Top Ten Failed Climate Predictions: A Historical Overview

This article discusses ten significant climate predictions from past decades that failed to materialize. Notable examples include forecasts from prominent scientists about species extinction, drastic temperature drops, food shortages, and ice-free Arctic conditions that have not come true, raising concerns about the reliability of climate alarmism.
In recent years, various climate predictions have proven to be inaccurate, leading to skepticism about the validity of certain environmental forecasts. Prominent examples include the assertion by Harvard professor James Anderson in 2017 that humanity would face dire consequences from climate change by 2023. He projected an absence of floating Arctic ice by 2022 without immediate global action, which has not come to fruition, yet activists predict an ice-free Arctic by 2035 to 2067.
1. In 1970, wildlife conservationist S. Dillon Ripley claimed that 75 to 80 percent of species would face extinction by 1995, a prediction that did not materialize.
2. Ecologist Kenneth Watt warned that crude oil would run out, agricultural land would be rendered unusable, and the global temperature would drop by 11 degrees by 2000; none of these events occurred.
3. Paul Ehrlich, a biologist at Stanford, forecasted that by the decade’s end, starvation would kill up to 200 million people annually due to overpopulation, while life expectancy would drop drastically and ocean life would perish—a prediction which also failed.
4. Peter Gunter from North Texas State University stated that the world population would surpass food supplies, leaving only Western nations unaffected by famine by 2000; this scenario did not arise.
5. In 1971, NASA’s Dr. S. I. Rasool predicted a “new ice age” within 50 years, which has proven to be incorrect.
6. Also, Ehrlich predicted in 1975 that 90 percent of tropical rainforests and 50 percent of species would vanish within 30 years; this has not occurred.
7. In 1988, Maldives’ Hussein Shihab forecasted that his country would be submerged within 30 years, and drinking water scarcity would arise by 1992—both claims have proven false.
8. A 2004 Pentagon analysis warned of widespread global unrest due to climate change, claiming major cities would be underwater by 2020, which did not happen.
9. In 2008, ABC’s Bob Woodruff indicated that New York City could be underwater by 2015; this also did not come to pass.
10. Lastly, in 2009, Al Gore asserted that the Arctic Ocean would be ice-free by 2014; this was echoed by Greta Thunberg in her 2017 warning for 2022, neither of which have proven accurate.
The aforementioned predictions highlight a pattern of alarmist forecasts regarding climate change that have failed to materialize as asserted. Many predictions stem from reputable scientists and institutions but ultimately lack accurate timelines or outcomes, raising questions about the reliability of future climate warnings. It is imperative for the public to approach such predictions with critical analysis, acknowledging that while climate change is a pressing issue, the past forecasts should be weighed cautiously against current claims.
Original Source: freebeacon.com