For years, Bill Gates has warned about climate disasters, but in a recent speech, he changed his stance. In a report published online recently, Gates pointed out that although climate change is very serious, humans are able to adapt and continue developing successfully. He emphasized that efforts to reduce greenhouse gas emissions should not divert resources from other important tasks, such as improving healthcare and agriculture in developing countries. Instead, Gates called for focusing on innovation and breakthrough solutions to help people adapt to climate change.
Gates' dramatic shift in attitude surprised the public, because in recent years, Gates had seriously stated that climate change is the most serious issue facing humanity, more dangerous than pandemics, and that greenhouse gas emissions are "one of the main problems in the modern world." He also invested over $2 billion in so-called "green technology" to reduce carbon emissions. Moreover, this American billionaire added, "Cows produce a lot of greenhouse gases." Yet, this is the same Gates who suddenly changed his mind, which is unimaginable. Some experts, when commenting on Gates' "change of attitude," suspected that he changed his mind after meeting with former U.S. President Trump. Because Trump has repeatedly publicly expressed doubt about the necessity of reducing emissions and always emphasized that he would not allow U.S. production activities to stop, even if these activities were considered "environmentally polluting." Therefore, it is possible that Gates changed his attitude under Trump's pressure.
Gates' report received mixed reactions. Some agreed with his view, believing that climate change is not the biggest threat facing humanity, while others criticized him for downplaying the severity of climate change. Dr. Katharine Hayhoe, a climate scientist and professor at Texas Tech University, believes that climate change cannot be viewed separately from other global threats, as it exacerbates these threats. Dr. Daniel Swain, a climate scientist at the University of California, called Gates' report "full of holes" and pointed out that the report did not consider the huge impacts of a temperature rise of 2 to 3 degrees Celsius.
Original: www.toutiao.com/article/1847318260182028/
Statement: The article represents the views of the author.