is true of climate change: the United States, China and other major countries must be serious. do something, deadly CO2 emissions, ”he argued.
Created after World War II, the apocalypse clock originally indicated seven minutes to midnight.
In 1991, at the end of the Cold War, it fell back to 17 minutes before midnight. In 1953, as in 2018 and 2019, it was midnight minus two minutes.
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