HOW TO AVOID A CLIMATE DISASTER

Merging these two projects, Gates was struck that the third-world challenge was two-fold: poor countries not only needed new, affordable, and reliable sources of energy, but these resources had to be "clean," particularly since much of the increasing demand for energy would be coming from developing nations.3 As Gates launched a self-guided study of climate science, he shed his initial skepticism that the accumulation of atmospheric greenhouse gases (GHG) would, if unabated, place the planet on an irreversible course towards unsustainably high temperatures.4 The author emerged with four conclusions that have since shaped his new, self-appointed role as a climate change solutions activist and investor:5 * Not enough is currently being done to spur widescale deployment of wind and solar energy; * Regardless of that deficit, these technologies alone will be insufficient to reach the net zero-carbon goal Gates has embraced; * Since power generation accounts for only slightly over a quarter of global GHG emissions,6 the focus of curtailing emissions has to go far beyond the electric power industry; * New, 'breakthrough" technologies across a wide front must be developed and deployed, through a synergistic coalescence of public policy and private investment. Gates's journey to becoming a dedicated climate change advocate also evolved from his earlier activity as a venture capitalist placing bets on clean energy concepts (including "next-generation" nuclear power).7 Around 2015, he was drawn into the politics of global warming by (1) student protests against institutions investing in fossil fuel companies (including his own Gates Foundation); and (2) overtures from heads-of-state as the December 2015 date of the Paris climate change approached.8 The latter triggered an abiding interest - one at the heart of How to Avoid a Climate Disaster - in the intersection between governmental policy, public funding of clean energy research, and private investment in decarbonizing product development.9 Soon, Gates found himself organizing a large circle of wealthy investors - dubbed the Energy Breakthrough Coalition - providing badly needed venture capital to promising clean energy technologies, as well as interfacing with political leaders to enhance national R&D budgets.10 In short, Gates had found his niche in the clean energy game. In a preemptive strike, Gates pleads guilty to being a super-emitter in his personal and business life, owning multiple large residences and r