Why We Need Innovation, Not Just Insulation [ Bill Gates ]

Gates Notes 'blog ^ | January 24, 2010 | Bill Gates

[SunkenCiv]

...We also need to focus on developing innovative technologies that produce energy without generating any CO2 emissions at all. People often present two timeframes that we should have as goals for CO2 reduction -- 30% (off of some baseline) by 2020 and 80% by 2050. I believe the key one to achieve is 80% by 2050... If addressing climate change only requires us to get to the 2020 goal, then efficiency would be the key thing. ...the amount of CO2 avoided by these kinds of modest reduction efforts will not be the key to what happens with climate change in the long run... If CO2 reduction is important, we need to make it clear to people what really matters -- getting close to zero... ...Slowing the growth of CO2 ppm is of course a good thing... We should at the least fix market barriers and dysfunctions that prevent these gains from being realized. That's just being smart. But it's not enough to slow the growth of CO2 given the strength of demand driven by the poor who need to get access energy. No amount of insulation will get us there; only innovating our way to what is essentially zero carbon energy technology will do it. If we focus on just efficiency to the exclusion of innovation, or imagine that we can worry about efficiency first and worry about energy innovation later, we won't get there. The world is distracted from what counts on this issue in a big way.

[The Great RJ]

Gee Bill we already have the technology to produce energy without CO2 ...it’s called nuclear power.

[SunkenCiv]

The new Scientific [sic] American [sic] has a cover article on the need to rebuild the nation’s electrical grid, and makes a casual aside in reference to the need for nuclear power for that reason. :’)

[SunkenCiv]

You forgot Coerce, Coopt, Crossdevelopment agreement. ;’)

[SunkenCiv]

The way to do that have been around since the invention of flint weapons.

[SunkenCiv]

I’d settle for dropping them into a live volcano.

[FreedomPoster]

Stick to software, Bill. You clearly don’t know squat about Thermodynamics.

[boop]

And, unfortunately, the mega rich seem to be atheists/humanists concerned with "too many" people on the planet. Shhhh.... too many "colored" people.

OTOH, I actually DO applaud Gates' immunization programs.

[SaraJohnson]

The elitist “smart people” put all their eggs in the global warming basket. They are not so smart.

If Gates has technology to replace the use of oil, lets see it. Otherwise he can sit down and shut up until he does.

[ari-freedom]

“He was in some ways like Steve Jobs, but without any of Jobs’ vision, charisma, or ability to attract brilliant people with the sheer force of great ideas. “

trust me, you don’t want to know what Steve Jobs has to say about climate change.

[zeestephen]

Microsoft stock value:

November 2000 - $25.00

November 2010 - $25.00

Great job, Bill, with that innovation thing.

[SunkenCiv]

:’)