Wrong Again: 2020’s Failed Climate Doomsaying

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.


2020 Reality: It still snows in the UK and Scotland boasts of its fleet of snow trucks ready for action.


7. Pacific Islands

2000: Global warming will ruin Pacific Island Nations economies by 2020.

2020 Reality: As of 2019, Tuvalu, for example, was enjoyiong an unprecedented 6-year economic growth spurt.


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.

2020 Reality: The prediction was 3.9 million square miles wrong at the annual minimum in September 2020.

10. Glacier National Park

2009: Glaciers gone from Glacier National Park by 2020.

2020 Reality: What are gone are the signs claiming Glacier National Park glaciers would be gone by 2020.