Bill Gates says technology holds the key to energy, climate. What do you think?
When we're talking about solving big problems there is a division between those who believe new technology will hold the key and those who believe things need to change now, even if we don't have the perfect tools. That division was highlighted at yesterday's talk on energy and climate by Bill Gates.
Bill Gates, former Microsoft CEO and co-chair of the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, spoke at Climate Solutions' annual breakfast May 10. Our story on his talk is here and there are
“The thing I think is the most under-invested in is basic R&D,” he said. “That's something only the government will do. Over the next couple of decades, we have to invent and pilot, and in the decades after that we have to deploy in an unbelievably fast way, these sources.”
But even during the breakfast, this division between work in the future and work now was felt. Dean Allen, CEO of McKinstry, spoke before Gates did. He said technological silver bullets are great but "it's often not best to wait for superman. It's sometimes better to figure out how to take practical and profitable real time solutions where we live."
Later, in a briefing with journalists, KC Golden, Climate Solutions' policy director, said he doesn't think all our problems will be solved by public funding. Public money isn’t a panacea, he said, but it is a critical piece of the solution for the energy sector “because the way the regulated economy works starves the energy sector of R&D money and innovation.”
If we are going to solve the energy and climate problems, what do you think we should be concentrating on - innovation or current work? Of course, the true solution would and most likely will (if we find it) include both. But which area do you think deserves more attention?
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May 13th, 2011 - 08:34
I think we need both. Cap carbon and tax it. This creates great incentive to implement the technologies we have now. Use the tax revenues to innovate.
May 15th, 2011 - 00:44
I think that bill gates doesn’t know what he’s talking about. I think he shouldn’t have dropped out of school. Can’t buy/borg knowledge and how to properly apply it to reality.
May 16th, 2011 - 14:55
Matt, you make it sound so easy! However, I don’t think the politicians involved would let it be such an easy process.
Jake – what do you think they answer is?
May 18th, 2011 - 12:28
It is easy. And I would hope the politics will get easier the more 500 year floods we have this decade. Climate deniers sure are quiet lately.
May 23rd, 2011 - 12:00
Which should we be concentrating on, innovation or current work? It’s a good thing Bill Gates did not let that question delay progress on software. Computer software has allowed us to analyze the gigantic amount and complexity of data that describes the effects of emissions from burning fossil fuel.
Before computers, scientists described the process of global warming: burning fossil fuel increases the amount of carbon dioxide in the air; carbon dioxide heats up the air, so the Earth gets warmer.
By the 1980s, computers turned data into trends: additional heat would mean more ice melting, more wind, more rain, floods, drought, insects, and disease. By 2005, computers compared these predicted trends with current events and found that these early predictions of temperature rise and severe weather events were less severe that what was happening. They saw positive feedback happening, the melting ice, the dead forests killed by insects, and the methane released from warmer tundra all added to the heat. The apparent risks had increased of global warming becoming unstoppable.
Not acceptable.
American initiative and ingenuity need to be put into action now to reduce fossil fuel emissions by 50% within a few years, with efficiency measures and current solar, wind and geothermal technology. Businesses would save money immediately and jobs and export products would be created.
Waiting for the economy to improve or for research to come up with better ideas before launching the new energy economy is like trying to learn how to use a computer by watching other people.
“One thing is sure. We have to do something. We have to do the best we know how at the moment . . . ; If it doesn’t turn out right, we can modify it as we go along.”
— Franklin D.Roosevelt
May 25th, 2011 - 11:13
The only long-term solution is to stabilize world population. It does no good to reduce the emissions per person by half if we double the population at the same time.
July 11th, 2011 - 10:01
Definitely both. Bill Gates could actually provide a lot of the much needed funding on the technology side of things, so we should bag on him too much. At our company – Pest Control Portland – we think that both are necessary and we are always trying to be innovative with ways to further save energy.