Clock advances from 9:33 to 9:39 as global crisis deepens

No progress on climate action amid wars in Ukraine, Middle East leaves world 'extremely uneasy'

The Asahi Glass Foundation announces this year's reading of the Environmental Crisis Clock at the National Museum of Emerging Science and Innovation in Tokyo's Koto-gu on Sept. 8. This year's clock read 9:39, six minutes later than last year. [Yonhap]
The Asahi Glass Foundation announces this year's reading of the Environmental Crisis Clock at the National Museum of Emerging Science and Innovation in Tokyo's Koto-gu on Sept. 8. This year's clock read 9:39, six minutes later than last year. [Yonhap]

As the crisis facing the global environment deepens, Japan's "Environmental Crisis Clock" — a gauge of environmental deterioration — advanced six minutes from last year, reflecting growing alarm.

According to the Tokyo Shimbun on Thursday, the Asahi Glass Foundation said Tuesday that the clock, which stood at 9:33 last year, moved to 9:39 this year.

Since 1992, the foundation has surveyed environmental experts around the world every year. Based on the survey results, it announces a time each year representing the degree of crisis facing the global environment. The reading is displayed on a clock installed at the National Museum of Emerging Science and Innovation in Tokyo's Koto-gu. This year, 1,464 people from 123 countries took part in the survey.

The closer the time shown on the clock is to midnight, the more serious the crisis. The foundation classifies readings between midnight and 3 a.m. as "hardly uneasy," 3 to 6 a.m. as "somewhat uneasy," 6 to 9 a.m. as "quite uneasy," and 9 a.m. to noon as "extremely uneasy."

In the survey's first year, 1992, the clock read 7:49, placing it in the "quite uneasy" range. Since 1996, however, it has remained in the "extremely uneasy" range every year except 2000.

The Tokyo Shimbun said this marks the second consecutive year the reading has advanced, noting that little progress has been made on measures to curb global warming and preserve biodiversity.

By region, Japan's reading moved back nine minutes to 9:30, while Asia's advanced five minutes to 9:29. Western countries (10:10) and North America (10:09) improved, moving back 19 minutes and 17 minutes, respectively, but both remained in the 10 o'clock range. Eastern Europe and the former Soviet Union region advanced 27 minutes to 10:06, and Africa jumped 52 minutes to 9:35.

The newspaper cited experts as saying that rapidly shifting conditions in Ukraine and the Middle East, along with the prolonged wars there, have stalled international cooperation. They said this has led countries to prioritize military and security concerns over the environment.


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