Climate change is a major issue facing the world because of the fact that this is the sort of thing that could potentially end up making vast swathes of it unliveable. A number of solutions have been put forward that are meant to provide a way to fix the damage that has already been done and prevent future damage. One such solution is degrowth which involves reducing consumption and industrial output which would go against the GDP growth model that so many countries are operating under.
With all of that having been said and now out of the way, it is important to note that Bill Gates has heavily criticized this proposed solution on a podcast that he recently went on. The tech billionaire said that such concepts are unrealistic since not enough people would be willing to make the necessary changes. According to Gates, people will want to eat meat, live in big houses and travel, and asking them to stop doing that would be impractical which means an alternative solution needs to be proposed.
Since Gates is a tech giant, it should come as no surprise that the solutions he is suggesting are technological in nature with all things having been considered and taken into account. His investment fund by the name of Breakthrough Energy Ventures aims to fund companies that are trying to reduce the so called “green premium”, which is the added cost of doing something in a climate friendly and environmentally conscious way.
Trying to do anything in a way that is softer on the environment would make it more expensive than might have been the case otherwise, so Bill Gates is attempting to find people who can change that. The cheaper green solutions become, the easier it would be for people to go for them.
Gates is adopting a unique approach, but there would have to be some concentrated effort that involves the collaboration of numerous other people. One individual can never make the required amount of change even if they have the right ideas and the resources required to do so, so more billionaires should try to help.
Photo: Michael Nagle/Bloomberg
Read next: Global uncertainty has increased amid Covid – mounting innovation
With all of that having been said and now out of the way, it is important to note that Bill Gates has heavily criticized this proposed solution on a podcast that he recently went on. The tech billionaire said that such concepts are unrealistic since not enough people would be willing to make the necessary changes. According to Gates, people will want to eat meat, live in big houses and travel, and asking them to stop doing that would be impractical which means an alternative solution needs to be proposed.
Since Gates is a tech giant, it should come as no surprise that the solutions he is suggesting are technological in nature with all things having been considered and taken into account. His investment fund by the name of Breakthrough Energy Ventures aims to fund companies that are trying to reduce the so called “green premium”, which is the added cost of doing something in a climate friendly and environmentally conscious way.
Trying to do anything in a way that is softer on the environment would make it more expensive than might have been the case otherwise, so Bill Gates is attempting to find people who can change that. The cheaper green solutions become, the easier it would be for people to go for them.
Gates is adopting a unique approach, but there would have to be some concentrated effort that involves the collaboration of numerous other people. One individual can never make the required amount of change even if they have the right ideas and the resources required to do so, so more billionaires should try to help.
Photo: Michael Nagle/Bloomberg
Read next: Global uncertainty has increased amid Covid – mounting innovation
