2026: Prophecies, Propaganda, and Predictions
Explore what makes 2026 significant: Paris Agreement milestones, Simpsons predictions, ancient prophecies, and tech trends for the year ahead.
2026 Predictions
By Elke Porter | WBN News Vancouver | November 2, 2025
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Welcome to 2026—the year that's been circled on calendars ranging from climate scientists to cartoon prophets. If you believe everything you read, we're in for quite a ride.
On the environmental front, things are getting real. The Paris Agreement is hitting a critical milestone, with China's new climate policy targeting carbon emissions peaking between 2026-2030, while researchers had predicted a 50 percent probability that CO2 emissions would peak by 2026.
Five-Year Ambition Cycle
The agreement operates on a five-year cycle where countries must submit updated and progressively stronger national climate action plans, known as Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs). The current round of updates was due by February 2025, and countries will continue implementing those targets in 2026.
The U.S. withdrawal from the Paris Agreement is scheduled to become official in January 2026, adding extra drama to an already tense situation. Meanwhile, some analysts worry we're headed toward 2.6°C of warming by 2100—far above the Paris goals. So yes, the planet is watching 2026 with considerable interest.
But forget the scientists—what does The Simpsons think? The show that supposedly predicted everything from smartwatches to Donald Trump's presidency is back with ominous visions for 2026.
According to fan interpretations, episodes reference themes now relevant like voice-controlled assistants becoming possessive, deadly snowstorms, and even a pandemic called "SEERS." Whether Homer and friends are channelling ancient wisdom or just throwing spaghetti at the animation wall remains unclear, but TikTok is taking notes.
Speaking of ancient wisdom, Nostradamus is having a viral moment. His 26th quatrains supposedly hold secrets for 2026, including predictions that "the great man will be struck down in the day by a thunderbolt" and warnings about Switzerland's Ticino region. As the southernmost canton in Switzerland, Ticino acts as a bridge between Northern and Southern Europe.
Bulgarian mystic Baba Vanga chimes in with predictions of old powers falling and new powers emerging, possibly shifting global power to Asia. Meanwhile, the self-proclaimed "Living Nostradamus" Athos Salomé warns of a massive solar storm hitting Earth between March 12 and 15, 2026, potentially causing widespread blackouts. No pressure.
On the tech front, predictions are slightly more optimistic. IBM expects quantum computers to outperform classical computers for the first time in 2026, while AI agents become genuine workplace collaborators rather than glorified autocorrect. ChatGPT might hit a billion users, and someone will probably confess they're dating their AI chatbot.
TikTok Gets a Red, White, and Blue Makeover
Meanwhile, in the world of social media drama, TikTok is officially becoming an American company. After years of political ping-pong and congressional hand-wringing about national security, the platform signed agreements in late December to form a new U.S. joint venture, with the deal set to close on January 22, 2026.
Oracle, Silver Lake, and UAE-based MGX will collectively own 45% of the new entity, while ByteDance holds onto just under 20%. The app will get a freshly trained algorithm based solely on U.S. user data, stored in Oracle's cloud. Critics worry it could become "X 2.0" with politically-charged content moderation, while marketers nervously watch to see if their favorite platform becomes a partisan battleground. At least your For You page will be authentically American—whatever that means.
The World Comes to North America
On a more unifying note, the 2026 FIFA World Cup is bringing an unprecedented sporting spectacle to North America. For the first time ever, 48 teams will compete across 16 cities in three countries—the United States, Canada, and Mexico—from June 11 to July 19. With 104 matches total, it's the biggest, longest, and most geographically sprawling World Cup in history.
The opening match kicks off in Mexico City, while the final will be held at MetLife Stadium in New Jersey. Whether you're watching from Vancouver, Guadalajara, or Boston, 2026 is shaping up to be the summer when the entire planet converges on North America to argue about offsides calls and celebrate with strangers.
So buckle up. Whether 2026 brings climate action, cartoon prophecies, or just another year of doom-scrolling, at least we can say we were warned—by everyone from French astrologers to yellow cartoon characters.
Elke Porter at:
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