Microsoft co-founder, philanthropist and innovator Bill Gates has just released his highly anticipated book, How to avoid a climate disaster: the solutions we have and the innovations we need. He describes it simply as “a plan to eliminate greenhouse gas emissions”. And as usual, the internet is responding with polarized excitement and conspiracy theories.
Gates Climate Book
Gates turned his attention to climate change through his work by the Gates Foundation on the problem of energy poverty in places like Sub-Saharan Africa and South Asia.
He edited as a guest for Fortune reviewed today in a package called Project for climate innovation – the first guest editor in Fortune91-year history. Clifton Leaf, the editor in chief of Fortune, explains why Gates’s climate book inspired his editorial team to ask him to collaborate with them:
In the midst of the death and economic destruction of the coronavirus, Bill – like so many other experts and globally minded citizens – could see what was lurking on the horizon: an even more colossal danger to life as we know it.
And it turned out that he wrote a book about it.
When I read that book, How to avoid a climate disaster, which opens today, I was impressed by the clarity of the message. In my opinion, Bill wrote the most understandable explanation for what is causing the warming of our planet; how to measure the impact of the myriad contributions to this surprising and seemingly incalculable problem; and, finally, how to find more effective approaches for each of them. It is the closest thing I have seen to a practical guide for dealing with the climate crisis. And I knew then that I wanted to dedicate Fortune, for a day at least to get that message out. The next step was to see if Bill wanted to be part of that effort, and I’m happy that he agreed.
Gates also released a video on February 14 explaining his reasons for writing How to avoid a climate disaster, and states his perspective, “It is our power to invent that makes me hopeful”:
Revolutionary energy
How Electrek reported in December 2016, Gates and other notable billionaires, from Richard Branson to Jack Ma, founded Breakthrough Energy, a $ 1 billion fund to invest and expand clean energy technology and innovation to help the world reach to net zero by 2050.
It has grown since its foundation, and in a post today, Gates explained Breakthrough Energy to Fortune:
[Breakthrough Energy] it is a network of programs, funds and advocacy efforts, all designed to get clean energy technologies to market faster.
And then deployed on a scale.
As Breakthrough Energy’s Amy Harder tweeted, her website has been redesigned to make it easier for everyone to understand what she is working to achieve:
Gates sees Breakthrough Energy as a tool to implement his book’s ideas, as he explains on his blog, Gates Notes:
We will be supporting great thinkers and cutting edge technologies and businesses, as well as promoting public and private sector policies that will accelerate the transition to clean energy. In the coming weeks and months, we will be turning my book ideas into action and trying to make that plan a reality.
It is guided by three basic premises:
- To avoid a climate disaster, we have to reach zero greenhouse gas emissions.
- We need to deploy the tools we already have, such as solar and wind, more quickly and intelligently.
- And we need to create and launch innovative technologies that can take us the rest of the way.
Why do so many people suspect Bill Gates?
First, a disclaimer. I used to write and edit for News Deeply, and one of our projects, Women’s Advancement Deeply, was funded by the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation. We have to do an excellent and meaningful job on important issues. We appreciate the financial support.
And again, Gates is putting his money on another topic that interests me. As a result, I have a positive bias towards him.
So I don’t understand the hatred or fear that other people feel. I searched, “Why do people hate Bill Gates?” There is a much of articles. It happens, for example, that a Forbes writer also does not understand. John Brandon explored the conspiracy theory that Gates wants to inject people with microchips. He concluded that the theories are so bizarre that people should hate billionaires.
Oh, and he is also not responsible for COVID – the fact that Reuters proved this bizarre theory. In fact, Reuters usefully lists all the COVID conspiracy theories about Gates:
Many cases of disinformation related to COVID-19 have referred to Gates. This includes, but is not limited to, a false claim that the pandemic is a scam in which an old quote by Gates about pandemic preparedness is used (here); false or misrepresentation that Gates plans to microchip people to fight the coronavirus (here and here); a false claim that the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation was linked to the patent conspiracy (here); and a false claim that linked Bill Gates to a pharmaceutical company that can develop a vaccine for the virus (here).
Today, Twitter is going crazy with Gates’ suggestion to reduce our meat consumption, just a small part of his suggestions to help fight climate change. Senator John Cornyn (R-TX) dived well this afternoon with an answer (since nothing else is happening in Texas):
So, I’ll be honest. I find hysteria exasperating. I will leave you with another video by Gates that I find extremely useful, which explains what we can all do to combat climate change. And no, I’m not worried that he’ll put a microchip on my veggie burger or my long-awaited COVID vaccine. He has better things to do.
Let us know your thoughts (not based on conspiracy theory) in the comments section below.
Photo: Luke MacGregor via TIME
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