Two Minutes Closer To Doomsday?

Scientists Push Forward Doomsday Clock Amid Fears Of Nuclear Weapons And Global Warming

(AP)  The world has nudged closer to a nuclear apocalypse and environmental disaster, a trans-Atlantic group of prominent scientists warned Wednesday, pushing the hand of its symbolic Doomsday Clock two minutes closer to midnight.

It was the fourth time since the end of the Cold War that the clock has ticked forward, this time from 11:53 to 11:55 — two minutes closer to the end of humanity — amid fears over what the scientists are describing as "a second nuclear age" prompted largely by atomic standoffs with Iran and North Korea.

But at a joint announcement in London and Washington, the organization added that the "dangers posed by climate change are nearly as dire as those posed by nuclear weapons."

The Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists, founded in 1945 as a newsletter distributed among nuclear physicists concerned by the possibility of nuclear war, has since grown into an organization focused more generally on manmade threats to the survival of human civilization.

"As scientists, we understand the dangers of nuclear weapons and their devastating effects, and we are learning how human activities and technologies are affecting climate systems in ways that may forever change life on Earth," said Stephen Hawking, the renowned cosmologist and mathematician.

"As citizens of the world, we have a duty to alert the public to the unnecessary risks that we live with every day, and to the perils we foresee if governments and societies do not take action now to render nuclear weapons obsolete and to prevent further climate change."

The bulletin's clock, which for 60 years has followed the rise and fall of nuclear tensions, would now also measure climate change, the bulletin's editor Mark Strauss told The Associated Press.

"There's a realization that we are changing our climate for the worse," he said, "That would have catastrophic effects. Although the threat is not as dire as that of nuclear weapons right now, in the long term we are looking at a serious threat."

The threat of nuclear war, however, remains by far the organization's most pressing concern. "It's important to emphasize 50 of today's nuclear weapons could kill 200 million people," he said.

The decisions to move the clock is made by the bulletin's board, which is composed of prominent scientists and policy experts, in coordination with the group's sponsors.

Since it was set to seven minutes to midnight in 1947, the hand has been moved 18 times, including Wednesday's move.

It came closest to midnight — just two minutes away — in 1953, following the successful test of a hydrogen bomb by the United States. It has been as far away as 17 minutes, set there in 1991 following the demise of the Soviet Union.

[bluestardad]

We are ALLLLL Gonna Die! Yeeeeaaaaa! Get Over It!

[edjohn66]

Yup. No credible scientific evidence of global warming. None whatsoever, and not a single renowned scientist believes in it. I'm just SOOOO glad that W. Bush is straight on the facts....

[yourpointis]

Saw this on MSNBC before it was "news" here. Just shook my head. I'm with bluestardad - why worry about this? And I'm PAYING these people to tell me this?!?! Geeze.....I want to get paid to watch a "death-clock".......where oh where did I go wrong....

[timmaywoohoo]

"Yup. No credible scientific evidence of global warming. None whatsoever, and not a single renowned scientist believes in it."

"The danger is that global warming may become self-sustaining, if it has not done so already, We have to reverse global warming urgently if we still can. The earth is in much more danger from human action than from natural disasters. This is not a prediction of doom but a wake up call. We have to recognize the dangers and control them. I%u2019m an optimist and I believe we can.%u201D
-Steven Hawking

Now are you going to try and explain how Steven Hawking isn't a renowned scientist?

[rmsdm4]

The biggest scientific fact that the cult of global warming doesn't want you to consider is that the sun is getting hotter. Over the last 15yrs the sun has gotten hotter, which also coincides with the rise in temperature on the earth.

[notblue]

The real reason the doomsday clock was moved ahead were last novembers election results. Now that the Dems are in power the subsequent retreat from the world that will follow allows Americas enemies more freedom to further there plans. Someday soon the Dems will be responsible for all the worlds problems now that they have the power. Just kidding about the first part.

[gwagener]

Humans will inhabit Earth for millions of years. Scientist who think we can wipe ourselves out lack imagination.
In a nuclear war the comatants will not be trying to wipe out the world, they will be trying to wipe out their enimies. Some part of the human population will survive. They will live short, miserable lives for thousands of years, but they will live.
In an ecological catastrophy humans will find ways to survive. Humans can live at the bottom of the ocean, in space, and in the arctic. We can figure out how to survive in a warm globe or an ice age (been there, done that without all the fancy technology).

[macusweil]

"Humans will inhabit Earth for millions of years. "

gwagener- tell that one to the dinosaurs.. ever heard of nuclear winter? mutually assured destruction?? one it starts whose gonna referee???

~ignorance IS bliss!

[doctordonut-2009]

I admit that this scares me, but not as much as this:

http://www.dose.ca/tv/story.html?id=1456f7fe-43f2-43reality-TV%20couple%20Rob%20and%20Amber%20c3-af2d-8bc612778c9d&k=64941

[doctordonut-2009]

That was the incorrect SCARY link. This is what will terrify you:

http://www.theweeklydonut.org/index.php/2007/01/17/doomsday-donut/

[gwagener]

macusweil wrote:
gwagener- tell that one to the dinosaurs.. ever heard of nuclear winter? mutually assured destruction??

Remember, lizards, mammals, etc. survived when the dinosaurs perished. A nuclear winter would be similar to an ice age and would last perhaps a couple hundred years. Humans lived through ice ages that lasted thousands of years.
Nuclear fallout would mean of those not killed in the initial attacks, most people would die of cancer. That would continue for thousands of years, but still some people would live to breed.
So homas would survive. They might even leantrn something form the experience. Personally, I think it would be better to learn the lesson without actually having the war.

[gaye5]

The governments of the world have this big scare campaign going on out there about the world heating up because of CO2's, and I am some what puzzled from it all....I am not a greenie or a tree hugger, but we are killing off trees at an alarming rate, and don't trees absorb CO2... Now I am feeling a bit scared here to say this as I must be very wrong because to me it is very obvious that if this is true and as the number of cars are increasing shouldn't we be planting more trees to absorb the CO2 given off from the car fumes, or replanting areas that are being destroyed or trying to plant deserts or something.. Nah, I must be stupid, it couldn't be that simple,, ...

[gaye5]

I am afraid the biggest worry that we have is the left wing and the media.. the lies that come from both of these is frighteining... we hear of all the terrible things in Iraq, but we dont hear of all the wonderful things going on over there.. A couple of years ago a friend sent me a letter from a captian in the army, and what he had to say about what was going on there was totally different to what the media was telling us... he talked about water was now running, schools were commencing, towns had electricity, etc etc,, all the while the media talked about dooooooommmmmm and gloooooommmmm.
I am also amazed at the lack of news that America gets on what Muslims are doing through out the world.. there is non-stop world wide terrorism going on and America seems to only hear about Iraq/Iran. There have been over 7000 terrorist attacks world wide since sep 11th and by only one religion.. And there has been NO world wide outrage from Muslims over their own destroying others. If there is even only one percent of Muslims being terrorists that equals 12 million terrorists...???

[mercyme884]

You know the most incredible thing and the funniest is the notion that these people have any control over what is happening to the earth. Their brains are addled by all this knowledge of doom and gloom because they cant change it anymore than the common lower echelon members of society so why keep harping on it just put tour clock away and live your life one day at a time. Like the rest of us.

[brainwing]

Right, Democrats are the problem here. IANAD - I Am Not a Democrat; Bill Clinton makes my skin crawl, and let's not even talk about Hillary. But how is it that you right-wingers presume to second guess some of the smartest people in the world? You so often talk about the arrogance and elitism of the Democrats, meanwhile you can't bring yourselves to admit that a group of people who spend all of their time studying these issues just *might* know what they are talking about. No... clearly you all know much better than them what is going on, because you've been studying these problems so intently yourselves, right? Talk about arrogance. You presume to know better than some of the smartest people in the world what is going on without even studying the issue in a serious way. Bluster and indulge in demagogy all you want. A lot of us see right through you. And our numbers are growing every day.

[brainwing]

Right, Democrats are the problem here. IANAD - I Am Not a Democrat; Bill Clinton makes my skin crawl, and let's not even talk about Hillary. But how is it that you right-wingers presume to second guess some of the smartest people in the world? You so often talk about the arrogance and elitism of the Democrats, meanwhile you can't bring yourselves to admit that a group of people who spend all of their time studying these issues just *might* know what they are talking about. No... clearly you all know much better than them what is going on, because you've been studying these problems so intently yourselves, right? Talk about arrogance. You presume to know better than some of the smartest people in the world what is going on without even studying the issue in a serious way. Bluster and indulge in demagogy all you want. A lot of us see right through you. And our numbers are growing every day.

[brainwing]

Right, Democrats are the problem here. IANAD - I Am Not a Democrat; Bill Clinton makes my skin crawl, and let's not even talk about Hillary. But how is it that you right-wingers presume to second guess some of the smartest people in the world? You so often talk about the arrogance and elitism of the Democrats, meanwhile you can't bring yourselves to admit that a group of people who spend all of their time studying these issues just *might* know what they are talking about. No... clearly you all know much better than them what is going on, because you've been studying these problems so intently yourselves, right? Talk about arrogance. You presume to know better than some of the smartest people in the world what is going on without even studying the issue in a serious way. Bluster and indulge in demagogy all you want. A lot of us see right through you. And our numbers are growing every day.

[grumpas]

I don't think anyone is listening to you Gay5 or taking anything you have to say seriously! Why don't you take a tour of Iraq then come back and report to us all the wonderful things that are going on over there? Maybe if we are lucky you might grow up in the meantime and stop spouting the right wing lunacy you have been spoon fed!

[getserious1]

Hey Grumpas, maybe if you stopped your sad left wing retoric, you might have a valid point about the right. Get A GRIP folks, most (96%) of americans are NOT left or right, they are in the middle, just trying to make it the best we can.
Left doesn't think anything in Iraq is good,
Right thinks Iraq war will all turn out OK.

Well, there IS alot of good going on in Iraq, along with all the bad we continuously hear about. But I don't think WE (USA) will be able to stop the criminals (terrorists) from killing, this can only come from the Mustlims. I don't have a solution, I don't think ANYONE has a solution that is 100% perfect. If we did nothing, you would still be criticizing, your hatred of the President on the left is blinding you to anything positive. Just like the Love for the President is blinding the right.
So sad to see so many so blind.

[rf35]

I find it amazing that there are still people out there who choose to ignore the facts about global warming. It is not a theory...the proof can be seen by anyone who is willing to look. Giant ice shelves breaking away from Canada, polar ice receding, and the strongest tropical storm systems on record, just to name a few of the more obvious signs. What more do you need? And whoever told anyone the scientists speaking out about global warming are not credible is misinformed or lying. Many are tenured university professors, some even work for the government! The ones denying global warming are the ones whose credentials I would question. Most of the people who claim global warming is a hoax or whatever don%u2019t have any PhD at all. But I suppose denying it is more comfortable than accepting that something is going on and that there is nothing an individual person can do about it.

As far as the nuclear holocaust thing goes, I%u2019d sleep better knowing Kim Jong Il was dead and his regime dissolved, even if his nukes don%u2019t work. Even if he launched a dud, he could manage to set off a global nuclear exchange. Then the only ones worrying about global warming would be the cockroaches.