![]() Behind the pointed criticism lies the fact that the Trump administration still lacks a science adviser, a demonstration of his disdain for intellectuals. On climate change, the statement's authors, a group that includes numerous Nobel Laureates, rip apart the White House's cabal of climate deniers and their work to undo climate policies put in place under previous administrations. "The risk that nuclear weapons may be used-intentionally or because of miscalculation-grew last year around the globe," the 2018 Doomsday Clock statement says. It's not exactly relaxing reading, but it's worth your time, particularly if you're confused about some of the near and long-term threats facing the global community. The important part of the clock exercise is the statement that comes with it, and which is worth examining. One gets tongue-tied trying to communicate, using a clock, the likelihood that the world is going to hold global warming to the Paris Agreement's temperature target, which is "well below" 2 degrees Celsius, or 3.6 degrees Fahrenheit, by the year 2100. Credit: NASA/GSFC/Scientific Visualization Studio This map shows Earth’s average global temperature from 2013 to 2017, as compared to a baseline average from 1951 to 1980. The clock is more of a marketing stunt than a robust indicator of the probability that doomsday is close upon us.Ī clock is a problematic symbol to use for communicating the dangers of climate change, for one thing, since that involves emissions calculations and temperature targets. What's really important, though, isn't that we're closer to midnight (is it me, or does it seem like we're always getting closer to midnight? Perhaps I'm just a pessimist.). And every year journalists like me cover it as news, when scientists move its hand closer or further away from midnight. I think the tens of thousands in Hawaii who received the false ballistic missile alert two weeks ago are more aware of the threat posed by North Korea now than before they got that message. ![]() ![]() But in this day and age, a much easier way to induce panic and awareness is via text message. "The Clock has become a universally recognized indicator of the world’s vulnerability to catastrophe from nuclear weapons, climate change, and new technologies emerging in other domains."Ĭonsidering that it entered the Doomsday Clock business in 1947, it's unlikely the Bulletin will soon change course.
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |