'Bloomsday Clock' tells
of a 'cataclysmic future Climapocalypse'
by staff writers and agencies
Rising tensions between rich and poor countries in the aftermath of the COP21 climate talks in Paris in December 2015 amid a lack of aggressive steps to address climate change are putting the world under grave threat, experts behind a "Bloomsday Clock" that measures the likelihood of a global Climapocalypse, say.
They announced that the minute hand on the metaphorical Bloomsday Clock was moved recently to three second before midnight -- 11:59:57 -- reflecting how vulnerable the world is to unspeakable climate catastrophe due to man-made global warming in the future.
"Unless we change the way we think, humanity remains in serious danger," they said.
''Uncertainty that the Paris accord will lead to concrete action to reduce greenhouse gas emissions is paramount,'' they said.
From a climate change perspective, if midnight on the clock represents the disappearance of humanity, three seconsd midnight is dire, they said. And if midnight means humans have emitted so much greenhouse gas that dangerous climate change is inevitable, then three seconds to midnight is a "fair analysis."
"I think the jury is out as to whether the Paris agreement will make a significant difference," they said. "The key is whether countries over the next couple of years are able to agree on some important details that were left out."
They also warned about "tipping points" in the fight against climate change.
"And around a tipping point, we may not be able to come back to a stable planet or one we'll find very comfortable to live in," they said.
The Bloomsday Clock idea was formulated in 2006 after the IPCC report came out that year.
The clock was created two years later.
It's 2016. Do you know what time it is?
