Page 21 - Logistics News - May June 2022

B O O K R EVIEW

How to Avoid a Climate Disaster

Reviewed by Gerard de Villiers

“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 emissions in time to avoid a climate
catastrophe.”

I solar, hydropower,
am sure that the 2021 UN Climate Change
wind, wood and
Conference (COP26) in Glasgow at the end of
2021 left many of us in logistics and supply
chain management questioning what we can do other biomass.
to make a difference to avoid a climate disaster. I The book covers
was very fortunate to receive a copy of the latest the five categories
publication of Bill Gates that answers this question of making things,
in a very practical and easy-to-read book. Gates does plugging in,
not underestimate the complexities, but manages to growing things,
explain the difficult issues and debates around climate getting around
change in a logical way that makes so much sense. and keeping warm
and cool in much
He starts by explaining that to stop global detail in different
warming and avoid the worst effects of climate chapters and then moves on to how we shall have to
change, humans need to stop adding greenhouse adapt to a warmer world. The last part of the book
gases to the atmosphere. This implies that we need covers why government policies matter, a plan to get
to aim for zero greenhouse gas production. It will be to zero emissions and my favourite chapter, what each
difficult, but Gates is of the opinion that it will be of us can do.
possible if we focus on the right solutions to get there.
He continues to stress the importance of measuring I found the book highly relevant and easy to read
key indicators of where we currently are and what our with many practical examples and experiences from
targets should be. the life and work of Bill Gates. I strongly recommend
the book for anyone interested in cutting through the
Greenhouse gas is typically emitted by making noise and getting to the core of things that matter
things (cement, steel, plastic), plugging in and issues to be addressed. •
(electricity), growing things (plants, animals), getting
around (planes, trucks, cargo ships) and keeping About the author:
warm and cool (heating, cooling, refrigeration).
Moving our global energy economy from dirty,
Bill Gates is a technologist, business leader and
carbon-emitting technologies to clean technology
philanthropist. In 1975, he co-founded Microsoft with
with zero emissions will cost something as most of
his childhood friend, Paul Allen. Today he and his former
the zero-carbon solutions are more expensive than
wife, Melinda, are co-chairs of the Bill & Melinda Gates
their fossil-fuel counterparts. Gates defines the
Foundation. He also launched Breakthrough Energy, an
additional costs as “Green Premiums” and manages
effort to commercialise clean energy and other climate- L O GI S T I CS NEWS
to provide cost estimates of possible solutions. This
related technologies.
includes space requirements as it differs for the
different energy sources such as fossil fuels, nuclear,

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