Botched predictions of the past
Posted by Jeff Id on December 30, 2010
Fox news has an interesting post on extremist environmental claims of the past two decades. It’s fun because they contacted some of the scientists for their responses. Who knew bikes could be pedaled backwards with such vigor.
Eight Botched Environmental Forecasts
One wonders if these intellectual giants will ever learn.
the Air Vent 
omanuel said
Thanks for your good sense of humor, Jeff!
Best wished for the New Year!
Oliver
mrpkw said
Wow !!
that’s a lot of hyperbole !!
“On the whole I would stand by these predictions — not predictions, sorry, scenarios — as having at least in a general way actually come true,” he said. “There’s been extensive drought, devastating drought, in significant parts of the world. The fraction of the world that’s in drought has increased over that period.”
I picture Jackie Gleason saying that and then going “hummada hummada wow!!”
Joel Upchurch said
The one I liked best was Paul Erlich’s response on #7 where he predicted people would be starving in England by 2000.
“When you predict the future, you get things wrong,” Ehrlich admitted, but “how wrong is another question. I would have lost if I had had taken the bet. However, if you look closely at England, what can I tell you? They’re having all kinds of problems, just like everybody else.”
My response is, “Yes, but the problem they are having is obesity and not starvation. You didn’t even get the sign right! Which means you were totally friggin wrong.”
Mike Jowsey said
“One wonders if these intellectual giants will ever learn.”
Um, a prediction – “Never!” Their lack of humility is amazing.