31, January 2017 The Doomsday Clock
The organization of Atomic Scientists recently unveiled its latest
Doomsday Clock which was advanced by 30 seconds, 2.5 minutes to midnight when
the world will cease to exist. The clock conveys the existential threat the planet faces.
Its survival has been threatened by nuclear annihilation, the impact of
climate change and by the erratic statements of a single person, Donald Trump.
His careless comments about expanding and even deploying nuclear weapons and
his stubborn disdain of scientific consensus regarding global warming is
extremely unsettling. Trump has dismissed global warming as a “hoax” created by the Chinese.” He has shown a disturbing
propensity to reject expert advice related to international security, including
the conclusions of his own intelligence experts.
His nominees for the Energy Department, the Environmental Agency, and
the Office of Management and Budget reflect Trump’s dangerous skepticism of
climate change. The administration has threatened professional climate
scientists and has hinted that their papers might be subject to a review
process. One of the dark legacies of President Obama was his decision to commit
1 trillion dollars to upgrade the US nuclear arsenal. Meanwhile, North Korea is
accelerating its nuclear capabilities irked by Trump’s insulting and
undiplomatic comments. Simmering tensions between Pakistan and India are a
further threat to global stability. Both countries are expanding their nuclear
arsenals. Not to be outdone, Russia is building new silo based missiles and
China is refurbishing its
arsenal of silo-based long-range ballistic missiles to carry multiple
independently targetable warheads.
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