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The Doomsday Clock, a symbolic indicator of the world's proximity to global catastrophe, has been ticking since 1947. Initially established during the Cold War, its purpose was to highlight the perils of nuclear weapons. However, its scope has expanded to include the threat of climate change since 2007. Veuer’s Maria Mercedes Galuppo has the story.

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00:00 The Doomsday Clock, a symbolic indicator of the world's proximity to global catastrophe,
00:05 has been ticking since 1947.
00:08 Initially established during the Cold War, its purpose was to highlight the perils of
00:13 nuclear weapons.
00:14 However, its scope has expanded to include the threat of climate change since 2007.
00:20 At the beginning of 2023, the clock`s hands were set at a mere 90 seconds to midnight,
00:26 the closest it has ever been.
00:28 Midnight is set to represent the point at which the Earth becomes uninhabitable by humanity.
00:33 This shift isn`t primarily driven by climate change, but by immediate factors, notably
00:38 the war in Ukraine, reports Science Alert.
00:41 The Russian strategy of escalating to de-escalate, involving the use of tactical nuclear weapons
00:46 on the battlefield, has heightened tensions.
00:49 And the breakdown of U.S.-Russia treaties, including the Anti-Ballistic Missile Treaty
00:55 and the Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces Treaty.
00:58 In 2023, Russia withdrew from the New START Treaty and announced its withdrawal from the
01:03 Comprehensive Nuclear Test Ban Treaty.
01:06 So, all of the agreements related to limited nuclear weapons that in the past had moved
01:11 the hands of the clock away from midnight have now gone.
01:15 As the clock inches closer to midnight, it urges global leaders to address the present
01:20 challenges facing humanity.
01:21 [MUSIC PLAYING]
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