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How to Avoid a Climate Disaster

The Solutions We Have and the Breakthroughs We Need

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How to Avoid a Climate Disaster

By: Bill Gates
Narrated by: Wil Wheaton, Bill Gates
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About this listen

Brought to you by Penguin.

Bill Gates has spent a decade investigating the causes and effects of climate change. With the help of experts in the fields of physics, chemistry, biology, engineering, political science, and finance, he has focused on what must be done in order to stop the planet's slide toward certain environmental disaster. In this book, he not only explains why we need to work toward net-zero emissions of greenhouse gases, but also details what we need to do to achieve this profoundly important goal.

He gives us a clear-eyed description of the challenges we face. Drawing on his understanding of innovation and what it takes to get new ideas into the market, he describes the areas in which technology is already helping to reduce emissions, where and how the current technology can be made to function more effectively, where breakthrough technologies are needed, and who is working on these essential innovations. Finally, he lays out a concrete, practical plan for achieving the goal of zero emissions-suggesting not only policies that governments should adopt, but what we as individuals can do to keep our government, our employers, and ourselves accountable in this crucial enterprise.

As Bill Gates makes clear, achieving zero emissions will not be simple or easy to do, but if we follow the plan he sets out here, it is a goal firmly within our reach.

© Bill Gates 2020 (P) Penguin Audio 2020

Business Development Business Development & Entrepreneurship Engineering Environment Politics & Government Programming & Software Development Science Software Development Business Thought-Provoking Pollution

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Critic reviews

Gates' book is compulsively readable. His ambition was to 'cut through the noise' and give consumers better tools for understanding what works, an ambition he meets admirably. It more than that, however. Gates can get an audience with anyone, can marshal almost limitless resources, and is dogged in the detail. The result - particularly in the wake of the Trump presidency - is thrilling (Emma Brockes)
Of the many books I have come across recently making the case that climate change will be a catastrophe, but we can do something about it, this is the best ... The relentless practicality of the book combined with Gates's firm faith in innovation do not promote despair. He exudes optimism; things will get better, not least because, as John Lennon once sang, they can't get no worse (Bryan Appleyard)
It is mostly concerned with solutions rather than problems. This already marks it out as something of an outlier within environmental literature... if you're after an approachable book about what needs to happen next, this is a great place to start (Ed Conway)
Bold but well argued ... a compelling explanation of how the world can stop global warming by reducing greenhouse gas emissions effectively to zero... [Gates] is a serious and genuine force for good on climate change (Bob Ward)
How to Avoid a Climate Disaster is clear, concise on a colossal subject, and intelligently holistic in its approach to the problem. (Adam Vaughan)
It all makes for a meaty manifesto which Gates hopes can offer sufficient variety to appeal across political divides and "shift the conversation" away from the polarisation and misinformation that has clouded discussion about climate change up until now. (Martin Bentham)
Books about the environment can induce a paralysing despair. The billionaire Bill Gates is a can-do, problem-solving chap, and his book is full of detailed, practical plans
Gates's carefully packaged nuggets of information are not only easy to understand, but they aim to provide the reader with practical tools to engage with the density of climate change information ... What Gates has achieved with his book is something rare in the swelling arena of popular climate literature. The Microsoft co-founder turned philanthropist has compiled a solutions-based strategy that is as informed on the commercial realities of scaling new technologies as it is on the environmental consequences of not doing so. (Daniel Murray)
The most refreshing aspect of this book is its bracing mix of cold-eyed realism and number-crunched optimism ... Ultimately [Gates's] book is a primer on how to reorganise the global economy so that innovation focuses on the world's gravest problems. It is a powerful reminder that if mankind is to get serious about tackling them, it must do more to harness the one natural resource available in infinite quantity-human ingenuity.
All stars
Most relevant
Good book, well argued, well preformed, but I almost didn't buy it when I realised I'd have to listen to noises coming out of Will Wheaton's stupid face.

Shut up Wesley

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Great read for anyone interested in climate change and it’s potential solutions. Gates has been applying his considerable mental and monetary efforts to this area for some time and this book gives a brilliant overall view of the problems we face. Clear factual arguments cut through the noise and highlight that we need to think bigger in our solutions. Informative and entertaining.

Excellent!

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This is a well written and thought provoking book. Gates does a great job of boiling down a potentially complex topic to make it accessible and easily memorable, in a pithy and meaningful way. He is also not afraid to admit his own shortcomings when it comes to climate change.

The climate change problems and implications are presented clearly, as well as many of the potential solutions. Many of the required changes will require willingness from government and big business, but he also highlights the things ordinary people can start doing today to help directly, as well as change the behaviour and attitudes of politicians and CEOs.

I certainly learned a lot while reading, as well as an increased sense of empowerment over my own contribution to climate change.

It’s efforts like this from someone as well known and influential as Bill Gates that could make a real difference as we try to tackle climate change. This is a problem that needs to be solved, and Bill Gates has a plan.

Essential reading

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If you've ever struggled to understand the different elements of the climate crisis equation, look no further. Bill breaks down each individual area and tells us; where we are at in solving that particular issue, where we need to aim to be, and how we might get there. Most importantly, he spends a great deal of time informing us about WHY we must innovate and reduce carbon emissions to net zero. For that reason, this book I believe is essential reading for any legislator, engineer, scientist or activist around the world. If you need to bolster your resolve with regards to tackling the climate crisis - this book is your answer.

On a narration level, Wil Wheaton is incredibly engaging, and effortlessly manages to capture the user's attention throughout.

The simplest layout of the most complex problem.

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Mandatory literature for all scientists, entrepreneurs, academics, politicians, youth and all who cast ballots. This book creates a common understanding amongst all on the topic of climate change. It is a baseline that helps us agree on the scope of the problem, the goal and the sense of urgency. It makes clear that a multidisciplinary approach is needed to address this challenge. Ultimately it helps mankind to move to the much-needed next step: the development and the scaling of the required solutions that help tackle climate change by "getting to zero".

other than that the book is very well written, entertaining and clear enough for non-acamics to truly understand the essence in the issue of climate change. important and impactful contribution by Bill. It would be a nice act of philanthropy to sell the book at a below-market price.

the Ground Zero mankind is in desperate need of.

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