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LOADINGERROR LOADING Bill Gates, once a vocal clean energy advocate, said in a lengthy memo that there’s too much of a “doomsday” outlook on climate change and claimed it would “not lead to humanity’s demise.” The tech billionaire and philanthropist, who published a book titled “How to Avoid a Climate Disaster” in 2021, released the memo a week before the United Nation’s annual climate summit in Brazil. In it, he argues that many of the resources dedicated to fighting climate change should be reallocated to helping people living with “poverty and poor health so that extreme weather isn’t such a threat to them.” Advertisement The idea that climate change is the greatest threat to life on Earth is “wrong,” Gates claimed. “Although climate change will have serious consequences — particularly for people in the poorest countries — it will not lead to humanity’s demise,” he wrote. “People will be able to live and thrive in most places on Earth for the foreseeable future. Emissions projections have gone down, and with the right policies and investments, innovation will allow us to drive emissions down much further.” Michael Mann, a University of Pennsylvania climate scientist, wrote to HuffPost that he’s observed an alarming shift in Gates’ rhetoric on climate change in recent years. “It was hardly surprising to me to encounter Gates’ dismissive recent words downplaying the threat of climate change and the need for urgent action,” he said. “They simply reinforce the fact that he has been misguided on climate for some time now.” Advertisement Mann pointed to Gates’ advocacy for “so-called ‘modular nuclear reactors’ and, especially worrisome, potentially very dangerous ‘geoengineering’ schemes” that could do more harm than good to the environment, he said. People should take note that the Microsoft co-founder’s climate talking points align with his financial investments, Mann continued. Advertisement “Gates, in short, has talked down the potential for clean energy, and has instead advocated for unproven technology (in which he has invested for profit),” continued Mann, who also writes critically about Gates in his recent book with Peter Hotez, “Science Under Siege.” Gates’ TerraPower, a nuclear reactor company, promotes small modular reactors as a cheaper, cleaner version of large nuclear power plants. Scientists critical of this alternative, including Mann, say they’re unreliable, still come with serious safety risks and still produce significant radioactive waste. Gates has also backed the development of “sun-dimming” technology ― something scientists have raised ethical concerns about, warning it could create an array of new problems and cautioning against human interference with the planet’s normal processes. Advertisement “The idea that a technofix exists,” Mann warned, “enables business-as-usual carbon pollution now, one reason that fossil fuel companies are fond of this diversionary tactic.” Michael Oppenheimer, a professor of geosciences and international affairs at Princeton University, raised similar concerns about Gates’ memo with The New York Times. Forget BallroomsHelp Build aNewsroom Your SupportFuelsOur Mission Your SupportFuelsOur Mission Become a HuffPost Member When power gathers under golden ceilings, real journalism stands outside, asking the questions that matter. Join HuffPost Membership and keep independent reporting strong for everyone. We remain committed to providing you with the unflinching, fact-based journalism everyone deserves. Thank you again for your support along the way. We’re truly grateful for readers like you! Your initial support helped get us here and bolstered our newsroom, which kept us strong during uncertain times. Now as we continue, we need your help more than ever. We hope you will join us once again. We remain committed to providing you with the unflinching, fact-based journalism everyone deserves. Thank you again for your support along the way. We’re truly grateful for readers like you! Your initial support helped get us here and bolstered our newsroom, which kept us strong during uncertain times. Now as we continue, we need your help more than ever. We hope you will join us once again. Support HuffPost Already a member? Log in to hide these messages. “Despite his efforts to make clear that he takes climate change seriously, his words are bound to be misused by those who would like nothing more than to destroy efforts to deal with climate change,” he said, noting that Gates is unnecessarily pitting efforts to address climate change against those to help the world’s poorest populations.
