Four Years Left to Save the World
James Hansen, 2009: 'We Have Only Four Years Left for Obama to Set an Example to the Rest of the World'
Days before the inauguration, NASA's top climate scientist told the Observer the new president's first term was the last chance. The Observer headline: 'President has four years to save Earth.'
What was said
“We have only four years left for Obama to set an example to the rest of the world. America must take the lead.”
— James Hansen (director, NASA Goddard Institute for Space Studies) · said Jan 18, 2009 · due By the end of Obama's first term (January 20, 2013)
Obama's first term ended on January 20, 2013 without the carbon tax or coal-plant halt Hansen called for, and the world carried on. The four-year deadline came and went.
The fine print
The Observer's framing: 'Barack Obama has only four years to save the world. That is the stark assessment of Nasa scientist and leading climate expert Jim Hansen.' Hansen also said: 'We cannot afford to put off change any longer. We have to get on a new path within this new administration.'
Sources
As of Oct 9, 2026
since it didn't happen
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