Genre: Nonfiction
Publisher: Allen Lane
Publication Date: February 16th 2021
Format: Hardback
Source: Times Reads
Page Count: 272
Blurb from Goodreads:
In this urgent, authoritative book, Bill Gates sets out a wide-ranging, practical – and accessible – plan for how the world can get to zero greenhouse gas emissions in time to avoid a climate catastrophe.
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.
RATING
3 STARS
HERE’S MY REVIEW!
We ask ourselves, is climate change real? It definitely is.
Look at the news. Look around you. When it pours in Kuala Lumpur, it always floods. Cars trapped at roads during peak hours and couldn’t move. This year’s Ramadan is worse too. During the first few days of the holy month, every evening we had this loud thunderstorm accompanied with heavy rain. We just cannot run away from the fact that climate change is real.
In this book, Bill Gates with the help of scientists around the world explain to us how the world can get to zero greenhouse gases to avoid climate disaster. He also reminds us that there are five activities that green house gases come from such as making things, plugging in, growing things, getting around and keeping cool and warm. Most of the activities listed are done by us, the individuals who are trying to make their lives better and the industry or the cooperation making and processing new things to be sold in the market. What I like about this book is the author explains everything in a structured way to make us laymen better understand the situation we are facing. It is not full scientific jargon at all. However, most data and situations are largely based in the US so it makes it difficult for us non-US citizens to relate and understand the climate change that is happening in our own country.
There is a lot of information here to be digested and it gets overwhelming that I had to take a few breaks to finish it. I think informative books like this are meant to be listened via the audiobook so it makes the reading experience even enjoyable and it doesn’t look like you are reading a school book. I would definitely take my time to read it for the second time as I want to further understand and absorb important facts so that I can know what to avoid and what to do in order to help the earth.
I enjoy reading the parts where the author explains about how green house gases come from. However, when it comes to the intervention part, 95% of it is related to the government’s role. I would disagree. We can achieve zero emissions if we, the citizens do our job. I know it is definitely hard for citizens to meddle into the government’s policy and procedure but if we change the way we buy things, eat, travel and also live our daily lives, it can be done. We just cannot simply rely on the government to achieve something. It must come from us. Particularly when the government is busy keeping other people’s interest (read: the rich) before the citizen’s needs. We need to show to them who is the boss.
I cannot help but think how are the developing countries like mine and other poor countries are going to face this climate change? Technologies and research aren’t cheap. The price tag is often tens to hundreds of millions of dollars. It is also not cheap to change from the conventional way of living such as using fossil fuel for energy to fully implementing green technology. It requires years and years of research and trials. My guess is that rich and resourceful countries will be the ones implementing them first and after that other countries will follow suit. This will only happen if the countries are persistent enough to help combat climate change. If they are complacent, millions of dollars will also go to waste to undo what climate change has done such as wildfires, droughts, storms and hurricanes.
In context of Malaysia, Malaysia currently ranks at the bottom of Climate Change Performance Index at 56th place, to the bottom 10 countries. Even our neighbors are so well compared to us. The problem is Malaysia doesn’t have a clear action and urgency to combat this issue. I’m very scared of our current state now and by the looks of the worsening COVID-19 pandemic in the country, we are far from focusing on climate change.
Thank you Times Reads for sending me How To Avoid A Climate Disaster in exchange of an honest review.
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Sabrina
The Reader Devotee 