Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists
Posted: 22nd October 2020
October 22, 2020
WHAT WE’RE TRACKING
Debate night scorecard and reading list
The good news about tonight’s presidential debate is that moderator Kristen Welker of NBC News announced the topics ahead of time. If Welker and co. manage to stick to the list, you might actually get a chance to check things off our updated Existential Threat Debate Scorecard. Want to know more? Dive into the list below for content we’ve recently published to ensure you’ll be up-to-date on what the candidates should be discussing.
COVID-19
Many hope the global race to develop a vaccine against the novel coronavirus will bear fruit. But here’s why a coronavirus vaccine won’t be the panacea many hope for. Read more.
COVID-19
Who’s playing the coronavirus misinformation game?
Governments have invested extensive resources in their efforts to influence political debates online — attempts to exploit the COVID pandemic for geopolitical gain are worldwide. Here’s who’s playing. Read more.
COVID-19
Last Week Tonight covers Trump’s threats to the World Health Organization
Last Week Tonight with John Oliver devoted an entire segment to President Trump’s withdrawal from the WHO. Much of the framing of the segment was thanks to a piece by Bulletin multimedia editor Thomas Gaulkin, who worked with the show to explain the finer points of his article. Watch the segment now, then read the Bulletin piece it references to get an in-depth look at the WHO.
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CLIMATE CHANGE
A Green New Deal — from the GOP?
Republicans (not all, but some) are waking up to the reality that they have something to lose by not talking about rising temperatures — perhaps more than they stand to gain by denying the existence of climate change. Read more.
CLIMATE CHANGE
Best path to net zero: Cut short-lived super-pollutants
Commitments toward net-zero carbon emissions are trending in the right direction. But fast climate mitigation, especially cutting short-lived super-pollutants, could give us the best chance of limiting warming to less than 2 degrees Celsius. Read more.
CLIMATE CHANGE
September issue: Managing the transition away from fossil fuel
Whenever the world transitions away from fossil fuels, the shift will have significant—and perhaps unexpected— ramifications that also will have to be managed. The September issue gets into the nuance of what we need to expect from our leaders. Read the Bulletin’s premium magazine.
NUCLEAR RISK
Two key questions about North Korea’s new missile
While North Korea’s overall steady military modernization is perhaps the most important takeaway from the parade, the new ICBM deserves special attention because of its potential strategic importance. Whether North Korea’s new ICBM is really a game-changer depends on how mobile it will be and what kind of payload it will carry. Read more.
NUCLEAR RISK
A practical approach to North Korea for the next US president
North Korea will be watching the US presidential election very closely. Amb. Joseph Yun, Special Envoy on North Korea from 2016 to 2018, and Frank Aum, a North Korea expert formerly at DoD, have some practical advice for the next US president, whoever it may be. Read more.
NUCLEAR RISK
Trump’s COVID infection shows why it’s time to retire the nuclear football
A nuclear crisis can happen at any time, including at the worst possible time. If such a crisis takes place when a president’s thinking is compromised for any reason, the results could be catastrophic. Read more.
NUCLEAR RISK
Extend arms control for a safer future
Moscow and Washington are now discussing a temporary extension of the New START Treaty, which expires in February. See why the Bulletin Science and Security Board called on US and Russian leaders back in May to “immediately extend New START by five years.” Read more.
WHAT WE’RE TRACKING
#75Words4Disarmament Congratulatory Event
The UN Office for Disarmament Affairs’ “#75Words4Disarmament Youth Challenge” invited young people around the world to express what disarmament means to them and their communities in 75 words. Tune in on October 26 for a congratulatory event to meet the challenge winners. Learn more.
QUOTE OF THE DAY
”Solar climate intervention is sometimes described as a ‘Plan B’ for the climate crisis — something that should be ready to roll out in case the world fails to restrain carbon dioxide emissions. Nothing could be further from the truth.”