Powerful ideas from top nonfiction
Try Blinkist to get the key ideas from 7,500+ bestselling nonfiction titles and podcasts. Listen or read in just 15 minutes.
Start your free trial
Blink 3 of 8 - The 5 AM Club
by Robin Sharma
Listen to the Intro
How to Avoid a Climate Disaster summary
The Solutions We Have and the Breakthroughs We Need
30 mins
Brief summary
"How to Avoid a Climate Disaster" by Bill Gates outlines practical solutions for reducing greenhouse gas emissions, preventing a climate catastrophe, and transitioning towards a clean energy future.
Table of Contents
How to Avoid a Climate Disaster
Summary of 8 key ideas
Audio & text in the Blinkist app
Key idea 1 of 8
To bring our planet back from the brink of disaster, we need to get our greenhouse gas emissions to zero.
When Bill Gates and Paul Allen founded Microsoft in 1975, they were living in Albuquerque, New Mexico. Back then, the city was already pretty hot; temperatures climbed to over 90 degrees Fahrenheit an average of 36 days a year. But by 2050, that number of days is expected to double. And by the end of the century, it will triple. The health and economic consequences will be profound.
The reason for this rapid increase in temperature is that we’re currently pumping around 51 billion tons of greenhouse gases into the atmosphere every year. And while efforts are underway to improve the situation, this number isn’t going down; in fact, it’s only getting bigger.
The key message here is: To bring our planet back from the brink of disaster, we need to get our greenhouse gas emissions to zero.
So what can we do? Well, to start, we need to understand what greenhouse gases are and how they work.
There are many different greenhouse gases, including carbon dioxide, methane, and nitrous oxide. Some are more harmful than others, but carbon dioxide alone accounts for more than 70 percent of yearly emissions. So, to keep the numbers simple, the collective term “greenhouse gases” also goes by the more scientific name of carbon dioxide equivalents – and this is the 51 billion tons that we’re dealing with.
The term “greenhouse gases” does a pretty good job of describing the problem these gases cause. They let the sun’s energy in, but they don’t let the resulting heat escape once it’s bounced back off the earth’s surface. As a result, the heat is trapped, much like the heat inside a greenhouse. It’s the same process that makes the inside of your car hotter than the outside on a sunny, summer afternoon.
The effect of these greenhouse gases is that the planet has gotten hotter. Since the dawn of the Industrial Age, the average global temperature has risen one degree Celsius; some areas have even experienced a rise of over two degrees. That may not sound like much, but, on a global scale, it is. And there are many far-reaching consequences.
For example, increased temperatures cause more moisture from the earth’s surface to evaporate into the atmosphere. As a result, there are more droughts around the world, more wildfires, and more flooding in areas already in danger of being consumed by water. Already, 20 to 30 percent of Bangladesh is underwater on a regular basis. This problem will only get worse – and more common around the world. This means more displaced people, as well as fewer habitats for both plants and animals.
We need to get to zero emissions because every second we don’t, the situation gets worse. Greenhouse gases don’t vanish overnight. They stick around for tens of thousands of years. Think of it like a bathtub on the verge of overflowing. Even a small but steady drip will cause the water to start spilling over.
Want to see all full key ideas from How to Avoid a Climate Disaster?
Key ideas in How to Avoid a Climate Disaster
More knowledge in less time
Read or listen
Get the key ideas from nonfiction bestsellers in minutes, not hours.
Find your next read
Get book lists curated by experts and personalized recommendations.
Shortcasts New
We’ve teamed up with podcast creators to bring you key insights from podcasts.
What is How to Avoid a Climate Disaster about?
How to Avoid a Climate Disaster (2021) is a guidebook to getting the world to an important milestone: zero greenhouse gas emissions. Bill Gates shares the knowledge he’s gained through his role on international climate commissions and as a go-to source of funding for climate solution startups. He pinpoints the ideas that show the most promise and explains the work that still needs to be done.
How to Avoid a Climate Disaster Review
How to Avoid a Climate Disaster (2021) by Bill Gates is a compelling guide to understanding and addressing the climate crisis. Here's why this book is worth reading:
- It provides concrete solutions for individuals, companies, and governments to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and prevent further damage to our planet.
- Through a combination of scientific research, expert interviews, and personal experiences, Gates offers a comprehensive perspective on the urgency and complexity of the issue.
- With its accessible language and clear explanations, the book ensures that readers can grasp the gravity of the situation and become committed to taking action.
Best quote from How to Avoid a Climate Disaster
Setting a goal to only reduce our emissions – but not eliminate them – wont do it. The only sensible goal is zero.
—Bill Gates
Who should read How to Avoid a Climate Disaster?
- Anyone concerned about climate change
- Investors interested in new funding opportunities
- Business leaders looking for ways to help
Categories with How to Avoid a Climate Disaster
Book summaries like How to Avoid a Climate Disaster
People ❤️ Blinkist
Sven O.
It's highly addictive to get core insights on personally relevant topics without repetition or triviality. Added to that the apps ability to suggest kindred interests opens up a foundation of knowledge.
Thi Viet Quynh N.
Great app. Good selection of book summaries you can read or listen to while commuting. Instead of scrolling through your social media news feed, this is a much better way to spend your spare time in my opinion.
Jonathan A.
Life changing. The concept of being able to grasp a book's main point in such a short time truly opens multiple opportunities to grow every area of your life at a faster rate.
Renee D.
Great app. Addicting. Perfect for wait times, morning coffee, evening before bed. Extremely well written, thorough, easy to use.
People also liked these summaries
4.7 Stars
Average ratings on iOS and Google Play
33 Million
Downloads on all platforms
10+ years
Experience igniting personal growth
How to Avoid a Climate Disaster FAQs
What is the main message of How to Avoid a Climate Disaster?
The main message of How to Avoid a Climate Disaster is to provide practical solutions and strategies for tackling the urgent issue of climate change.
How long does it take to read How to Avoid a Climate Disaster?
The reading time for How to Avoid a Climate Disaster varies, but it typically takes several hours. The Blinkist summary can be read in just 15 minutes.
Is How to Avoid a Climate Disaster a good book? Is it worth reading?
How to Avoid a Climate Disaster is a worthwhile read as it offers actionable insights and a clear roadmap for addressing the climate crisis.
Who is the author of How to Avoid a Climate Disaster?
The author of How to Avoid a Climate Disaster is Bill Gates.
What to read after How to Avoid a Climate Disaster?
If you're wondering what to read next after How to Avoid a Climate Disaster, here are some recommendations we suggest:
- Drawdown by Paul Hawken (ed.)
- The Climate Book by Greta Thunberg
- How to Prevent the Next Pandemic by Bill Gates
- Not the End of the World by Hannah Ritchie
- The Miracle Morning by Hal Elrod
- Superintelligence by Nick Bostrom
- The Big Picture by Sean Carroll
- The Skill Code by Matt Beane
- Think and Grow Rich by Napoleon Hill
- Designer Relationships by Mark A. Michaels & Patricia Johnson