“It’ll be tougher than anything humanity’s ever done, and only by staying constant in working on this over the next 30 years do we have a chance to do it.”
Bill Gates spoke with GeekWire reporter Lisa Stiffler about his new book, “How to Avoid a Climate Disaster.” In the book, due out Tuesday, he presents an ambitious but achievable plan for saving the planet, including scientific and technological breakthroughs, and unprecedented efforts on a global scale.
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Gates’ deep dive into climate issues marks an ambitious third chapter in his life. This is his third book, following 1995’s “The Road Ahead” and 1999’s “Business @ the Speed of Thought.” It follows a year in which Gates was in the public eye as much as ever, emerging as an outspoken advocate for science during the COVID-19 pandemic and a target of widely debunked conspiracy theories.
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He made clear in our interview that his focus remains on global health, but that he’s also investing more time and money on climate change, motivated in large part by low-income countries’ need for clean energy and the reality that they will suffer the worst effects of a warmer planet.
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Gates seeks to approach the issue with humility in the book. “I am aware that I’m an imperfect messenger on climate change,” he writes. “The world is not exactly lacking in rich men with big ideas about what other people should do, or who think technology can fix any problem.”
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Could the Seattle region’s tech billionaires team up to make a dent in the problem? Gates says he is talking about working on climate issues with Amazon founder Jeff Bezos, who last year announced a $10 billion Bezos Earth Fund, using his personal fortune to address the issue.
Read the story, and watch the full video of the interview.
Pandemic pivot for scooter startup: When COVID-19 hit, Seattle-based Shared nearly crashed. But the scooter-sharing service adapted, shifting its focus to a direct-to-consumer and logistics hardware business. Now called Zoomers, the startup is on track to do $4 million in revenue this year. Read more.
Demand for DEI: Tech leaders came together last year to condemn police brutality and vowed to do more to support racial equity and diversity following the death of George Floyd. Now there’s overwhelming demand for experts in diversity, equity and inclusion, or DEI. Seattle consultancy Reverb is leading a virtual program to help diversity and HR leaders create or strengthen their efforts.
In case you missed it: If you or your family members are eligible for a COVID-19 vaccine, a new site created by a volunteer team of software engineers can help you find a vaccination appointment. Check it out.
Thanks for reading, have a great week, and see all our latest headlines below. — GeekWire editor Todd Bishop, editor@geekwire.com, and GeekWire managing editor Taylor Soper, taylor@geekwire.com.
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