I recently finished Bill Gates new book, How To Avoid A Climate Disaster. It was full of thoughtful insights with up-to-date numbers and charts. Bill Gates filled his time in 2020 researching and writing this book. It is a treatise designed to get us into action. He wants to compel us to do something, not waiting for the other guy to get things going. Be an early adopter.
I agree with it all: we need to choose zero carbon alternatives; we need to be aware of corporate practices and let them know with your wallets what we will and won’t accept.
The book, though, seems to be written for Americans when Americans are making bad climate action decisions: leaving the Paris Agreement, gutting the Environment Protection Agency. Gates makes his strongest case for taking action politically with votes and advocacy. It all makes good sense, even if you are not American. We are not moving the needle fast enough. We need policies to force change. Yes, governments can help us decide which lane we are driving in. I think, though, in addition to a top-down approach–laws, regulations, and a push for more innovative research and development, we need grassroots actions. It is not a footnote to decide to energy conservation in your home or walk to the store instead of driving. We need to ensure that ecologically sustainable options are at the forefront of our decisions. Each step is one step closer and each conversation helps keep this crisis on the front page.