Books / Climate Change

How to Avoid a Climate Disaster by Bill Gates

What he nails down and what is left out

I rarely end up reading a book with such mixed feelings. On one hand it filled me up with enthusiasm and optimism, but at the same time with despair. Climate change is such a monumental problem that I‘m starting to doubt we can even begin to address it. Not just for the reasons and problems Bill discusses in this book, but even more so for the reasons he omits.

The basic idea behind the book is based on a concept of a Green premium. What is it? It is simply a deferential you pay when you transition from a carbon emitting technology to a clean one. For example, if a regular car costs you 3 euros per km, and an electric one costs you 4 euros per km (averaged on the entire life span of the car), then the Green premium you pay is 1 eur/km. This is him much your enthusiasm and love for nature costs if you make the switch. I’m making these numbers up, but you get the idea.

Every decarbonising change carries a Green premium with it. We need to find new ways of not just moving around but also how to build things (production of raw materials is a huge carbon problem), heat and cool our homes, produce clean electricity and grow our food.