PRESS-NEWS.org - Press Release Distribution
PRESS RELEASES DISTRIBUTION

Top scientists ask UN leaders to act on nuclear weapons, climate change

Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists: It is still 5 minutes to midnight and much too close to doomsday

2014-01-15
(Press-News.org) Contact information: Janice Sinclaire
jsinclaire@thebulletin.org
707-481-9372
SAGE Publications
Top scientists ask UN leaders to act on nuclear weapons, climate change Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists: It is still 5 minutes to midnight and much too close to doomsday The Science and Security Board of the Bulletin of Atomic Scientists today called on the United States and Russia to restart negotiations on reducing their nuclear arsenals, to lower alert levels for their nuclear weapons, and to scrap their missile defense programs.

The Board also implored world leaders to take immediate action to combat climate change as it announced that the minute hand of the Bulletin's iconic Doomsday Clock will remain at five minutes to midnight because "the risk of civilization-threatening technological catastrophe remains high."

The Board's annual announcement on the status of the Doomsday Clock was addressed this year to United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-Moon and members of the UN Security Council. In the announcement, the Bulletin's Board of leading science and security experts acknowledged that 2013 included positive developments in negotiations on the Iranian nuclear program and in the production of renewable energy.

But, the Board noted, those developments came within a "business-as-usual" context that has stalled efforts to shrink nuclear arsenals and reduce climate-altering greenhouse gas emissions. And beyond the threats of nuclear weapons and climate change lie a host of emerging technological dangers—including cyber weapons and killer robots—that further endanger humanity, the Board said.

"As always, new technologies hold the promise of doing great good, supplying new sources of clean energy, curing disease, and otherwise enhancing our lives. From experience, however, we also know that new technologies can be used to diminish humanity and destroy societies," the Board wrote. "We can manage our technology, or become victims of it. The choice is ours, and the Clock is ticking."

The minute hand of the Doomsday Clock has been at five minutes to midnight since January 2012. In explaining why the hand would remain so close to figurative doomsday, the Bulletin's science and security experts focused on the failure of world leaders to take action that would reduce the possibility of catastrophe related to nuclear weapons and climate change.

The Board noted that after Russia offered political asylum to Edward Snowden, the former National Security Agency contractor who leaked US classified documents and created an international media sensation, US President Barack Obama called off a planned summit with Russian leader Vladimir Putin. There appears to have been little movement since on nuclear agreements between the two countries.

The Bulletin's experts asked UN leaders to demand that the United States and Russia return to the negotiating table. "Once there," the Board wrote, "they should take the courageous steps needed to further shrink their nuclear arsenals, to scrap their deployment of destabilizing missile defenses, and to reduce the alert levels of their nuclear weapons."

The Board also called on world leaders to show courage in battling domestic political trends that have stalled efforts to address climate change. These trends include serious threats to renewable-energy support in the United States, the European Union, and Australia and are exemplified by Japan's withdrawal from the Kyoto Protocol and refusal to honor promises on voluntary greenhouse gas emissions reductions.

"The science on climate change is clear, and many people around the world already are suffering from destructive storms, water and food insecurity, and extreme temperatures," the Board wrote. "It is no longer possible to prevent all climate change, but you can limit further suffering—if you act now."

### HOW THE DOOMSDAY CLOCK WAS SET

The January 14, 2014 Doomsday Clock decision followed an international symposium held in November 2013 at the American Association for the Advancement of Science in Washington, DC. The Science and Security Board of the Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists, in consultation with the Governing Board and the Board of Sponsors, which includes 18 Nobel Laureates, reviewed 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.

Click HERE for the Science and Security Board's Clock announcement.

Click HERE to watch video of the November Doomsday Clock symposium.

ABOUT THE BULLETIN OF THE ATOMIC SCIENTISTS

Founded in 1945 by University of Chicago scientists who had helped develop the first atomic weapons in the Manhattan Project, the Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists created the Doomsday Clock in 1947, using the imagery of apocalypse (midnight) and the contemporary idiom of nuclear explosion (countdown to zero) to convey threats to humanity and the planet. The Clock has become a universally recognized indicator of the world's vulnerability to catastrophe from nuclear weapons, climate change, and emerging technologies in the information and life sciences. The Bulletin won a National Magazine Award for General Excellence in 2007.

MEDIA CONTACT

Janice Sinclaire
707.481.9372
jsinclaire@thebulletin.org


ELSE PRESS RELEASES FROM THIS DATE:

Bacterial 'syringe' necessary for marine animal development

2014-01-15
Bacterial 'syringe' necessary for marine animal development If you've ever slipped on a slimy wet rock at the beach, you have bacteria to thank. Those bacteria, nestled in a supportive extracellular matrix, form bacterial biofilms—often slimy substances ...

Researchers identify key components linking circadian rhythms and cell division cycles

2014-01-15
Researchers identify key components linking circadian rhythms and cell division cycles CINCINNATI—Researchers at the University of Cincinnati (UC) have identified key molecular components linking circadian rhythms and cell division cycles ...

In dyslexia, less brain tissue not to blame for reading difficulties

2014-01-15
In dyslexia, less brain tissue not to blame for reading difficulties WASHINGTON — In people with dyslexia, less gray matter in the brain has been linked to reading disabilities, but now new evidence suggests this is a consequence of poorer reading experiences and ...

Should we make a film that audiences enjoy or nab an Oscar nomination?

2014-01-15
Should we make a film that audiences enjoy or nab an Oscar nomination? UCLA researchers reveal the logic behind the tough decisions studios make What do Hollywood moguls holding their breath this week for an Oscar nomination have in common with ...

Seafloor, sea-level, shear zones, subduction, sedimentation, and seismology

2014-01-15
Seafloor, sea-level, shear zones, subduction, sedimentation, and seismology New Geology articles posted online ahead of print Jan. 10, 2014 Boulder, Colo., USA – Geology adds 19 new articles online, covering locations in China, the Atacama Desert, the Himalaya, Kilauea volcano, ...

Wild sparrow study traces social behaviors in the field to specific gene

2014-01-15
Wild sparrow study traces social behaviors in the field to specific gene A unique study of the white-throated sparrow has identified a biological pathway connecting variation in the birds' aggression and parenting behaviors in the wild to variation in their genome. The ...

Argonne scientists discover new pathway for artificial photosynthesis

2014-01-15
Argonne scientists discover new pathway for artificial photosynthesis ARGONNE, Ill. (Jan. 13, 2014) -- Humans have for ages taken cues from nature to build their own devices, but duplicating the steps in the complicated electronic dance of photosynthesis remains ...

Exposures to some phthalates fall after federal ban

2014-01-15
Exposures to some phthalates fall after federal ban UCSF study finds widespread exposure to these endocrine disrupters Americans are being exposed to significantly lower levels of some phthalates that were banned from children's articles in ...

Key species of algae shows effects of climate change over time

2014-01-15
Key species of algae shows effects of climate change over time Historical comparison of competition among algae in waters around the Pacific Northwest provides more evidence for increased ocean acidification A study of marine life in the temperate coastal ...

T-cell research sheds light on why HIV can persist despite treatment

2014-01-14
T-cell research sheds light on why HIV can persist despite treatment Ryan Zurakowski, assistant professor of electrical and computer engineering at the University of Delaware, is co-author of a paper appearing in Nature Medicine on Jan. 12 highlighting the role ...

LAST 30 PRESS RELEASES:

Thirty-year mystery of dissonance in the “ringing” of black holes explained

Less intensive works best for agricultural soil

Arctic rivers project receives “national champion” designation from frontiers foundation

Computational biology paves the way for new ALS tests

Study offers new hope for babies born with opioid withdrawal syndrome

UT, Volkswagen Group of America celebrate research partnership

New Medicare program could dramatically improve affordability for cancer drugs – if patients enroll

Are ‘zombie’ skin cells harmful or helpful? The answer may be in their shapes

University of Cincinnati Cancer Center presents research at AACR 2025

Head and neck, breast, lung and survivorship studies headline Dana-Farber research at AACR Annual Meeting 2025

AACR: Researchers share promising results from MD Anderson clinical trials

New research explains why our waistlines expand in middle age

Advancements in muon detection: Taishan Antineutrino Observatory's innovative top veto tracker

Chips off the old block

Microvascular decompression combined with nerve combing for atypical trigeminal neuralgia

Cutting the complexity from digital carpentry

Lung immune cell type “quietly” controls inflammation in COVID-19

Fiscal impact of expanded Medicare coverage for GLP-1 receptor agonists to treat obesity

State and sociodemographic trends in US cigarette smoking with future projections

Young adults drive historic decline in smoking

NFCR congratulates Dr. Robert C. Bast, Jr. on receiving the AACR-Daniel D. Von Hoff Award for Outstanding Contributions to Education and Training in Cancer Research

Chimpanzee stem cells offer new insights into early embryonic development

This injected protein-like polymer helps tissues heal after a heart attack

FlexTech inaugural issue launches, pioneering interdisciplinary innovation in flexible technology

In Down syndrome mice, 40Hz light and sound improve cognition, neurogenesis, connectivity

Methyl eugenol: potential to inhibit oxidative stress, address related diseases, and its toxicological effects

A vascularized multilayer chip reveals shear stress-induced angiogenesis in diverse fluid conditions

AI helps unravel a cause of Alzheimer's disease and identify a therapeutic candidate

Coalition of Autism Scientists critiques US Department of Health and Human Services Autism Research Initiative

Structure dictates effectiveness, safety in nanomedicine

[Press-News.org] Top scientists ask UN leaders to act on nuclear weapons, climate change
Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists: It is still 5 minutes to midnight and much too close to doomsday