Good morning. 2015, the science and security board of the bulletin of the atomic scientists moved the hands of the Doomsday Clock from 5 00 to three minutes to midnight. The board advanced the time out of a growing concern about the deterioration in relations between the United States and russia. Countries that account for more than 90 of the worlds Nuclear Weapons. It did so also for unchecked Nuclear Modernization programs in every Nuclear State and a lack of Global Action in response to Climate Change. Every year, the clock is set by the renowned scientists and Security Experts to consider whether the planet is safer a compared to a year ago. Decision, a group that includes 15 nobel laureates. At todays event, we are delighted to have with us thomas, a member of the board of sponsors who holds the rank of career ambassador and has served the u. S. As ambassador to the united nations, the russian federation, india, israel, el salvador, nigeria, and jordan. David is a member of the science and security board, expert on Climate Change, and retired admiral is professor of meteorology and professor of International Affairs at penn state university. He is the founding director of penn state solutions for weather and climate risk. Lawrence krauss is the chairman of the Bulletin Board of sponsors. He is the director of the origins project at Arizona State university and Foundation Professor of earth and Space Exploration and the physics department. He is an internationally renowned theoretical physicist and is the author of the forthcoming book, the greatest story ever told so far why are we here . John is the one who pulled together and Health Development statement of this important announcement that can be found at the bulletins website, bulletin. Org. An oped by lawrence and david that highlights the points we are going to make today can be found on the New York Times website. I am the executive director and publisher of the bulletin of atomic scientists and am delighted to be with you here today. Make no mistake, this has been a difficult year. The clock statement on our website makes clear that over the course of 2016, the Global Security landscape dark and the International Community failed to come to grips with humanity threats essing Nuclear Weapons and Climate Change. Today, greater depth on the key issues we are focusing on. But perhaps most troubling has been two concerns that are adding to an already challenging global landscape. The first has been the cavalier and reckless language used across the globe especially in the United States during and after the president ial campaign with nuclear threats. The second is a growing disregard to scientific expertise. Expertise that is needed when regarded to pressing challenges including Climate Change. There is a troubling propensity to discount or outright reject expert advice related to international security, including the conclusions of intelligence experts. The board concludes in no Uncertain Terms that words matter in ensuring the safety and security of our planet. They are not the same as actions but they matter a lot, especially when the risk of accident and miscalculation is so high. They have the ability to the walked back, but so as we have seen, influential actors alter their behavior in ways that do not promote confidence and steady or smart decisionmaking. In 2016, the board warned that three minutes to midnight is far too close. Since then, inaction and brinksmanship have continued. Saber rattling and loose but dangerous rhetoric have become almost commonplace. To convey its concern about the unique moment and issue a call to leaders and citizens across the globe, to put the world on a safer footing, the board takes the unprecedented step, the first time in its history, moving the clock 30 seconds closer to midnight. We move the clock a half minute closer to midnight. It is now 2. 5 minutes to midnight. And then if i can ask my colleagues to return to the podium, we can continue. Thomas Nuclear Weapons have been at the center of our concern for many, many years. Predictability and continuity are prized when it comes to Nuclear Weapons policy. Because the results of miscommunication or miscalculation could be so catastrophic. Unfortunately, nuclear volatility has been and continues to be the order of the day. North koreas continued Nuclear Weapons development, the steady march of the arsenal Modification Program in the Nuclear Weapons states, simmering tension between Nuclear Armed india and pakistan, and stagnation in arms control, are all of considerable concern. North korea conducted two weapons tests, the second in september, yielding twice the explosive power of the first. In january, that test took place. In his 2017 new years statement, kim jong un declared that he would soon test a missile with intercontinental range. Nuclear stockpiles is underway in all Nuclear States. Russia is building new silobased missiles. The class of Nuclear Missile submarines and new rail mobile missiles as it revamps other intercontinental ballistic missiles. The United States forges ahead with plans to modernize each part of its triad. Bombers, landbased missiles, and Nuclear Missile carrying submarines, adding new capabilities such as cruise missiles with increased ranges. As it improves the survivability of its own nuclear forces, china is helping pakistan build submarine platforms. Pakistan and india continue to expand the number of weapons and the sophistication of their Nuclear Arsenals. Perhaps in the view of many, posing the greatest danger for potential nuclear use. Nuclear rhetoric is now loose and destabilizing. During the Election Campaign and as President Trump engaged in casual talk about Nuclear Weapons, suggesting south korea and japan might acquire their own Nuclear Weapons to compete with north korea, we are more than ever impressed, as rachel has just told you, that words matter, words count. The Iran Nuclear Deal has been successful in accomplishing the goals during its first year. But its future is in doubt under the new administration. There are observers and indeed analysts out there who have proposed that rather than tearing up the deal, principles specifically related to enrichment should be made part of a new International Gold standard. U. S. And russia are at loggerheads on arms control and disarmament with little prospect of reduction negotiations resuming. Let us hope the new president and president putin can take their relationship to something further and more meaningful in the area of nuclear arms reduction. Thank you very much. David Climate Change should not be a partisan issue. The wellestablished physics are not liberal nor conservative in character. The planet will continue to warm up to ultimately Dangerous Levels so long as Carbon Dioxide continues to be pumped into the atmosphere, irrespective of political leadership. The current political situation in the United States is of particular concern. The Trump Administration needs to state clearly and unequivocally that it accepts Climate Change caused by human activity as reality. No problem can be solved unless its existence is first recognized. There are no alternative facts here. Let me just go through a few specifics that caused the board to remain concerned and continue concerned about Climate Change. From global efforts to limit global efforts to limit Climate Change have ultimately produced mixed results over the past year. The Paris Agreement did go into effect in 2016 and countries are taking some actions to bring down emissions of greenhouse gases. There are also encouraging signs that Global Annual emissions were flat this past year in 2016, although right now there is no assurance this heralds a breaking point. Continued warming of the world, unfortunately as measured in one clear fact. Nothing is fundamentally amiss with the Scientific Understanding of climate physics. Human activity is the primary cause of Climate Change. And unless Carbon Dioxide emissions are dramatically reduced, Global Warming will continue to threaten the future of humanity. 2016 was the warmest year on record and it broke the record of 2015, which broke the record of 2014. In fact, 16 of the 17 warmest years on record have been recorded since 2001. This is much longer than anyone nina or el nino or any other observation. From local effects in the United States, we have seen catastrophic floods in houston, baton rouge, north carolina, maryland. The rain bombs continue. At the north pole we have experience multiple occasions in which the temperature is being near freezing. This is 30 to 40 degrees warmer than average case. This happens again and again. More and more of the research in greenland and antarctica plunged to greater and faster sea level rise. Our Intelligence Community in 2016 highlighted six impacts of the threat of Climate Change. Stability of countries, heightened tensions, adverse effects on food prices and availability, increased risk to human health, the negative impact on investments and economic competitiveness, and potential climate discontinuities in secondary surprises here. Unfortunately in 2016 the International Community did not take the steps needed to begin the path toward a net zero Carbon Emissions world. The marrakesh Climate Change conference produced little progress beyond the emissions goals pledged at paris. As mentioned, the political situation in the United States is of particular concern. The Trump Administration has put forward candidates for cabinet level positions who foreshadow the possibility of the new administration will be over in a will be openly hostile toward progress of even the most modest efforts to avert Climate Change. Climate change should not be a partisan political issue. The wellestablished physics of the earth are neither liberal nor conservative in character. The International Leaders need to refocus attention on achieving the additional Carbon Emissions and Carbon Emission Reductions that are needed to capitalize on the promise of the paris accord here. In summary, the United States as a very first step needs to make clear, unequivocal statements in the Trump Administration that it accepts Climate Change caused by human activity as a scientific reality. Alternative facts will not make the challenges of Climate Change magically go away. Thank you very much. Lawrence i want to thank you all for coming to what i believe is a particularly historic day. In addition to the factors that have long driven the clock, at lease since i have been share, namely Nuclear Weapons and Climate Change, we continue to monitor the threats arising from new emerging technologies. And over the past year, two in particular have begun to stand out. Cyber technology and biotechnology. In december, u. S. Intelligence agencies concluded that russia had intervened in the 2016 u. S. President ial campaign to help donald trump in ways that highlight the vulnerability of critical Information Systems in cyberspace. Information monocultures, fake news, and the hacking and release of politically sensitive emails, may have had an impact on the perceived legitimacy of the electoral process in the United States. Hacking is not new, but the question of whether the fabric of democracy may be imperiled by reducing the faith in the integrity of elections and the very information on which to an informed public can base their voting became suspect. It is at this level Cyber Technology begins to represent a deeper global threat. Such attacks at the democratic process represent just one nearterm threat associated with the modern worlds increased reliance on the internet and information technology. In the longer term, there are also causes for concern. Sophisticated hacking, whether by private groups or governmental entities, may have the potential to create grave and broad impacts. Threatening national or International Financial activities, National Electronic power grids, and plants, including Nuclear Power plants, and the personal freedoms that are based on the privacy of individuals at the core of democracy. Autonomous Intelligence Systems are evolving at a rapid pace as the introduction of self driving vehicles demonstrates. While these do offer great opportunities, they also present possible threats. From economic threats as a greater rate of fraction of the workforce may be replaced by the Machine Learning systems, to the more immediate danger that military systems may come to rely more heavily on such systems and could result in inadvertent or malicious aggressive actions. In this sense there is an intimate relationship between reliance on Nuclear Arsenal and the need to maintain command and control in these systems. Lastly, on the biotechnology front, new technology that allows precise dna manipulation also holds a great hope for curing disease, but makes the ability to engage in malicious activities potentially much more accessible to groups and governments that do not have sophisticated biological laboratory infrastructures. Technological innovation is occurring at a speed that challenges societys ability to keep pace. Even as many citizens lose faith in the institutions upon which they must rely to make scientific information work for them, rather than against them. To return to the themes that led us to this moment, i want to emphasize the historical significance of today. The Doomsday Clock is closer to midnight than it has ever been in the lifetime of almost everyone in this room. The last time it was closer was 64 years ago, in 1953, after the thensoviet union exploded its First Hydrogen bomb, creating the modern arms race. More than that, this is the first time the words and stated policies of one or two people placed in high positions have so impacted our perception of the existential threats we believe the world faces. This is a time of great opportunity and Great Potential challenge. Expert advice is crucial if governments are to effectively deal with complex global threats. The bulletin is extremely concerned about the willingness of governments, including the current u. S. Administration, to ignore or discount science, empirical evidence, and considered expertise during the decisionmaking process. Facts are stubborn things. They must be taken into account if the future of humanity is to be preserved. In 2016, World Leaders not only failed to deal adequately with those threats, they also increased the threat of nuclear war and unchecked Climate Change through a variety of provocative statements and actions, including careless rhetoric about the use of Nuclear Weapons. And in fact, threatened perhaps treaties like the nonproliferation treaty by considering modernization of Nuclear Weapons, which may require nuclear testing. We call on these leaders, particularly russia and the