It's hard to do an internet search on the climate without coming across the book entitled Climat: How to avoid a disaster. Current solutions. The necessary innovations. Its author, Bill Gates, better known for his prowess in the IT world and although controversial for the environmental impact of his activities, has not been able to hold back in the face of the ecological emergency that is compromising economic dynamism on a global scale.
Ecology has become such an important issue that players other than researchers (climatologists, hydrologists, etc.) are contributing to the scientific literature. This is the case of businessman Bill Gates, who published Climat: how to avoid a disaster. Current solutions. The necessary innovations. In 384 pages, the Microsoft founder recounts the ten years during which he personally observed and analysed meteorological phenomena.
These are mainly the natural disasters (storms, forest fires, etc.) that have been multiplying in recent years – both in his own country, the United States of America, and elsewhere in Europe, Asia and Africa. If the terms “disaster”, “damage” and other alarmist expressions dominate Bill Gates’ narrative, it’s because “almost a fifth of the carbon dioxide (CO2) emitted today will still be there in 10,000 years”.
From political science to engineering to culture, the sixty-something author explains that all sectors are inseparable and essential to achieving the zero-carbon objective. Indeed, one of the chapters in his essay calls on statesmen, researchers and industrialists to work in synergy to limit “the rise in temperature to 2° Celsius”, in line with the Paris Agreement adopted at the 21st Conference of the Parties on Climate Change (COP21).
Digital or the key to resilience
At this event, Bill Gates presented a coalition of companies called Breakthrough Energy to support technological innovation in energy – one of the most controversial sectors on the international stage (gas, coal and oil). So it comes as no surprise that in his book, the IT pioneer praises digital solutions as the key to universal climate resilience.
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However, it should be noted that the carbon footprint of the digital sector represents 3.6% of greenhouse gas emissions worldwide (Ademe figures). So if Bill Gates – who made his money from pollution – is now denouncing ecological drift, it’s because the time is really ripe for the planet’s survival.
Benoit-Ivan Wansi
