### **Detailed SUMMARY of the Article "Doomsday Clock 2025," by Ashraf Jehangir Qazi, Dawn, February 1st, 2025**: The article discusses the Bulletin of Atomic Scientists (BAS) resetting the Doomsday Clock (DDC) to 89 seconds before midnight, symbolizing the imminent threats facing humanity. The writer, Ashraf Jehangir Qazi, argues that the BAS's decision to move the clock forward by only one second fails to reflect the severity of global crises. He had suggested a more drastic shift—59 or 61 seconds to midnight—to better capture the urgency of existential threats. He cites multiple reasons for escalating pessimism, including the potential return of Donald Trump to the U.S. presidency, the ongoing genocide in Gaza with U.S. support, the existential risks of artificial intelligence as forewarned by Geoffrey Hinton, escalating U.S.-China tensions, and the general apathy of people who fail to think beyond a century. The article criticizes Trump’s withdrawal from international agreements such as the Paris Climate Accords and the World Health Organization, his rollback of climate and humanitarian initiatives, and his apparent endorsement of forced Palestinian displacement. The BAS statement downplaying the worsening global security situation is deemed a diplomatic euphemism that insults global intelligence. The worsening effects of climate change, including catastrophic wildfires, ocean warming leading to Antarctic ice sheets breaking apart, and the failure of climate conferences like COP29, further highlight the inadequacy of global leadership. The article warns that the world is at a critical juncture where it may either be on a roller-coaster ride of instability or heading straight toward catastrophe. It suggests that regional Doomsday Clocks, including one for Pakistan and South Asia, might be set even closer to midnight given the region's unique vulnerabilities in governance, security, and environmental crises. The author concludes with a rhetorical question, urging readers to consider how close to "midnight" the state of affairs in Pakistan and South Asia might be. --- ### **Easy/Short SUMMARY**: The article talks about the Doomsday Clock, which shows how close the world is to major disasters. The author, Ashraf Jehangir Qazi, believes the clock should have been moved much closer to midnight because of serious problems like the Israel-Palestine war, worsening climate change, growing U.S.-China tensions, and the risks of artificial intelligence. He criticizes former U.S. President Donald Trump for pulling the U.S. out of important global agreements and supporting harmful policies. The writer thinks the world is in deep trouble and that leaders are failing to act urgently. He also suggests that a Doomsday Clock for Pakistan and South Asia would be even closer to midnight due to regional problems. --- ### **SOLUTIONS of The Problem**: #### **1. Strengthening Global Leadership and Governance** World leaders must take urgent steps to prevent global catastrophe. Governments must prioritize climate action, de-escalate conflicts, and strengthen international cooperation instead of pursuing narrow national interests. #### **2. Effective Climate Action and Policy Implementation** Countries must rejoin and reinforce agreements like the Paris Climate Accords, enforce strict carbon emission laws, and invest in renewable energy to slow down climate change. Climate summits must lead to real action rather than vague promises. #### **3. Regulating Artificial Intelligence and Emerging Technologies** The dangers of artificial intelligence must be controlled through strict ethical guidelines, international oversight, and investment in research that ensures AI remains beneficial rather than a threat. #### **4. Addressing U.S.-China Rivalry Through Diplomacy** A worsening U.S.-China conflict could lead to military miscalculations. Diplomatic efforts, trade negotiations, and multilateral cooperation must replace zero-sum competition. #### **5. Holding Global Powers Accountable for Conflicts** The world must not ignore human rights violations, including in Gaza. International courts, the UN, and global pressure must be used to prevent genocides and hold perpetrators accountable. #### **6. Raising Public Awareness and Engagement** People should be educated about existential threats and urged to pressure their governments for responsible policymaking. The media must highlight these crises instead of focusing on trivial matters. #### **7. Strengthening Regional Stability and Security in South Asia** Pakistan and South Asia face nuclear threats, political instability, and climate risks. Regional cooperation, water-sharing agreements, and peace talks are necessary to avoid worsening crises. #### **8. Ensuring Scientific and Academic Contributions to Policy-Making** Scientists, analysts, and security experts must play a more active role in shaping policies rather than being ignored by political leaders who prioritize short-term gains over long-term survival. #### **9. Establishing a Doomsday Monitoring Framework for Nations** Countries should create their own Doomsday Clocks based on regional threats and use them to track and address risks such as war, climate disasters, and political instability. #### **10. Implementing Stronger Environmental and Technological Safeguards** Urgent global action is needed to prevent environmental collapse, regulate technological advancements, and implement policies that protect future generations from irreversible damage. --- ### **IMPORTANT Facts and Figures Given in the Article**: - The Doomsday Clock was reset to **89 seconds before midnight** on **January 28, 2025**. - The author suggested moving the clock forward to **59 or 61 seconds to midnight**. - Reasons for pessimism include **Trump’s possible return, the Gaza genocide, AI threats, climate change, and U.S.-China tensions**. - The **Paris Climate Accords** were abandoned by Trump despite record-breaking heat in the last two years. - Climate disasters mentioned include **California wildfires, the breaking of an Antarctic ice sheet the size of Greenland, and the failure of COP29**. - The BAS’s statement that the world “has not made progress” was criticized as an understatement. - The article suggests that a **Doomsday Clock for Pakistan and South Asia** might be set even closer to midnight. --- ### **MCQs from the Article**: #### 1. **When was the Doomsday Clock reset for 2025?** A. January 1 B. January 15 **C. January 28** D. February 1 #### 2. **What was the new Doomsday Clock time set by the BAS?** A. 100 seconds to midnight B. 60 seconds to midnight C. 75 seconds to midnight **D. 89 seconds to midnight** #### 3. **Which U.S. president is criticized in the article for worsening global crises?** A. Joe Biden **B. Donald Trump** C. Barack Obama D. George W. Bush #### 4. **Which climate-related event was mentioned as a sign of global failure?** A. Melting of Arctic ice B. Deforestation in the Amazon C. Global reduction in snowfall **D. Breaking away of an Antarctic ice sheet the size of Greenland** #### 5. **What does the article suggest about a Doomsday Clock for Pakistan and South Asia?** A. It should be set further from midnight **B. It might be closer to midnight due to regional instability** C. It should remain at 89 seconds D. It should be ignored --- ### **VOCABULARY**: 1. **Doomsday** (قیامت) – The end of the world or a catastrophic event. 2. **Genocide** (نسل کشی) – The deliberate killing of a large group of people. 3. **Euphemism** (خوشنما الفاظ) – A mild expression used instead of a harsh one. 4. **Catastrophe** (تباہی) – A great disaster. 5. **Perdition** (بربادی) – Eternal punishment or destruction. 6. **Apathy** (بے حسی) – Lack of interest or concern. 7. **Escalating** (بڑھتا ہوا) – Increasing in intensity. 8. **Degenerative** (بگڑتی ہوئی) – Worsening over time. 9. **Tensions** (کشیدگی) – Strained relations or conflict. 10. **Rollback** (واپسی) – Reversal of a decision or policy. 📢 **Attention Please!** We appreciate your commitment to acquiring knowledge through our summaries. Please remember to acknowledge the source and the effort put into creating this summary. Unauthorized distribution without proper credit is discouraged. Thank you for your cooperation! 🔍 dawn.com Doomsday Clock 2025 Ashraf Jehangir Qazi 5–6 minutes A DAY before the Bulletin for Atomic Scientists (BAS) reset the notional Doomsday Clock on Jan 28 at 89 seconds to “midnight” at which time human civilisation will cease to exist, I sent it the following message: “You are about to reset the DDC for 2025. Gramsci the great Italian socialist intellectual said he was a pessimist of the intellect but an optimist of the will which meant he anticipated catastrophes but was confident they could be overcome. Accordingly, I expect you to move the clock closer than ever to midnight by setting it at 61 or 59 seconds to it. The latter time would focus on seconds rather than minutes to ensure that a more concerned world would wake up to the proximity of midnight — and do everything to avert it. “The reasons for increased pessimism? Trump 2.0; the genocide in Gaza; artificial Intelligence and the pessimism of one of its founding fathers, Geoffrey Hinton, regarding the ability of humans to control it; prog­ressive climate heating; zero-sum US-China relations which raise the chances and redu­­ce the margins for military/ strategic error; the tendency for people not to concern themselves beyond the lives of their grandchildren’s grandchildren — roughly a century with irreversible momentum towards midnight setting in much earlier; etc. The world will be fortunate if it merely finds itself on a roller coaster. “The reasons for optimism? Very few. “Keep up your good work, but be more frantic.” In the event, the DDC was set closer to midnight by just one second, instead of the half minute I had suggested and hoped for. In its explanatory statement, the BAS made no reference to the genocide in Gaza or the criminal support for it by the US which will be redoubled with the return of Trump. Trump’s cavalier decision to take the US out of the Paris Accords for a second time despite the fact that the last two years were respectively the hottest and second hottest on record; his suspension of funding to all USAID projects which he has been forced by public opposition to put on hold; his decision to withdraw from the World Health Organisation despite the prospect of even worse pandemics than Covid-19; and his cynical support for the removal of the Palestinian population of Gaza to other Arab countries to seal the success of Israel’s genocide — in effect a third and final “Nakba” — merited much more than a ludicrous minus one second on the DDC. Given that over the past year the global human security situation has deteriorated to the extent that it has, the anodyne statement of the BAS that the global situation “has not made progress during the past year” was a euphemism that frankly insulted the intelligence of the world. One member of the BAS Science and Security Board, which sets the DDC each year, sarcastically observed “if the world is to make progress towards avoiding midnight it may have to do so without the US”. That statement alone warranted a full minus one minute on the DDC! Moreover, the increasingly uncontrollable annual forest fires of California and other places; the breaking away of an Antarctic ice sheet the size of Greenland due to ocean warming; and the failure of COP29 were an indication of the failure of global leadership in general, and of the US in particular, to prioritise the saving of human civilisation. And I haven’t even mentioned Trump’s plans for Canada; Greenland; the Panama Canal; his oil mantra ‘drill, baby, drill’; his threat of a trade war with China; his threat to impose tariffs to compel foreign investment in the US in complete violation of the rules of the World Trade Organisation; etc. Accordingly, over the next four years, the world will be fortunate if it merely finds itself on a roller-coaster ride instead of in a straight dive into perdition. Given the fact that irreversible climate heating, which by definition would be an unstoppable force multiplier for all the global threats listed by the BAS, may set in during Trump’s second term, the sagely restraint of the eminent elders of the BAS Science and Security Board was a disappointing and weak-kneed cop-out. Given that Trump is no more than a symptom of the degenerative disease that defines current American politics, what is the BAS waiting for? In conclusion, since the DDC represents the state of the world, notional DDCs for specific regions and countries, if they were established, would not have times more distant from midnight than the one on the global DDC because all countries and regions are part of one and the same world. But they could have times set closer to midnight for reasons of location, circumstance and governance. So, what time might a group of eminent scientists and security experts set for Pakistan and South Asia? The readers of Dawn might wish to have a go at it. The writer is a former ambassador to the US, India and China, and head of UN missions in Iraq and Sudan. [email protected] Published in Dawn, February 1st, 2025