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955 reviews for:
How to Avoid a Climate Disaster: The Solutions We Have and the Breakthroughs We Need
Bill Gates
3.97 AVERAGE
955 reviews for:
How to Avoid a Climate Disaster: The Solutions We Have and the Breakthroughs We Need
Bill Gates
3.97 AVERAGE
A concise and accessible primer to the kinds of problems that we face and the solutions that technology can create. Gates does an incredible job of simplifying concepts in ways that they are approachable. While the proposed solutions are heavily influenced by Gates' technical background, still, the book instills one with hope, without ever reaching for unrealistic rhetoric or unbelievable fairy tale techno jesus solutions.
All in all a great read, one that I am picking up and rereading because I am sure it has more to offer in the second reading.
All in all a great read, one that I am picking up and rereading because I am sure it has more to offer in the second reading.
Bill Gates understands facts, statistics and innovation. And out of that reason I am grateful to have read this book. I'm very active fighting for climate justice without feeling the need to understand much more than PEOPLE ARE SUFFERING AND DYING before acting, so this was a good book for me when it comes to background basics.
BUT when it comes to activism, policy and politics Gates doesn't know what he's talking about. And somehow he still has the confidence to think he does.
He has an all or nothing view. "If you can't get everyone to be completey vegan 24/7/365.25 (because what about holiday meals!) then trying to get more people to eat less meat is not a worthwhile endeavor." "There's no point in reducing emissions, because either they're all the way at zero or we all die."
The thing is /by reducing you can save time to eventually reach net zero/. Huh, who would have thought the average activist isn't completely out of their mind?
He's also very status quo-y, as if by switching away from fossil fuels which are a fundamental part of our privileged lives, we don't have to make FUNDAMENTAL changes /to our privileged lives/.
Even though he tends to refuse to solve the climate crisis anyway that doesn't revolve around his favorite thing - innovation - he is still confusingly optimistic.
If I thought his solutions were the best one's I don't think I'd be incredibly happy about /my/ future, but oh well.
I recommend doing what I did: reading the first 9 chapters and maybe skimming through the rest if you want to - though I have to say I don't really recommend it.
I'm glad Bill Gates cares, but I wish he wouldn't think he's "solved it."
Yes, you're smart. But politics isn't exactly your area of expertise. How about uplifting the voices of those who know what they're talking about? Would it hurt if you weren't the smartest person in the room for once?
BUT when it comes to activism, policy and politics Gates doesn't know what he's talking about. And somehow he still has the confidence to think he does.
He has an all or nothing view. "If you can't get everyone to be completey vegan 24/7/365.25 (because what about holiday meals!) then trying to get more people to eat less meat is not a worthwhile endeavor." "There's no point in reducing emissions, because either they're all the way at zero or we all die."
The thing is /by reducing you can save time to eventually reach net zero/. Huh, who would have thought the average activist isn't completely out of their mind?
He's also very status quo-y, as if by switching away from fossil fuels which are a fundamental part of our privileged lives, we don't have to make FUNDAMENTAL changes /to our privileged lives/.
Even though he tends to refuse to solve the climate crisis anyway that doesn't revolve around his favorite thing - innovation - he is still confusingly optimistic.
If I thought his solutions were the best one's I don't think I'd be incredibly happy about /my/ future, but oh well.
I recommend doing what I did: reading the first 9 chapters and maybe skimming through the rest if you want to - though I have to say I don't really recommend it.
I'm glad Bill Gates cares, but I wish he wouldn't think he's "solved it."
Yes, you're smart. But politics isn't exactly your area of expertise. How about uplifting the voices of those who know what they're talking about? Would it hurt if you weren't the smartest person in the room for once?
hopeful
informative
medium-paced
challenging
informative
medium-paced
If you can read this book critically, understanding the inherent hypocrisy in a book about global warming being written by a billionaire, while recognizing the technical and interdisciplinary knowledge he brings to the table, you’ll find this is an effective, accessible, succinct primer to the state of climate change and the existing and emerging technologies that we can use to get ourselves out of this mess. Gates doesn’t just opine - all of his chapters are chock-full of data, studies, and references to other experts who know more than he does. My only gripe about this book is Wheaton’s narration style - he comes across as ..almost condescending, even though the words themselves are not, which doesn’t do the reader any favors when trying to learn about this topic. Overall though, highly recommend.
I picked this up on impulse at the library, and it's actually not bad. It's a good intro to climate change and the tech that could help solve it, and it's very accessible. I'm glad Gates is using his platform in this way, and can only hope that the people who actually need to read this do so based on his name.
My main gripe is that Gates is blithely accepting of the neoliberal status quo. Not exactly surprising for a tech billionaire, but still. No advocacy for state ownership of utilities, even though this has been shown not only to improve efficiency but also to allow more investment in exactly the green R&D he advocates, is just one example. That and perpetuating car-centrism through electrification, rather than parallel investment in public transport and changes to community planning, really got me. Innovation is necessary to get us to net zero, yes, but our mode of living is unsustainable beyond just its GHG emissions - a straight switch to renewables and zero carbon without any other societal changes doesn't inspire me one bit when it's increasingly clear that the status quo isn't serving most of us. We'd get to net zero much more quickly if we could countenance challenging this.
My main gripe is that Gates is blithely accepting of the neoliberal status quo. Not exactly surprising for a tech billionaire, but still. No advocacy for state ownership of utilities, even though this has been shown not only to improve efficiency but also to allow more investment in exactly the green R&D he advocates, is just one example. That and perpetuating car-centrism through electrification, rather than parallel investment in public transport and changes to community planning, really got me. Innovation is necessary to get us to net zero, yes, but our mode of living is unsustainable beyond just its GHG emissions - a straight switch to renewables and zero carbon without any other societal changes doesn't inspire me one bit when it's increasingly clear that the status quo isn't serving most of us. We'd get to net zero much more quickly if we could countenance challenging this.
4, but rounded up to counteract bad reviews by those who haven’t read this
thank you bill gates we all say in unison,, anyways this is kind of an intro to climate change which i’ll admit i needed. definitely motivated me to change my lifestyle a bit. gates is a bit of an overoptimist but i may be just a hater. also quite the self glazer but if i was a billionaire i would too lol. kind of boring n tedious but important subject and easy to comprehend guide of sorts
would recommend
thank you bill gates we all say in unison,, anyways this is kind of an intro to climate change which i’ll admit i needed. definitely motivated me to change my lifestyle a bit. gates is a bit of an overoptimist but i may be just a hater. also quite the self glazer but if i was a billionaire i would too lol. kind of boring n tedious but important subject and easy to comprehend guide of sorts
would recommend
Timely read coinciding with the Supreme Court screwing us over by crippling the EPA.
Great comprehensive look at the core segments and industries that contribute to global emissions. It sorts out fact from fiction, and explores aspects of where we stand as at 2020 and what potential changes and solutions are needed in the future.
Only additional comment: I would have liked more of an in depth look at why solar geoengineering and solar radiation management aren't feasible solutions, and why it is only reserved as "emergency" options. It seems like a straightforward solution, but the issues/challenges of it aren't explored deeply in the book.
Only additional comment: I would have liked more of an in depth look at why solar geoengineering and solar radiation management aren't feasible solutions, and why it is only reserved as "emergency" options. It seems like a straightforward solution, but the issues/challenges of it aren't explored deeply in the book.
hopeful
informative
slow-paced
the author is a technologist through and through and that comes through in every chapter. this book is wholly focused on summarising the climate tech that exists, should exist, and how they need funding / access through the coordinated efforts of the government and the private sector.
this book is also meant for the general public, for readers ranging from policymakers to industry professionals to everyday people.
if we keep these two points in mind, i think the author did a good job with the book. i found the early chapters informative and his writing style’s readable and digestible throughout it. however, i struggled with the second half of the book, once he started writing about potential solutions. it’s why it took me so long to finish it. the takeaways from reading the second half weren’t substantial.
this is because writing about climate technologies for the general audience also meant that detailing a journey to net-zero was very conceptual. high-level. but climate action has to be specific to each country/city for it to be effective. case in point: bill gates had to describe his proposal for attaining net-zero in the context of the US government in the end, and his proposal for individual action in the final chapter assumes the individual lives in a first-world country with a functioning democracy. i don’t think political action’s going to go over well otherwise.
i’m also surprised that, in the policy-related chapters, he did not touch on climate disclosures, target setting, etc. including how they work and how legislation in this area drives demand for climate tech and innovation. instead, he wrote a lot about how governments should set up carbon pricing and issue standards for clean energy, but even so, the details are sparse. i’m assuming he’s not super familiar with these topics.
i also wonder what he’d say given the state of US politics in 2025. the book was released during Covid; his references to the state of affairs in 2021 made me nostalgic. his proposal to reaching net-zero depends on the government functioning. but what happens when one can’t count on that? when corruption’s and misinformation’s abound, and citizens act out of ignorance and tribal identities and hate? tech is but a small piece of this climate change problem — and i think the author’s aware.
still, i think this is a good starting point for learning about climate change. readers from any background can select topics of interest based on this book and explore additional books delving into a specific issue, piece of tech or societal context. “how to avoid a climate disaster” mentions the complexities of climate action (e.g. the marginalised are more greatly affected by climate disasters, standard of living is proportionate to the amount of emissions we generate, reaching net-zero by 2050 is a different pathway from reaching it by 2030) but a meatier discussion will need to be found elsewhere.
one additional thing i was not a fan of: bill gates pulling numbers out of nowhere 😂 the book is full of numbers like $18 million or $4 million. maybe it’s the scientist/researcher in me, but i can’t handle seeing the lack of citations for wherever these values came from.
this book is also meant for the general public, for readers ranging from policymakers to industry professionals to everyday people.
if we keep these two points in mind, i think the author did a good job with the book. i found the early chapters informative and his writing style’s readable and digestible throughout it. however, i struggled with the second half of the book, once he started writing about potential solutions. it’s why it took me so long to finish it. the takeaways from reading the second half weren’t substantial.
this is because writing about climate technologies for the general audience also meant that detailing a journey to net-zero was very conceptual. high-level. but climate action has to be specific to each country/city for it to be effective. case in point: bill gates had to describe his proposal for attaining net-zero in the context of the US government in the end, and his proposal for individual action in the final chapter assumes the individual lives in a first-world country with a functioning democracy. i don’t think political action’s going to go over well otherwise.
i’m also surprised that, in the policy-related chapters, he did not touch on climate disclosures, target setting, etc. including how they work and how legislation in this area drives demand for climate tech and innovation. instead, he wrote a lot about how governments should set up carbon pricing and issue standards for clean energy, but even so, the details are sparse. i’m assuming he’s not super familiar with these topics.
i also wonder what he’d say given the state of US politics in 2025. the book was released during Covid; his references to the state of affairs in 2021 made me nostalgic. his proposal to reaching net-zero depends on the government functioning. but what happens when one can’t count on that? when corruption’s and misinformation’s abound, and citizens act out of ignorance and tribal identities and hate? tech is but a small piece of this climate change problem — and i think the author’s aware.
still, i think this is a good starting point for learning about climate change. readers from any background can select topics of interest based on this book and explore additional books delving into a specific issue, piece of tech or societal context. “how to avoid a climate disaster” mentions the complexities of climate action (e.g. the marginalised are more greatly affected by climate disasters, standard of living is proportionate to the amount of emissions we generate, reaching net-zero by 2050 is a different pathway from reaching it by 2030) but a meatier discussion will need to be found elsewhere.
one additional thing i was not a fan of: bill gates pulling numbers out of nowhere 😂 the book is full of numbers like $18 million or $4 million. maybe it’s the scientist/researcher in me, but i can’t handle seeing the lack of citations for wherever these values came from.