On Jan. 27, 2026, the Doomsday Clock moved from 89 seconds to midnight to 85 seconds to midnight, the closest it’s ever been to midnight in history. Midnight represents the irreversible harm that humankind is inflicting on our planet, and each second counts. Though the clock has been around for decades, and we are at the closest to midnight it’s ever been, governments are doing nothing about it; in fact, they are actively getting us closer and closer to midnight.

The Bulletin of Atomic Scientist’s Doomsday Clock was created in 1947 by artist Martyl Langsdorf for a design cover of the Bulletin. A clock was sketched as a metaphoric symbol for how little time we have left until we inflict permanent damage to our Earth. Later in 2007, graphic designer Michael Bierut redesigned the image into what is seen today.

Originally, the clock was created during the height of nuclear war panic to make the public and international governments aware of the environmental catastrophes that would follow a nuclear war if it were to happen. It also acts as a reminder to the general public of the flaws of our own creations that continue to harm and deteriorate the Earth.

Now, the clock serves a greater purpose than ever: in 2007, the Bulletin took into account the harm of climate change when it changed the hands on the clock. It currently reminds us of the effects of our constant fossil fuel usage on our planet, which has only increased in recent years.

The Science and Security Board of the Bulletin has been entrusted with the job of deciding when it is time to move the hands of the clock. The board is made up of scientists that work to stop climate change and experts that understand nuclear technology, as well as the impacts it can have on humans and our planet.

Since 2017, the clock has only been moved closer and closer to midnight, starting at two and a half minutes. It is now down to 85 seconds, getting there in a span of less than a decade. This is directly due to the ignorance of governments and individuals who only think of their own personal gain, which just fuels our chances of reaching irreversible damage to our planet.

We can see this as each country races to be the biggest powerhouse in terms of economy, technology and industry, leading to an increase of fossil fuels and energy consumption as they struggle to keep up with each other. The threat of a nuclear war between these powerhouses also fuels concern over environmental issues.

This can be seen happening in the U.S., as President Donald Trump has passed an act deregulating Obama’s Greenhouse Gas Endangerment Finding (GHG) that would ensure federal GHG emission standards be met for all vehicles in the US from 2011-2017 and beyond. The reasoning given by the EPA was to save American taxpayers 1.3 trillion dollars, but it comes with the cost of future generations dealing with depleted resources, health problems and an overall unhealthy planet.

Additionally, in July 2025, the Trump administration passed the One Big Beautiful Bill Act which hurt clean energy tax credits, making companies and producers rely on fossil fuels for their energy sources. Since energy consumption is increasing, which is then increasing energy demand, prices have continuously gone up. This makes it harder for American families to afford their energy bills, some going up by around $110 dollars this year. It also allows major fossil fuel corporations to start projects without going through environmental review concerns and community input by simply paying a fee.

Though the information of our environmental consequences is handed to government officials and lawmakers, they continue to ignore it for their own personal gain and pride. In fact, there was no formal acknowledgment of the Doomsday Clock hand’s movement or the warnings made by its creators from President Donald Trump or previous administrations. We are meant to watch as our world slowly deteriorates while our representatives do nothing to stop it, but instead power the issue for their own economic gain. It’s important for Americans to urge their representatives to acknowledge the warnings from the clock’s organizers in order to move us farther away from hitting midnight.