Book Club
First rule of book club ....
In this section we will be reviewing all things books, focusing on the burgeoning wellbeing genre.
This quarter we have reviewed 'How to Avoid a Climate Disaster: The solutions we have and the breakthroughs we need' by Bill Gates
Over recent years the discussion around the climate has been polarising, with people sat on either side of the fence and shouting to get there voice heard. If you’re looking for a book to redress that balance and focus on the realistic ways we can save the planet then this book is a great place to start. From the outset this book makes it clear it’s not going to just beat on that everyone in the world needs to become vegan, or that fossil fuel energy plants should be turned off overnight, but focuses on the clear tools we need to develop and the areas we need to develop them in. That’s not to say that this book plays down the scale of the challenge and the significant shift in our lifestyles that we are going to need to make. The start of this book, if not the majority, focuses on the scale of the problem.
Putting things in to perspective, Bill Gates outlines why it is so important that we get to zero carbon emission as quickly as possible and that no other number would be enough to stop a climate disaster. We must get to zero. This book makes a key point throughout that those who have contributed the least to climate change, stand to suffer the most, with developing economies likely to be worst hit. Gates draws helpful examples of how this will impact everyone, and why it is such an important topic for everyone on Planet Earth to engage in, but that those in developed economies should lead the way.
Once the size of the issue is framed and the reason for acting now is clear, Gates looks to equip people on how to have better conversations around climate change to alter the debate. He remarks that for too long this debate has been polarised and if we are going to get to zero, people need to buy in and have healthy debates about the best way to get there.
By this point in the book we know how hard this is going to be, but who doesn’t love a challenge? Gates goes on to discuss the positive angle of the steps we can take to achieve net zero. It’s clear and somewhat unsurprising that the key way Gates believes we will get to zero is through technology. Having outlined the areas in which we as a society emit greenhouse gases, Gates addresses each one charting the technologies we have today that are making a difference, and where they need to get to really make an impact. The book focuses strongly on the economic impact and introduces the idea of a green premium in each of these technologies. Highlighting what government, consumers and industry will need to do to get those green premiums to an acceptable level so that they become common practice and make a significant impact.
In a world where we get endless information on the scale of the climate challenge and the impact it can have, it’s easy to get lost in what we as individual can do to help on this journey. This is where Gates looks to conclude the book and focuses on the clear steps and actions we as individuals, employees, business owners or all of the above can take to help. It’s clear from the book it’s a complex issue but through government support, individual behaviours change and huge investments, Gates believes we can get to that elusive net zero goal.