Thread by @division6

Midway through, Bill Gates captions a picture of himself, grinning from ear to ear in a fertiliser factory in Tanzania. He says "I'm having even more fun than it looks."

This simply joy at knowledge is why I've always liked him, and makes this book such a delight.

Gates does what you'd expect; he maps out the different challenges we face due to climate change (across five categories - how we plug in, make things, grow things, get around, keep cool and stay warm), and looks to the innovations we have and need to overcome them.

This in itself was worth documenting, but what he does around this is even better; he talks about adapting to the realities of climate change, the role of policy, the practical steps on the road to zero and the opportunities for personal engagement in tackling the problem.

Hayekian economists will hate Bill Gates for this - he articulates what to me is a fairly obvious premise - that policy and economic intervention is required to eliminate the 'green premium' (through subsidy on break through emissions-reducing tech and tax on carbon).

I started reading this book concerned that it would contain rather a lot of rose tinted optimism from a technophile, and whilst it does... it's tempered with a heavy dose of pragmatism and understanding as to how the world works. Gates has no illusions about how tough this is.

But again, the toughness proves no barrier to his keen intellect and amazing access. He has spoken to global experts in economic and political theory around energy transition and makes really compelling arguments for what needs to happen, why, and when.

What's really interesting to me is how holistic and considered the book is. He talks about some of the early promises to reduce carbon in specific contexts by 2030. And warns that they might be missteps, if they aren't part of a map to get us to zero by 2050.

The complete consideration of the carbon ecosystem beyond power generation is really compelling too. He's researched low carbon cement, steel, talks with insight about low-carbon agriculture and a post-meat world. And what's even more fun, he's clearly put his money in already.

He references investments to dozens of companies trying to address aspects of these problems.

The world needs more billionaires like Bill Gates, and fewer like Donald Trump.

And everyone should read this book, for inspiration, for hope, and for guidance.

Because, after all, don't we all want to know 'How to avoid a climate disaster..."?

Really good, relatively quick read. #armandminibookreview

As well as large scale R&D, job creation, guarantees for support for long term climate reducing technologies and much more. Basically, a green "New deal".