Change in the Weather Won’t Destroy the Planet, Gates Says

Bill Gates championed a pragmatic, technology-focused strategy for combating climate change despite fears of changes in the weather.

• He expressed skepticism about “brute force” climate policies.
• While acknowledging extreme weather events, he asserted that these challenges have solutions and will not lead to global catastrophe.
• He urged continued advocacy for ambitious climate policies.

Bill Gates argued for a pragmatic, technology-focused approach to fighting climate change at The New York Times Climate Forward event.

The event featured discussions with world leaders, activists, scientists, and policymakers on the actions needed to confront climate change.

Gates’ comments clarified his stance on climate policies, the role of innovation, and the challenges of addressing climate change effectively.

He first expressed skepticism about “brute force” climate policies. Policies, such as high carbon taxes, would be unlikely to be successful, especially in middle-income countries. Instead, he called for investment in developing new technologies that can reduce greenhouse gas emissions without sacrificing economic growth.

He very blatantly stated, “If you try to do climate brute force, you will get people who say, ‘I like climate, but I don’t want to bear that cost and reduce my standard of living.’ Without innovation, it’s unlikely, particularly in middle-income countries, that the brute force approach will be successful.”

The New York Post implied that Gates was referencing China and India. They wrote, “As Gates noted, many of these people are in middle-income countries, like China and India, that are the biggest contributors to carbon emissions today and whose emissions (unlike those of the United States) have been growing.” But nowhere in the discussion where those two countries brought up.

To him, the climate crisis must be viewed through the lens of human welfare. All while focusing on malnutrition exacerbated by the challenges of growing crops in equatorial regions due to global warming. Humanity would find ways to address climate change’s challenges. He explained that emissions would peak and eventually decrease, although not as rapidly as desired, necessitating massive carbon removal efforts.

Despite Gates’ recent optimism regarding climate change, he acknowledged the reality of extreme weather events globally. He maintained, however, that these threats, while severe and acute, have solutions and will not end the world. Gates criticized what he called “climate exaggeration,” asserting that the planet itself is resilient and not on the brink of collapse.

He also found the idea of planting a trillion trees to save the planet quite absurd, asking no one in particular, “Are we the science people? Or are we idiots? Which one do you want to be?” Instead, he favored carbon taxes to fund green technologies. In particular, carbon capture, which is aimed at reducing CO2 levels in the atmosphere. Despite potential cost implications for consumers, Gates believed that carbon taxes were a more effective and politically viable approach to climate action.

Case in point, Gates praised last year’s Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) for its substantial climate investments. These investments included $200 billion for clean energy and electric vehicle development. He personally played a role in convincing Senator Joe Manchin to support the bill and encouraged critics to continue advocating for more ambitious laws to help climate change.

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