On the whole, the content of the book is well organised and clearly presented, with the science broken down into simple concepts and the alternatives for a greener future clearly explained.Ī significant criticism levelled against the book is that Gates is a successful billionaire preaching to the masses about how to live their lives, whilst owning multiple mansions around the world and producing more air miles than the majority of us - he even admits to taking his private jet to the Paris Summit.

Others less technically or visually-minded, however, have found the number of statistics and graphs piled up to be a little overwhelming. For example, some critics have deemed it a little too simplistic, with no real new insight and information relayed that someone even a little interested in the environment wouldn’t already know.

There is a lot of good in “How to Avoid a Climate Disaster” and the way in which it should be appraised as a whole depends on how much of a climate expert the reader already is. Gates’s response is that overcoming the climate crisis necessitates the knowledge, awareness and collaboration of it all - from science to government, activism to technology. Even the title “How to Avoid a Climate Disaster” is empirical, claiming to give us outright answers to a question that can be overwhelming. “Why should we listen to a man who claims to be an expert on so many things?”, you might ask. Reading a book by Bill Gates involves the preexisting knowledge that you are delving into the expertise of a man best known for his work not only in tech but in the energy and charitable sectors too. Finally, watch this TED animation to learn what is net-zero and why it is our shared goal to build a better future.Green Reads is a book club for our growing community of purpose-driven innovators and changemakers. The World Climate Simulation allows you to do just that by role playing and simulating UN climate negotiations. Our changing climate involves many complex and interconnected issues, and one of the best ways to understand them is to have more conversations about them. It outlines a series of one-time or daily actions you can take individually, with a group of friends, or coworkers to make a difference in your community. Project Drawdown’s ecochallenge has you covered. But what’s next? Many people struggle to identify how they can offset their carbon footprint or what action they can take. Use this carbon footprint calculator created by the Global Footprint Network to measure your carbon footprint. While there are big changes governments and businesses will need to make, there are meaningful and effective changes individuals can make in their daily lives as well. Read the book, How to Avoid a Climate Disaster, by Bill Gates to dive into a detailed plan to bring global greenhouse gas emissions to net-zero. Building a sustainable future will require a multi-faceted approach.

How to avoid climate disaster