The Doomsday Clock remains unchanged at 100 seconds to minute, the closest it has ever mean, in what the Bulletin of Atomic Scientists called a “Covid wake-up call”. At the start of the last decade the symbolic clock, which shows how close humanity is is an extinction level event, was at six minutes to midnight.
While the Covid-19 pandemic continues to place pressure on governments and healthcare systems around the world, the announcements notes that it has shown how ill-prepared the world is handle global emergencies properly. While Covid-19 is not an existential threat and will eventually recede, the threats of nuclear weapons and climate change shall remain.
Nuclear nations, however, have ignored or undermined practical and available diplomatic and security tools for managing nuclear risks. By our estimation, the potential for the world to stumble into nuclear war—an ever-present danger over the last 75 years—increased in 2020.
Bulletin of Atomic Scientists
While there is much cause for concern, including the ongoing modification plans of the nuclear armed states, there are also causes for optimism. Later this year the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT) Review Conference will take place and give the nuclear-armed states an opportunity to set out the steps they are taking to bring about nuclear disarmament.
Also mentioned is the Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons, with it’s sim to bring pressure on the nuclear-armed states to address the current challenges to disarmament.
Climate change is also cited as one of the twin threats to humanity, with little sign of progress towards halting the temperature rises around the world.
Despite the concerning news, as Christians we have the hope of Jesus to fill our hearts. We are not to be forlorn but to continue to work and pray for peace. There has never been a better or more important time to join Christian CND and join our mission.
