Created during the Cold War, the Doomsday Clock was designed to warn humanity of the approaching end of times due to climatic and geopolitical events. Currently, the hands show just 90 seconds to midnight, a time that theoretically represents the “apocalypse,” when Earth will become uninhabitable for humans.
It was prepared by a journal called the Bulletin of Atomic Scientists with annual adjustments in the first quarter of each year according to the revealing events of the previous twelve months. The clock used to stand at 17 minutes to midnight, but in 2023 the scenario is not optimistic due to the conflict between Russia and Ukraine and global warming.
We still don’t know what the adjustment will look like in 2024, but given the recent conflict between Israel and Hamas, it is possible that the hands are moving even closer to the point in time that marks the end of humanity. Another global event that can influence this is high temperatures, a condition that goes well beyond the 40°C experienced by Brazilians.
The climate changes observed in recent months (and years) could be a strong indication that the end times are approaching. The United Nations announced this week that the gases responsible for the greenhouse effect in the Earth’s atmosphere have reached a new record high, with high concentrations of carbon dioxide (CO2) and methane (CH4).
“At current concentrations of greenhouse gases, we are on a path of rising temperatures that will take us to levels well above the targets set out in the Paris Agreement,” the agency chief said.
It is possible that the hands of the clock will go back and the time left to humanity will increase, but for this to happen, countries and governments must make changes “for yesterday.”
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