How to Avoid a Climate Disaster: The Solutions We Have and the Breakthroughs We Need
- Downloads：8438
- Type：Epub+TxT+PDF+Mobi
- Create Date：2021-02-18 04:18:04
- Update Date：2025-09-07
- Status：finish
- Author：Bill Gates
- ISBN：9780385546133
- Environment：PC/Android/iPhone/iPad/Kindle
- Download
Summary
Notes From Your Bookseller
Innovator， entrepreneur， investor and philanthropist， Bill Gates brings a unique array of perspectives to the issues and urgency of climate change， with a significant ability to access the scientific and technological resources that can provide a viable path to success。 How to Avoid a Climate Disaster is Gates' proposal to the world to grasp the challenges and commit to action。 He makes the science clear， the steps practical and the prospects hopeful for a goal of zero emissions by 2050。
In this urgent， authoritative book， Bill Gates sets out a wide-ranging， practicaland accessibleplan for how the world can get to zero greenhouse gas emissions in time to avoid a climate catastrophe。
Bill Gates has spent a decade investigating the causes and effects of climate change。 With the help of experts in the fields of physics， chemistry， biology， engineering， political science， and finance， he has focused on what must be done in order to stop the planet's slide to certain environmental disaster。 In this book， he not only explains why we need to work toward net-zero emissions of greenhouse gases， but also details what we need to do to achieve this profoundly important goal。
He gives us a clear-eyed description of the challenges we face。 Drawing on his understanding of innovation and what it takes to get new ideas into the market， he describes the areas in which technology is already helping to reduce emissions， where and how the current technology can be made to function more effectively， where breakthrough technologies are needed， and who is working on these essential innovations。 Finally， he lays out a concrete， practical plan for achieving the goal of zero emissionssuggesting not only policies that governments should adopt， but what we as individuals can do to keep our government， our employers， and ourselves accountable in this crucial enterprise。
As Bill Gates makes clear， achieving zero emissions will not be simple or easy to do， but if we follow the plan he sets out here， it is a goal firmly within our reach。
Bill Gates has spent a decade investigating the causes and effects of climate change。 With the help of experts in the fields of physics， chemistry， biology， engineering， political science， and finance， he has focused on what must be done in order to stop the planet's slide to certain environmental disaster。 In this book， he not only explains why we need to work toward net-zero emissions of greenhouse gases， but also details what we need to do to achieve this profoundly important goal。
He gives us a clear-eyed description of the challenges we face。 Drawing on his understanding of innovation and what it takes to get new ideas into the market， he describes the areas in which technology is already helping to reduce emissions， where and how the current technology can be made to function more effectively， where breakthrough technologies are needed， and who is working on these essential innovations。 Finally， he lays out a concrete， practical plan for achieving the goal of zero emissionssuggesting not only policies that governments should adopt， but what we as individuals can do to keep our government， our employers， and ourselves accountable in this crucial enterprise。
As Bill Gates makes clear， achieving zero emissions will not be simple or easy to do， but if we follow the plan he sets out here， it is a goal firmly within our reach。
Editor Reviews
12/14/2020
Gates （The Road Ahead）， Microsoft cofounder turned philanthropist， is optimistic in this cogent guide to avoiding “the worst effects of climate change。” Gates’s goal is to get from the 51 billion tons of greenhouse gasses added to the atmosphere annually to zero。 This is possible， he writes， by making use of existing technologies and developing new ones to remove emissions: transportation’s “zero-carbon future，” for example， will mean using “electricity to run all the vehicles we can， and getting cheap alternative fuels for the rest。” （Such alternatives include electrofuels， which， he notes， researchers are developing。） Gates rounds out his advice with steps for governments and individuals: he encourages citizens to “make calls， write letters， attend town halls，” while Congress should financially incentivize green policies， and state governments can “test policies like carbon pricing” before they’re implemented countrywide。 Readers will enjoy Gates’s sometimes breezy tone （“You have to be a pretty big nerd to write a sentence like ‘I’m in awe of physical infrastructure’ ”）， and while his scientific solutions are never fringe， not all of his ideas strike as politically feasible。 Nonetheless， those looking for an accessible review of how global warming can be countered will find this a handy—and maybe even hope-inspiring—guide。 （Feb。）
Reviews
，
Hajar ~ My Top5
，
My Top5 thoughts on this book！https://www。youtube。com/watch？v=pHZ3h。。。1。tClimate Disaster2。tRealistic Optimism3。tClimate & Tech4。tThe Good News5。tThe Final VerdictI would like to thank the Publishers， NetGalley， and Bill Gates for sending me a copy of this book。You can check out my book reviews on my blog 💜！ My Top5 thoughts on this book！https://www。youtube。com/watch？v=pHZ3h。。。1。tClimate Disaster2。tRealistic Optimism3。tClimate & Tech4。tThe Good News5。tThe Final VerdictI would like to thank the Publishers， NetGalley， and Bill Gates for sending me a copy of this book。You can check out my book reviews on my blog 💜！ 。。。more
Kira
，
Thank you to NetGalley and Penguin Random House UK Audio for an advance reader copy in exchange for an honest review。I've been really looking forward to reading this book and I'm incredibly grateful to be gifted an audio copy。 The narrator， Wil Wheaton does a fantastic job with this one， I love his book narration having heard him narrate Ready Player One previously。 I was also really curious to hear what Bill Gates has to say， and his take on the Climate Disaster， I found this book to be incredi Thank you to NetGalley and Penguin Random House UK Audio for an advance reader copy in exchange for an honest review。I've been really looking forward to reading this book and I'm incredibly grateful to be gifted an audio copy。 The narrator， Wil Wheaton does a fantastic job with this one， I love his book narration having heard him narrate Ready Player One previously。 I was also really curious to hear what Bill Gates has to say， and his take on the Climate Disaster， I found this book to be incredibly interesting and educational and despite being a billionaire， Bill Gates is making a genuine effort to lower his carbon footprint or offset the carbon unlike many others。 。。。more
Isabelle Davis
，
I know it's fun to hop on the fuck billionaires they're the cause of all our problems train but honestly that won't do anyone any good。 This book was honestly pretty good and does contain some really interesting technologies and ideas。 The biggest downside to this entire book was Bill completely avoided talking about politics which is just as important to tackling climate change as is everything else。 I wouldn't trust the people leaving reviews saying they won't read the book because it's writte I know it's fun to hop on the fuck billionaires they're the cause of all our problems train but honestly that won't do anyone any good。 This book was honestly pretty good and does contain some really interesting technologies and ideas。 The biggest downside to this entire book was Bill completely avoided talking about politics which is just as important to tackling climate change as is everything else。 I wouldn't trust the people leaving reviews saying they won't read the book because it's written by a billionaire。 I think that while this book does leave a lot out， it's still worth a read。I think this review sums up my thoughts pretty well:https://www。nytimes。com/2021/02/15/bo。。。 。。。more
Andy May
，
Bill Gates is obviously a bright person， he built Microsoft and was a great innovator。 But this book is disappointing。 Gates has clearly not studied climate science， he just assumes the IPCC reports and models are correct。 Then he accepts their health and economic projections， built with climate model output。 He does no due diligence。 If he ran his business like this， he would not have succeeded。So after blindly accepting， the consensus position on climate science he then proceeds to tell us wha Bill Gates is obviously a bright person， he built Microsoft and was a great innovator。 But this book is disappointing。 Gates has clearly not studied climate science， he just assumes the IPCC reports and models are correct。 Then he accepts their health and economic projections， built with climate model output。 He does no due diligence。 If he ran his business like this， he would not have succeeded。So after blindly accepting， the consensus position on climate science he then proceeds to tell us what we must do to combat his hypothesized scourge of climate change。 Later he implores the governments of the world to unite in forcing us to do what he wants。In this author’s opinion， this is a very shallow look at a complex topic。 It is more of a propaganda pamphlet than a serious book。 Bill Gates should do his homework next time he writes a book。 We do not recommend the book。 。。。more
Nilesh
，
There is a lot that is half-baked or unoriginal in Mr。 Gates' much-heralded book。 Let's focus on the rest that makes it a compulsive read:In Chapter 3， the author talks about five questions that need to be asked in any climate conversation。 One may or may not agree with the exact questions， but the framework proposed and subsequently utilized is critical to learn for anyone serious about improving the environment。Many environmentalists have the right intentions when they work hard to make the wo There is a lot that is half-baked or unoriginal in Mr。 Gates' much-heralded book。 Let's focus on the rest that makes it a compulsive read:In Chapter 3， the author talks about five questions that need to be asked in any climate conversation。 One may or may not agree with the exact questions， but the framework proposed and subsequently utilized is critical to learn for anyone serious about improving the environment。Many environmentalists have the right intentions when they work hard to make the world focus on imminent climate-related disasters。 A lot of their solutions tend to be highly impractical。 The tragedy is that those who avoid the extreme， unenforceable solutions often waste a lot of time discussing the inconsequential。 Mr。 Gates does a wonderful job explaining the extent of the problem: 51 billion tonnes of CO2 equivalent。 Every effort will indeed matter， but we must recognize that some of the most attractive sounding solutions will not get us anywhere close to the solution because of their overall tiny footprint。 One example of this is in carbon capture through nature-based solutions: most of them struggle to capture even a thousandth of the carbon to be eradicated easily。The author does a great job of focussing on the green premium。 The work here is tedious。 It does not have the zeal of a person willing to lay her life for the world's climate or the person ready to forego all comforts。 In fact， the numbers smack of commerciality that most in the movement abhor。 Yet， every policymaker and investor， scientist or consumer， could benefit by learning the discipline if they want to make a real， lasting change。The solutions discussed in individual sections range from those well-known to extraordinarily fantastic。 Discussions on most of them are too brief to help。 The author is also too timid in final proposals， partly borne from the innate optimism but likely also driven by the need to avoid controversy。 The book steadfastly avoids discussing explicit prohibitions - like saying no to coal or plastic or thinking on any form of population control， for instance。 Environmentalists will have issues with its relatively sedate descriptions of the damages from the higher temperatures。 Despite all these negatives， Mr。 Gates has used his perch well。 He has given the practical world a novel way to think about the problem top-down。 One can only hope that his optimism on the technology solving all the ills in a couple of decades proves right。 。。。more
Elyse Walters
，
Audiobook。。。 read by Bill Gates and Will WheatonAs we moved towards a zero carbon future。。。。we’re still allowed to eat toast。There are some things we （ little us） can do to help:。。。。 conserve water。。。。 reduce， reuse， recycle。。。。 choose sustainable。。。。plant a tree。。。。 。。。。but。。。。"we have every reason to worry"！！！With International cooperation and education。。。。Bill Gates is still hopeful we can save the planet。 🌍 Audiobook。。。 read by Bill Gates and Will WheatonAs we moved towards a zero carbon future。。。。we’re still allowed to eat toast。There are some things we （ little us） can do to help:。。。。 conserve water。。。。 reduce， reuse， recycle。。。。 choose sustainable。。。。plant a tree。。。。 。。。。but。。。。"we have every reason to worry"！！！With International cooperation and education。。。。Bill Gates is still hopeful we can save the planet。 🌍 。。。more
Eric
，
A clear， concise， empirically-based， solutions-oriented， innovation-focused， and alarming but still somehow optimistic take on climate change。 A helpful primer， in the vein of Enlightenment Now or Factfulness， with a useful framework for understanding and assessing climate challenges and solutions。
Hill Krishnan
，
Value added by an author could be gauged in the way he bring perspectives to an old problem。 Here are a few perspectives I gained from Gates:1。 Global warming at this rate could kill same number of people in a year in the world by 2050 as Covid in a year！ Multiple times more by 2100。2。 Fossil fuel Gasoline is cheaper than soda pop in America。3。 Solar and wind alternative energies are not just in price differences higher but also in the very high land area requirements per kw/h。4。 Cows farts and Value added by an author could be gauged in the way he bring perspectives to an old problem。 Here are a few perspectives I gained from Gates:1。 Global warming at this rate could kill same number of people in a year in the world by 2050 as Covid in a year！ Multiple times more by 2100。2。 Fossil fuel Gasoline is cheaper than soda pop in America。3。 Solar and wind alternative energies are not just in price differences higher but also in the very high land area requirements per kw/h。4。 Cows farts and burps create 4% of the world’s global warming and it will increase as countries get richer and consume more animal products。5。 Geoengineering of cloud adjustment to reduce warming could be done in increments of weekly！Too many other wonderful things to write here。 Recommend the book。 。。。more
T Anderson
，
Bill Gates needs no introduction; he is one of the wealthiest people in the world and also one who has been responsible for far more than his share of "greenhouse gasses"， the emissions that the scientific community believes is responsible for global warming and climate change。 He admits this; but has also done something about it， researching the causes of global warming and how they can be mitigated or even removed。 The task is very hard but not impossible， he says， if humanity can find the con Bill Gates needs no introduction; he is one of the wealthiest people in the world and also one who has been responsible for far more than his share of "greenhouse gasses"， the emissions that the scientific community believes is responsible for global warming and climate change。 He admits this; but has also done something about it， researching the causes of global warming and how they can be mitigated or even removed。 The task is very hard but not impossible， he says， if humanity can find the consensus and political will to address it。Gates divides warming activities into five categories: making things， powering things （electricity）; growing things （animals and food）， travel， and keeping warm or cool。 He then goes through each of these methodically， describing the problem， progress made on reducing emissions， and outlining a plan to eliminate them。 He does not always have a convincing solution， but it is very matter of fact and unless you are already particularly well informed， you will likely learn something from the book; I certainly did。Of course there are different views on this topic， some strongly held， and there are also many areas of uncertainty; this has never happened before。 Gates may therefore be wrong about some things; but he has done his research and has the expertise of scientists to draw upon and I suspect there is little wrong with the main points。There is little reason to be optimistic about this subject， but the reason I welcome this book is that Gates' influence as something of a celebrity will help promote informed debate; and since getting consensus about the problems we face in this area is one of its most challenging aspects， that makes it very worthwhile， even it it falls short of its apparent goal of setting out a plan to overcome global warming。 。。。more
Ryan
，
In America， we love our billionaires。 We love when they "innovate，" we love when they offer "bold solutions" to our greatest challenges。 After all， they've beat the game。 Their riches are proof of their cunning & genius。 It follows then， that we love when they write books。 There's nothing in this you haven't heard before: five dollar buzz words， lots of talk of bringing things to market， grand plans for the entire world only a true monopolist could conjure。 The problem with Mr。 Gates' book， as i In America， we love our billionaires。 We love when they "innovate，" we love when they offer "bold solutions" to our greatest challenges。 After all， they've beat the game。 Their riches are proof of their cunning & genius。 It follows then， that we love when they write books。 There's nothing in this you haven't heard before: five dollar buzz words， lots of talk of bringing things to market， grand plans for the entire world only a true monopolist could conjure。 The problem with Mr。 Gates' book， as is the problem with most of these ghost-written airport shelf-fillers backed by massive PR campaigns， is that unfettered American capitalism is a foregone conclusion。 There's no solution provided that doesn't allow the already wealthy to squeeze out even more profit。 Fighting climate change is just another business venture， poised to line already stuffed pockets。 One of the world's richest men telling us we can avert climate change by preserving the perverted economic system that got us here？ Forgive my disbelief。 As with most of our billionaires， Mr。 Gates should stick to absorbing other companies and accepting praise。 The rest of us will continue fighting against these robber barons， who seem intent on austerity for the rabble while sitting comfortably in ivory towers。 。。。more
will rule
，
Makes the carbon emitted when making cement sound interesting - puts too much weight on Silicon Valley dream tech rather than proven reliable energy solutions ✌🏻
smalltownbookmom
，
While there are a lot of Climate change books out there （my favorites are Jane Fonda's What Can I do？ and Greta and the giants）， Bill Gates's new book is a useful addition。 His book （narrated by Will Wheaton on audio） offers some hope for the future。 He's done a lot of research into developing technologies and new companies trying to seek ways to mitigate global carbon emissions （with the ultimate goal being to achieve net zero carbon emissions by 2050 - from our current state of approx。 51 bill While there are a lot of Climate change books out there （my favorites are Jane Fonda's What Can I do？ and Greta and the giants）， Bill Gates's new book is a useful addition。 His book （narrated by Will Wheaton on audio） offers some hope for the future。 He's done a lot of research into developing technologies and new companies trying to seek ways to mitigate global carbon emissions （with the ultimate goal being to achieve net zero carbon emissions by 2050 - from our current state of approx。 51 billion tonnes/year！）。 While it is a really ambitious goal that will only be achievable if governments and politicians start to work together， Gates is hopeful that the growing number of politicians and citizens devoted to making the necessary changes means it could be possible。 "If rich countries worry about only lowering their own emissions and don't work to make clean technologies practical for everyone， we will never get to zero [by 2050]。 In that sense helping others isn't just an act of altruism， it's also in our self-interest。" > For me that's the key concept that we need to get those in power to understand > climate change isn't a problem any one person or country can solve alone， we all need to be working together。 He does acknowledge this but also urges readers not "to feel powerless in the face of a problem as big as climate change。。。you're not powerless and you don't have to be a politician or a philanthropist to make a difference。 You have influence as a citizen， a consumer and an employer or employee。" We can choose the types of products we buy， the companies we support and the politicians we vote for > all these things can work to make the collective difference we need。 Ultimately a book to offer some hope in a world that can seem hopeless in the face of such a giant global problem。 。。。more
Robbie Brar
，
A well put-together， concise and insightful book on an important global crisis。 I thought I knew a lot about climate change dangers but Bill has shed light on many ways in which it can be managed on the micro （as well as macro） level。 Highly recommended。
Linda Galella
，
Approachable， readable and even includes a plan that’s pie in the sky， Gates totally ignores the single biggest issue that’s plaguing climate disaster in today’s world - POLITICS。To his credit， Gates doesn’t get bogged down and techie in this book。 There’s enough data and science to support his assertions to make them seem reasonable， providing everyone holds hands and plays nice; providing everyone involved in fossil fuels just rolls over and drinks the KoolAid， no job required anytime soon， an Approachable， readable and even includes a plan that’s pie in the sky， Gates totally ignores the single biggest issue that’s plaguing climate disaster in today’s world - POLITICS。To his credit， Gates doesn’t get bogged down and techie in this book。 There’s enough data and science to support his assertions to make them seem reasonable， providing everyone holds hands and plays nice; providing everyone involved in fossil fuels just rolls over and drinks the KoolAid， no job required anytime soon， anywhere close to home。There are lots of examples for how things can improve rather quickly， what they will potentially cost， how rich countries can and should help poor countries; there are countless opportunities for involvement should readers find themselves motivated for service。 Once again I’m struck by the complete absence of the need for political support and cooperation。 Does he REALLY think that a change from red to blue will move this project forward so easily？Gates continues fly around on his private jet while working on this issue。 Incongruous？ Oxymoronic？ Perhaps it’s just plain entitlement， but it doesn’t make for good optics。 There are other options and as he said repeatedly in the book， “hard choices need to be made”。 Maybe not by everyone？No doubt I’ll be in the minority on this one but I’m a fan of the reality bus。 All the good writing and professional publishing in the world cannot sweep away the fact that what we truly need is cooperation from our elected officials at EVERY level。 So far， the price of gas for cars in the NE， （I drive a hybrid）， has risen 20% since January 20th; that hurts。 It’s too soon to understand the impact this white， cold winter will have on my heating budget。 According to my “green provider”， I’m running ahead of last year but more efficient than others in my area。 It’s many degrees colder and we had ZERO snow last year。 This should be way more fun than huddling under a blanket with my pup in relative darkness each night; yup - hard choices📚 。。。more
Nakul Sridhar
，
The Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation， the world’s largest private charitable foundation， has granted more than $54 billion， focusing on global health and education。 Gates has been a leader in encouraging other wealthy people and families to give away the majority of their wealth away during their lifetimes。He made clear in our interview that his focus remains on global health， but that he’s also investing more time and money on climate change， motivated in large part by low-income countries’ need The Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation， the world’s largest private charitable foundation， has granted more than $54 billion， focusing on global health and education。 Gates has been a leader in encouraging other wealthy people and families to give away the majority of their wealth away during their lifetimes。He made clear in our interview that his focus remains on global health， but that he’s also investing more time and money on climate change， motivated in large part by low-income countries’ need for clean energy and the reality that they will suffer the worst effects of a warmer planet。In his new book， the multi-billionaire makes an effort to approach the climate crisis with humility， acknowledging his own outsized carbon footprint and describing his efforts to mitigate that damage， including paying for green jet fuel and buying offsets from a company capturing carbon from the air and disposing of it。Also: It isn't even remotely possible to simply pay and make climate change vanish。 He could and would "just pay" if and when nations come up with climate change policies and democratically accept foreign funds。 Otherwise， there is nobody specific to pay （and do the job）。 。。。more
Nicola
，
How to Avoid a Climate Disaster。 This book covers one of the single most important topics facing the earth as a whole， written by Bill Gates and enforces such an important message。 Fossils fuels - they’re so entrenched into our everyday lives， the way we live and how we produce everything we’re so accustomed to having。 How we can reverse the damage， adapt to change and forge a new way is steeped in difficultly， which is where this great book comes in。 Presenting forth the change and information How to Avoid a Climate Disaster。 This book covers one of the single most important topics facing the earth as a whole， written by Bill Gates and enforces such an important message。 Fossils fuels - they’re so entrenched into our everyday lives， the way we live and how we produce everything we’re so accustomed to having。 How we can reverse the damage， adapt to change and forge a new way is steeped in difficultly， which is where this great book comes in。 Presenting forth the change and information needed to tackle the problems ahead。 Includes: Why getting to 0 is so important， it covers the ground foundations of climate change， laying down the facts， the science， the projected future， what can be done and what the components of our carbon emissions are （eg agriculture， industrial processes etc。。）。 I love how this was split into succinct chapters and sub chapters， making the information easier to digest。 At the end， the book also includes what you can do， as an individual to make a difference。 It’s extensive， expansive and so informative and I loved how it was written。 Very accessible for any reader， whether it’s your first time reading anything on climate change or whether you’re a seasoned climate change expert。 There is a lot of information in here， and of course， it can get overwhelming as there is just so much on this topic to cover！ I would probably give it an extra star the second time round of reading， to further absorb the facts and information given and also think reading it as well as listening to the audiobook would be beneficial。 Although there is a handy PDF accompaniment to the audiobook to ensure you don’t miss out on any of the diagrams， pictures and graphs which is fab。 I have to admit， I did lose my way a couple of time’s as this is definitely not a book you can afford to breeze in and out of concentration to， but it didn’t take long to snap back into it if you had a small waver in consciousness for a bit （guilty！）。 It’s one of those books that you want to sit with and write notes too， as there’s so many useful nuggets of knowledge and informationThis audiobook was great too， fantastically narrated and very easy to listen to which isn’t always the case with non fiction books。 I learnt a lot and didn’t know nearly as much as I thought I did， which was both humbling and brilliant as it just goes to show there’s just so much more to it that each of us can endeavour to learn。 Hearing about the steps Bill Gates was taking to lower carbon emissions and work towards getting us towards the magic 0 was brilliant and it just fills you with a small glimmer of hope when someone so financially endowed and highly influential is on the side of protecting the world and addressing the hugely problematic issue of climate change。 It isn’t all doom and gloom， misery and ‘were all done for’， it’s underlined with hope and potential， turns for change and how we can work to undo the damage to the climate。 I also loved the inclusion of the pandemic and Covid-19 with several references to it mentioned throughout。 It was such a here and now and highly relevant book， important for all and everyone to read。 I listened to this book via NetGalley with thanks to the author and publishers to give an honest review。 。。。more
Gary Moreau
，
In this relatively short and very readable book Gates provides a comprehensive overview of the who， what， why and where of global warming。 （Not surprisingly， the issue is very much related to the Gates Foundation’s well-publicized interest in global health and the eradication of poverty。）This is a great primer covering what is causing the problem today and what can be done about it， clearly delineating the technology that currently exists and that which should be pursued through a joint effort o In this relatively short and very readable book Gates provides a comprehensive overview of the who， what， why and where of global warming。 （Not surprisingly， the issue is very much related to the Gates Foundation’s well-publicized interest in global health and the eradication of poverty。）This is a great primer covering what is causing the problem today and what can be done about it， clearly delineating the technology that currently exists and that which should be pursued through a joint effort of the citizenry， the government， and industry。 He also provides a simple methodology， called Green Premiums， for understanding the relative costs of the current technology that can reduce greenhouse gases。 This， in turn， provides a brilliant way to establish priorities and focus our effort and our investment。 To his credit， Gates has gone out of his way to look beyond the emotional divisions often associated with the topic。 It’s a book about building bridges toward a common goal and steers clear of ideology and politics。 “I think more like an engineer than a political scientist， and I don’t have a solution to the politics of climate change。”He also stays clear of the technical-speak that often clouds the issue。 This book is written for a mass audience and while there are statistics， he studiously avoids the complicated science that often just serves to cloud the issue and to put constructive discussion out of reach of the general public。My only personal disappointment in the book is that he goes just a little too far in avoiding any discussion of the need for behavioral change。 （“We aren’t going to solve the climate problem by telling people not to eat toast。” He advocates the use of heat pumps and electric cars and encourages consumers to step up to more energy efficient purchases but he stays clear of any suggestion that our cultural norms and priorities contribute to the problem in any way。 I understand why。 One of the most nonsensical criticisms we hear from those who refuse to acknowledge either the reality of climate change or that humankind is contributing to it is that “These people just want us all to be poor。”But there is a big difference between being poor and being just as happy and fulfilled as the richest billionaires are now but getting by with less – and thus contributing less to climate change （and other socio-economic ills that currently plague us）。 Think of it as cultural simplification。 If you are in the top one-third of income earners do you really need half of the stuff you own to live a happy and fulfilling life？ I think not。And in the end I believe cultural simplification will be necessary to solve the climate change crisis。 Technology alone won’t be enough if we just keep building bigger homes and buying more exotic toys and experiences。 Most of us could live in much smaller homes and lead simpler lives and still be just as happy。 And I speak from experience。 I have lived all along the continuum that is wealth and income and I can assure you that the size of my house or how many toys I owned but seldom used had no bearing on my sense of personal fulfillment。That， however， was not the objective of this book。 Gates undoubtedly knew， however he personally feels about the topic， that all else would be lost once he set foot on that path。 And， as a result， we have a wonderful primer on the state of the issue and a road map for where we go from here that I believe everyone should be able to buy in to。 It’s simple， understandable， and chock full of common sense。 。。。more
ravena
，
bill gates escrevendo um livro sobre como evitar o aquecimento global é de cair o cu da bunda， a cara nem treme
Ele
，
Has Bill not realized the cost on the enivroment that his thousands of Microsoft factories cause？ Because factories are one of the main factors controbuting to climate change。。。。。。。
Thomas Vos
，
Ik had liever 30 bladzijden probleemstelling en 240 bladzijden oplossing gezien。
Stephen Chase
，
This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers。 To view it， click here。 The greatest Bill Gates book ever！！！！！！！！！！！！！！！！！！！！！！！！！！！
Aaron Akbar
，
Highly readable， and extremely practical， Gates sorts out the mess of data in concise terms without making the information feel like too much。 Initially disconcerting， the first part of the book lays out the problem by merging hard facts with snapshots of possible futures。 But then the book turns around and lays out exactly what we can and need to do， and the challenges we face in the process。 And to be clear， this isn't individual fixes。 The focus is on widespread policy and economics。 The end Highly readable， and extremely practical， Gates sorts out the mess of data in concise terms without making the information feel like too much。 Initially disconcerting， the first part of the book lays out the problem by merging hard facts with snapshots of possible futures。 But then the book turns around and lays out exactly what we can and need to do， and the challenges we face in the process。 And to be clear， this isn't individual fixes。 The focus is on widespread policy and economics。 The end result is a jump start that alerts you， but also kicks you into gear。 We all need to read this book， and get fired up before the Earth itself sets fire。 。。。more
Marianne
，
Bill Gates is accused of hypocrisy after joining bidding war to buy the world's largest private jet operator - one month before he releases his book preaching about climate change。 https://www。dailymail。co。uk/news/arti。。。 Bill Gates is accused of hypocrisy after joining bidding war to buy the world's largest private jet operator - one month before he releases his book preaching about climate change。 https://www。dailymail。co。uk/news/arti。。。 。。。more
Carla Harlin
，
I appreciate every book that gives solutions and things we can do to avoid climate disaster。 The title is already good because it refers to "climate disaster" not "climate change"。 The latter is something we cannot prevent， but we can adapt to it。For free self-help books， check out this list: https://alexamood。com/list-of-free-se。。。 I appreciate every book that gives solutions and things we can do to avoid climate disaster。 The title is already good because it refers to "climate disaster" not "climate change"。 The latter is something we cannot prevent， but we can adapt to it。For free self-help books， check out this list: https://alexamood。com/list-of-free-se。。。 。。。more
Jim
，
The problem with people who have found religion is that they honestly think they can save the world if only they can convert everyone else。People want to feel more important than they are。 Countless literary fantasies involve characters saving lives， recognized as true heroes。Bill Gates helped create an operating system for IBM PCs。 IBM completely missed the market opportunity and allowed Gates and his partner to own the code。 Decades later， every computer purchased means another $100， maybe a l The problem with people who have found religion is that they honestly think they can save the world if only they can convert everyone else。People want to feel more important than they are。 Countless literary fantasies involve characters saving lives， recognized as true heroes。Bill Gates helped create an operating system for IBM PCs。 IBM completely missed the market opportunity and allowed Gates and his partner to own the code。 Decades later， every computer purchased means another $100， maybe a little less， in his pocket。So he has a lot of money。 And now he thinks he can save the world。 The climate changes。 It got a little warmer in the '90s and '00s and Al Gore made a movie。 Kids and high school science teachers loved it， even though none of the predictions of doom within have come true。So here he's repeating what the most hysterical of college professors are bleating， desperate for rock-star status as this tower of inept projections based on computer models built on fraudulent or just plain dishonest data is about to collapse。The good news is that the world won't end。 The bad news is that when it doesn't， this is the kind of drivel that people think will have saved it。 Just like people praise their gods when they get goodies and blame evil when they don't。It's too bad Gates has wasted his limited world-wide fame on this nonsense， but here we are。 。。。more
Kathleen
，
Billionaires are the leading cause of climate change。
James Edward
，
Risky， betting all we have on the ideas both that CO2 can be reduced， and that doing so will limit climate change。 Even worse， reliable and affordable technologies to do it don't even exist。 Climate's always changing anyway; where I live， ten thousand years ago there was a mile thick layer of ice and snow; now none at all。 Can't blame humanity for something that happened before we even existed。 Risky， betting all we have on the ideas both that CO2 can be reduced， and that doing so will limit climate change。 Even worse， reliable and affordable technologies to do it don't even exist。 Climate's always changing anyway; where I live， ten thousand years ago there was a mile thick layer of ice and snow; now none at all。 Can't blame humanity for something that happened before we even existed。 。。。more
B。K。
，
More fiction to drive Gates fortune to new heights。
SoleTobel
，
Fascist。 Like ever。 Disgusting human being。
Chris Ferguson
，