#earthday2023

I spent this year’s #earthday weekend at a bookstore re-reading some of my favourite chapters from the book “How to Avoid a Climate Disaster” by Bill Gates in order to learn more about the current state of climate change and seek a little inspiration ahead of one of the projects I am planning to undertake as well as bolster my understanding on how to help push the frontier of innovation to bring about much-needed breakthroughs as a budding scientist and engineer.

The book is divided into three parts, each focusing on a different aspect of the problem. In the first part, Gates lays out the case for why climate change is a pressing issue and the 6risks associated with it. He provides a clear and concise explanation of the science behind climate change and also highlights the various effects of climate change.

It is the second part of the book that offered me a lot of inspiration and direction. In this part, Gates outlines a framework for achieving net-zero greenhouse gas emissions, which he believes is the only way to prevent the worst effects of climate change. He provides an in-depth analysis of the different sources of greenhouse gas emissions each by a percentage of 51 billion tons of greenhouse emissions(the annual amount of greenhouse gases emitted into the air), such as electricity generation, transportation, and industry, and the steps that need to be taken to reduce them. This chapter resonated with me the most, as Gates discusses we need a lot of innovation in Material Science to approach some of the issues highlighted. We need to:

• Be capable of producing cheap, reliable electricity without emitting any greenhouse gases. That way we can electrify a lot of our activities and industrial processes. The energy we give up from Coal, Natural Gas and Oil has to come from clean sources, ie, solar, wind and Nuclear power(I personally think this one has the most promise when it comes to generation capacity, land use, and reliability – but that’s a topic for another day).

• Combat seasonal variation and intermittency of Solar and Wind by designing cheap, better, lightweight, and robust energy-dense batteries that can be deployed across power grids. Innovation in this sector can also go a long way in aiding our move to electrify how we get around. 

• Change the way we make things, a lot of our industrial processes, i.e, the making of concrete, steel and other metals, plastics, fertilizer etc. Materials are essential to modern life, and as we continue to advance as a society we are going to need more of them. A lot of research is being done by leading scientists all over the world to rethink the way we make certain materials. Crucially, we need to be capable of Electrifying every process possible with clean decarbonized electricity, Using carbon capture to absorb the remaining emissions, and lastly using materials more efficiently. 

• How we get around is important, and gasoline at the moment packs more of a punch in terms of energy density but also in addition to that; it is incredibly cheap. Gallon for gallon, gasoline has no competitor just yet. That being said, a lot of innovation is being done to get gas-powered vehicles off the road. Advanced Biofuels made from plants that aren’t grown for food hold a lot of promise. Electrofuels also hold incredible potential however relative to biofuels, they incur a hefty Green Premium. Despite these two options to maintain liquid fuels, the electrification of cars, buses and medium-sized trucks that use battery-powered motors is going to continue to experience a boom (Shenzhen, China leads the world in the electrification of its entire fleet of buses and taxis). That being said though, battery technology at the moment is not perfect, and it’s going to be a while before we see, cargo ships and commercial planes go fully electric(ahem, think energy density, and weight). The key takeaway here is: basically, use all the electricity we can to power all the vehicles we can, and use cheap, clean synthetic liquid fuels for the rest.

• Continue innovating until we can find breakthroughs and bring all the above’s subsequent Green Premiums down to below zero.

In the final part of the book, Gates explores the political and economic challenges of addressing climate change and provides recommendations for how to overcome these obstacles. He discusses the role of governments, businesses, and individuals in reducing greenhouse gas emissions, and highlights the need for collaboration and cooperation between different sectors of society. 

“How to Avoid a Climate Disaster” was a fantastic read and an engaging accessible book through which Gates approaches the breakthroughs we need with a very thorough and pragmatic approach, through which he offers practical insights and recommendations for individuals, businesses, and policymakers. The book is a must-read for anyone who wants to understand the science behind climate change and the actions needed to address this urgent global challenge.