Scan barcode
ks2_alwaysreading's review against another edition
2.0
A very basic book that oversimplified things (likely to make it for a general audience). But yet I had issues with some of the things he wrote, coming from Bill Gates. It was overall a very blah book.
sapphicreads64's review against another edition
informative
medium-paced
4.0
The stuff about technology was interesting. Don't agree with him on everything, though. Divestment is a powerful tool
exterm's review against another edition
4.0
This quote from the book says it best:
That's what the book is about. It is very good at that. Gates introduces the idea of "green premiums", the difference in price between the current way of doing a thing and the "clean" way of doing that thing. He uses that to quantify the gap from where we are to where we need to get, and to compare alternatives.
A large part of the book is exactly that: Comparing the status quo with a possible zero-carbon future. The rest of the book lays out what needs to happen for that future to arrive.
My main gripe with the book is that it goes into a lot of detail on things that I have no influence over. Lots of things need to happen in government agencies, for example.
He does give a few ideas for how individuals can indirectly influence companies, governments and agencies to do the right thing, as well as what individuals can do to directly affect change (in a very small way). However I really did not need all of the detail around how the government can do certain things.
An aspect that stuck out positively for me was his wholistic perspective. He highlights that we can't just "do less", because large swaths of the planet's population just don't have that option. Not everybody can just stop eating meat and dairy, for example. But even if they could, that would be a very hard sell. Rather, we can use economics to our advantage to make something that people will want to buy, produce or use, and will be able to afford. If it's obviously better, it will get wide adoption automatically, and companies will be interested in distributing it.
Overall, it is a great summary of where we're at and how we can possibly still avoid the worst of the looming disaster.
When we have a fact-based view of climate change, we can see that we have some of the things we need to avoid a climate disaster, but not all of them. We can see what stands in the way of deploying the solutions we have and developing the breakthroughs we need. And we can see all the work we must do to overcome these hurdles.
That's what the book is about. It is very good at that. Gates introduces the idea of "green premiums", the difference in price between the current way of doing a thing and the "clean" way of doing that thing. He uses that to quantify the gap from where we are to where we need to get, and to compare alternatives.
A large part of the book is exactly that: Comparing the status quo with a possible zero-carbon future. The rest of the book lays out what needs to happen for that future to arrive.
My main gripe with the book is that it goes into a lot of detail on things that I have no influence over. Lots of things need to happen in government agencies, for example.
He does give a few ideas for how individuals can indirectly influence companies, governments and agencies to do the right thing, as well as what individuals can do to directly affect change (in a very small way). However I really did not need all of the detail around how the government can do certain things.
An aspect that stuck out positively for me was his wholistic perspective. He highlights that we can't just "do less", because large swaths of the planet's population just don't have that option. Not everybody can just stop eating meat and dairy, for example. But even if they could, that would be a very hard sell. Rather, we can use economics to our advantage to make something that people will want to buy, produce or use, and will be able to afford. If it's obviously better, it will get wide adoption automatically, and companies will be interested in distributing it.
Overall, it is a great summary of where we're at and how we can possibly still avoid the worst of the looming disaster.
emmaemmaemmaemma's review against another edition
5.0
What I loved most about this book was how quickly it turned anxiety into action. Usually, I pick up a new book on climate change when I’m feeling anxious about how helpless everything feels. Usually, I proceed to feel both inspired, and worse about the situation than I did when I began the book.
This one is different though. What begins as the standard array of ways we have, and continue to kill the planet, quickly morphs into what feels like a game plan.
This book gave me hope. Which is something that I can’t say about very many books. My notes from it are…extensive, but I’m actually excited to return to them because I feel like maybe this isn’t all destined to spiral out of control infinitely. Maybe there’s a long, slow way back, but still a way back. I’m choosing to stick to that optimism and not overthink it.
Yes. Bill Gates is filthy rich white man which automatically makes me skeptical of his writing, but the truth is, I think he does a good enough job of addressing the filthy rich elephant in the room, and an even better job of clarifying consistently how climate change can’t be solved at the detriment of people living in poverty. Human rights and the protection of the planet have to go hand in hand, or not at all.
The title isn’t just bait, he backs it up to an extent that I didn’t expect. This is in fact, how to avoid a climate disaster, in the most comprehensive way that it can be laid out, while still being easy to understand. I’d recommend this one without hesitation.
This one is different though. What begins as the standard array of ways we have, and continue to kill the planet, quickly morphs into what feels like a game plan.
This book gave me hope. Which is something that I can’t say about very many books. My notes from it are…extensive, but I’m actually excited to return to them because I feel like maybe this isn’t all destined to spiral out of control infinitely. Maybe there’s a long, slow way back, but still a way back. I’m choosing to stick to that optimism and not overthink it.
Yes. Bill Gates is filthy rich white man which automatically makes me skeptical of his writing, but the truth is, I think he does a good enough job of addressing the filthy rich elephant in the room, and an even better job of clarifying consistently how climate change can’t be solved at the detriment of people living in poverty. Human rights and the protection of the planet have to go hand in hand, or not at all.
The title isn’t just bait, he backs it up to an extent that I didn’t expect. This is in fact, how to avoid a climate disaster, in the most comprehensive way that it can be laid out, while still being easy to understand. I’d recommend this one without hesitation.
javojavojavojavo's review against another edition
4.0
Curious to know specifically where pollution comes from (globally)? Very interesting part for me. Hint: the world going vegan, or owning electrical cars, or only using solar and wind energy won't be enough to stop disaster.
Curious to know what clean-energy technologies we have and which ones we need to develop the most? Also very interesting to me because I'm kind of a scientist. This book introduced to me a lot of interesting new technologies.
Curious to know what kind of policies, investments and other political/economical stuff is needed for the transition (to clean energy)? This part was a little boring to me and kind of overwhelming.
Curious to know what clean-energy technologies we have and which ones we need to develop the most? Also very interesting to me because I'm kind of a scientist. This book introduced to me a lot of interesting new technologies.
Curious to know what kind of policies, investments and other political/economical stuff is needed for the transition (to clean energy)? This part was a little boring to me and kind of overwhelming.