Doomsday Clock Set at 5 'Til Midnight

By By Stephanie Pappas, Senior Writer 6 hours ago

Tick, tock ... The Doomsday Clock is a metaphor for threats to humanity from technology.

The iconic Doomsday Clock remains poised at five minutes until midnight, the Science and Security Board of the Bulletin of Atomic Scientists announced today (Jan. 14).

The clock is no doomsday device — rather, it's a visual metaphor for the danger of a "civilization-threatening technological catastrophe." Every year, the board analyzes international threats, particularly nuclear arsenals and climate change, and decides where the minute hand on the Doomsday Clock should rest. The closer it is to midnight, the closer the world is to doom.

"As always, new technologies hold the promise of doing great good, supplying new sources of clean energy, curing disease, and otherwise enhancing our lives. From experience, however, we also know that new technologies can be used to diminish humanity and destroy societies," the board wrote. "We can manage our technology, or become victims of it. The choice is ours, and the Clock is ticking." [How the Doomsday Clock Has Changed (Infographic)]

It's the end of the world as we know it
The Doomsday Clock is the invention of the Bulletin of Atomic Scientists, a publication started by some of the researchers who worked on the atomic bomb. The wife of one of these researchers, Martyl Langsdorf, was a painter. In 1947, she illustrated the first Bulletin cover to feature the Doomsday Clock — set at that point at 11:53 p.m.

Langsdorf died in March 2013, but her creation lives on. In January 2012, the Bulletin's board set the minute hand of the clock at 11:55 p.m., one minute closer to midnight than the previous year. The decision was made based on the current state of nuclear arsenals around the globe as well as accidents such as the Fukushima nuclear meltdown that occurred in 2011 after a major earthquake and tsunami in Japan. Biosecurity is also taken into account, with the creation of an airborne strain of H5N1 flu worrying scientists in 2012.

This year, the board chose not to ease up on their warnings of doomsday, because of stalled relations between the United States and Russia, two countries with massive nuclear arsenals. After Russia offered political asylum to former National Security Agency contractor Edward Snowden, who leaked classified documents about U.S. surveillance, President Barack Obama cancelled a summit with Russia's Vladimir Putin, meaning there has been little to no progress on plans to shrink nuclear arsenals, according to the Bulletin.

Meanwhile, efforts to combat climate change are struggling as well, the Bulletin board warned. The United States, European Union and Australia all show wavering commitment to renewable energy, and Japan has backed off promises to voluntarily reduce greenhouse gas emissions.

Hope for humanity?

The Bulletin board listed some steps humanity should take to secure its future, including demanding that the United States and Russia reopen dialogues on nuclear weapons. The board also urged political leadership on climate change and advocated for new rules to manage leaps forward in information technology.

The closest the Doomsday Clock has ever come to midnight was in 1953, when the minute hand ticked to 11:58 p.m. after the first test of the hydrogen bomb. It was at its most optimistic in 1991, when the Bulletin board set the time at 17 minutes to midnight as the Cold War ended.

Since 1991, however, the clock has been ticking gradually toward doom, as it became clear that total nuclear disarmament would not be happening.

MGOGORO WA WAKULIMA, WAFUGAJI KITETO:

Idadi ya waliofariki yakia kumi.

Miili ya watu waliofariki kutokana na mapigano ya kugombea ardhi baina ya wakulima na wafugaji katika hifadhi ya jamii ya Emboley Mortangosi wilayani Kiteto mkoani manyara, imeongezeka zaidi kutoka sita ilizopatikana juzi na kufikia jumla ya kumi.

Kamanda wa polisi mkoa wa Manyara Kamishna Msaidizi Akili Mpwapwa amesema, nyumba zilizochomwa moto ni zaidi ya thelethini ambazo ni za wakulima.

Mapigano haya baina ya wakulima na wafugaji katika hifadhi ya jamii ya Emboly Mortangosi wilayani Kiteto kwa kipindi hiki, yametokea baada ya mkutano wa mkuu wa mkoa wa Manyara Elaston Mbwillo, alioufanya wiki iliyopita, kuwataka wakulima na wafugaji waliovamia hifadhi hiyo kuondoka ikiwa ni agizo la mahaka ya Rufaa.

Kamanda wa polisi mkoa wa Manyara Kamishna Msaidizi Akili Mpwapwa amesema, mapigano hayo yamezuka kwa wafugaji kuwashambulia wakulima na kuwaua pia kuchoma moto nyumba zao.

Mgogoro baina ya wakulima na wafugaji katika hifadhi ya Emboley Mortangosi wilayani Kiteto Mkoani Manyara, ulianza mwaka 2006 baada ya halmashauri ya wilaya hiyo, kuwaamuru wafugaji na wakulima waliovamia hifadhi kuondoka.

Wafugaji wamekuwa wakiwashambulia wakulima kwa kile kinachosemekana, wanadai wanastahili kuendelea kuishi katika hifadhi kwa kulisha mifugo yao ambayo haiharibu mazingira.

MWISHO

R.I.P Ariel Sharon

MUngu amlaze mahala pema peponi Ariel Sharon, shujaa mwerevu akeshae Hodari mwepesi na risasi zake hazikosi shabaha! Huyu Ariel Sharon ndiye aliyetufanya sisi wakristu tuende kuhiji Jerusalem na betlehem bila kuvaa hijab wala misuri na kuwekewa sheria kali za kidini.

Huyu ndiye yule shujaa aliikomboa jerusalem kutoka mikononi mwa wahamiaji haramu wa kipalestina. Kumbuka jerusalem ni Jiji la mfalme David. Ushujaa wa Sharon sio tuu ulimpendeza Adan na Eva bali pia mababu na mambu wa israel waliowahi kuwa wafalme .

Sharon kapigana vita vyote saba ya kuikomboa Israel tangia alipokuwa ana umri wa miaka 18 mwaka 1946 mpaka uhuru wa israel mwaka 1948. Vile vile alipigana vita vyote vya kuilinda Israel na kuhakikisha mwarabu hakanyagi Jiji takatifu la Jerusalem. Ili kulinda uhai wa raia wa kiisraeli na mali zao, alihakikisha sheria ya jino moja kwa meno nane.

Sharon ndiye meja jeneral aliyeuteka mfereji wa suezi kanali kwa masaa mamtu tuu akiwa mbioni kuingia cairo mpaka UN ikaingilia kati.

Sharon hakuwa na chuki na waarabu kabisaa ila yeyey alitaka sana kukomesha ugaidi tuu na kuwaletea maisha bora ya usalama waisraeli nchini mwao.

Huyu ndiye meje jeneral aliyeteka ardhi nyingi za waarabu na kuhakikisha atazirudisha kwa mkataba wa amani.

Sharon, aliongoza kikosi cha kuwatimua settlers wote wa ki Israel katika jangwa la sinai na Ukanda wa Gaza ili kuleta amani nchini Israel.

Kwa kweli mtu huyu alikuwa shujaa wa amani na usalama wa taifa la mungu.

Hakika mtu huyu kampendeza mungu na watu wenye mapenzi mema. He is at the right hand of the father together with Mama Teresa, Sokoine, Keneddy, Mandela and all saints.

Halmashauri ya Jiji la Arusha limeongeza ukusanyaji mapat

Halmashauri ya Jiji la Arusha limeongeza ukusanyaji mapato, kutoka Sh. milioni 400 hadi milioni 927, Desemba, mwaka jana, kutoka vyanzo vyake vya ndani.

Mafanikio haya yametokana na matumizi ya mfumo wa Epicol.Hayo yalisemwa jana na Mkurugenzi wa Jiji la Arusha, Sipora Liana, alipokuwa akitoa taarifa ya utekelezaji wa shughuli za kazi katika jiji hilo, mbele ya kamati ya kudumu ya hesabu za serikali za mitaa iliyotembelea halmashauri hiyo kwa siku mbili.

Liana aliiambia kamati hiyo iko katika ziara ya kikazi kuangalia utendaji wa shughuli za maendeleo katika jiji hilo likiwemo suala la upangaji wa mipango ya maendeleo,ukusanyaji wa mapato na usimamizi mzuri wa matumizi ya fedha.

Alisema jiji la Arusha limenunua mitambo ya barabara kwa Sh. milioni 740.3 na kugharamia ujenzi wa madarasa zaidi ya 39,katika shule za sekondari ambao ukikamilika utagharimu zaidi ya Sh. bilioni 1.2 kabla ya Januari 31, mwaka huu.

Alisema kutokana na kuboreshwa kwa ukusanyaji wa mapato ya ndani, jiji limelipa madeni ya walimu, ambapo zaidi ya Sh. milioni 22.5 zimetumika.
Alisema jiji limelipa posho zote za wenyeviti wa mitaa kwa kutumia mapato ya ndani.

Alisema kwa mwaka 2013/2014, halmashauri ya ilikadiria kukusanya na kupokea Sh. bilioni 47.2.Katika kipindi cha Julai na Desemba 2013 mapato ya ndani na serikali kuu yalifikia Sh. bilioni 15.7 sawa na asilimia 33.3 ambapo matumizi yalifikia Sh. bilioni 13.9 sawa na asilimia 29.7

Aliiambia Kamati hiyo kwamba mfumo huo wa Epical umesaidia kuwepo na usimamizi mzuri na matumizi ya fedha katika Halmashauri ya Jiji la Arusha kwa kuzingatia bajeti iliyoidhinishwa Aidha i liana ametaja faida nyingine za mfumo huu kuwa hakuna malipo yanayofanyika nje ya mfumo na pia hauruhusu malipo yafanyike kama fedha hazijapoklewa na kuingizwa katika vifungu husika

Mkurugenzi Liana pia alisema kwamba mfumo huu umerahisisha utoaji wa taarifa za fedha kwa usahihi zaidi na kwa wakati.

Naye Mwenyekiti wa Kamati hiyo na mbunge wa Jimbo la Ole Pemba,Rajabu Mbarouk, ameupongeza uongozi wa jiji la Arusha kwa kuwa moja ya majiji yaliyofanikiwa kusimamia ukusanyaji wa mapato ya serikali na matumizi yake kwa nidhamu ya hali ya juu.

Alisistiza umuhimu wa mfumo huo wa Epical katika kufanikisha mkakati wa serikali wa ukusanyaji wa mapato na matumizi yake.

CHANZO: NIPASHE