2020 has been the wildest and most unpredictable year in the memory of most people. But did the climate doom that was predicted to occur in or by 2020 materialize? What follows are 10 predictions made for 2020 and what really happened. As it turns out, climate doomsayers weren’t seeing so 20-20 when it came to 2020.
1. Average Global Temperature
1987: NASA’s James Hansen predicts world 3C warmer by 2020.
2020 Reality: Average temp only 0.44C higher.
2. Global Emissions
1978: CO2 levels to double from 1978 to 2020
2020 Reality: CO2 only ~23% from 1978 to 2020
3. China & India Emissions
2009: China to cut emissions 40-45% below 2005 level by 2020; India to cut 20-25%.
2020 Reality: China 2020 emissions ~85% HIGHER than 2005; India ~150% HIGHER.
4. Snows of Mt. Kilimanjaro
2008: Snow on Kilimanjaro to vanish by 2020.
2020 Reality: Yup. Snow still there.
5. Sea-level rise in Florida
1986: EPA predicts 2 feet of sea level rise for Florida by 2020.
2020 Reality: Sea level rise + subsidence in South Florida since 1986 has been less than 4 inches.
6. Snow
2000: By 2020 snow will be so unfamiliar, people won’t know how to deal with it.
7. Pacific Islands
2000: Global warming will ruin Pacific Island Nations economies by 2020.
8. Global Conflict
2004: Pentagon says climate change-caused resources shortages to cause global war by 2020.
2020 Reality: Nations largely at peace. Planet only at war with coronavirus.
9. Arctic Ice
2013: Arctic ice-free by 2020.
10. Glacier National Park
2009: Glaciers gone from Glacier National Park by 2020.
h/t to WattsUpWithThat.com for breaking the Glacier National Park story.
11. Beaches
1995: Most U.S. East coat beaches gone by 2020.
2020 Reality: So many East Coast beaches, a travel magazine listed the 30 best ones.
