Īs Gates launched a self-guided study of climate science, he shed his initial skepticism that the accumulation of atmospheric greenhouse gases (“GHG”) would, if unabated, place the planet on an irreversible course towards unsustainably high temperatures.

Merging these two projects, Gates was struck that the third-world challenge was two-fold: poor countries not only needed new, affordable, and reliable sources of energy, but these resources had to be “clean” (meaning low-carbon), particularly since much of the increasing demand for energy would be coming from developing nations. Īt roughly the same time, Gates was drawn into the work of former Microsoft colleagues on the linkages between energy consumption and global warming. He explains that the project sprang from his charitable foundation’s work in developing nations, including addressing “energy poverty.” Apprehending that these communities could not reach goals to improve their education, health, and economies while burning wood and candles to cook, heat, or read, Gates initiated his search for practical solutions. The first question Bill Gates confronts in his new book, How to Avoid a Climate Disaster (subtitled “The Solutions We Have and the Breakthroughs We Need”) is why a world-famous, unimaginably wealthy computer software innovator with no specific credentials in climate change science is authoring a book on this sprawling - and unquestionably vexing - subject.

How to avoid a climate disaster reviews