Bill Gates: Capitalism cannot save us from climate change

[dalsingh101]

The world’s richest man, Bill Gates, has said that the private sector is too selfish and inefficient to produce effective energy alternatives to fossil fuels.

While announcing his plan to spend $2 billion of his own wealth on green energy during an interview with The Atlantic, the Microsoft founder called on fellow billionaires to help make the US fossil-free by 2050 with similar philanthropy.

He said:

 

There’s no fortune to be made. Even if you have a new energy source that costs the same as today’s and emits no CO2, it will be uncertain compared with what’s tried-and-true and already operating at unbelievable scale and has gotten through all the regulatory problems.

Without a substantial carbon tax, there’s no incentive for innovators or plant buyers to switch.

Since World War II, US-government R&D has defined the state of the art in almost every area. The private sector is in general inept.

The climate problem has to be solved in the rich countries. China and the US and Europe have to solve CO2 emissions, and when they do, hopefully they’ll make it cheap enough for everyone else.

 

In recent years, China has surged ahead of the US and Europe in green investment, despite remaining the world’s most polluting country in terms of fossil fuels.

Between 2000 and 2012, China’s solar energy output rose from 3 to 21,000 megawatts, rising 67 per cent between 2013 and 2014. In 2014 the country’s CO2 emissions decreased 1 per cent.

Meanwhile, Germany’s greenhouse emissions are at the lowest point since 1990, and the UK has seen a decrease of 13.35 per cent in emissions over the last five years, according to official quarterly statistics from the Department of Energy & Climate Change.

 

http://i100.independent.co.uk/article/bill-gates-says-that-capitalism-cannot-save-us-from-climate-change--b1xNpbL8O_x

[kdsingh80]

Capitalism emerges from greed  , not only of producer but also of consumer.In this world if few countries will allow their environment  to be exploited to produce cheaper goods then how  many will boycott those goods . The answer will be close to 0.

 

People want cheap products no matter from where they are coming.

[dalsingh101]

18 hours ago, kdsingh80 said:

Capitalism emerges from greed  , not only of producer but also of consumer.In this world if few countries will allow their environment  to be exploited to produce cheaper goods then how  many will boycott those goods . The answer will be close to 0.

 

People want cheap products no matter from where they are coming.

Yes, but there are movements that focus on growing or purchasing you own food locally. And some people aren't obsessed with having the latest gadgets. 

[kdsingh80]

18 hours ago, dalsingh101 said:

Yes, but there are movements that focus on growing or purchasing you own food locally. And some people aren't obsessed with having the latest gadgets. 

These are very tiny movements , mostly constrained in Developed nations. More like " no sau choohe khaa ke billi haj ko chali".In developing nations people are still carzy about gadgets because they grow up watching these and when they had chance they just buy .it.

 

[dalsingh101]

4 hours ago, kdsingh80 said:

These are very tiny movements , mostly constrained in Developed nations. More like " no sau choohe khaa ke billi haj ko chali".In developing nations people are still carzy about gadgets because they grow up watching these and when they had chance they just buy .it.

 

It would help if you pendus back home jumped on it too. You need it more than anyone else. 

 

Besides, backhome pendus usually end up following western trends a few decades after they have become norms in the west. So there is hope yet. 

[kdsingh80]

3 hours ago, dalsingh101 said:

It would help if you pendus back home jumped on it too. You need it more than anyone else. 

 

Besides, backhome pendus usually end up following western trends a few decades after they have become norms in the west. So there is hope yet. 

Haha 

 

The type of per capita resources developed nation consume vs per capita resources consumed by an average Indian is Like comparing  Buffalo and goat.

 

Its like an obese person asking average weight person to diet so that world can have more food

Edited November 11, 2015 by kdsingh80

[dalsingh101]

1 hour ago, kdsingh80 said:

Haha 

 

The type of per capita resources developed nation consume vs per capita resources consumed by an average Indian is Like comparing  Buffalo and goat.

 

Its like an obese person asking average weight person to diet so that world can have more food

I'm talking on a next level. With certain farmers commonly polluting the land/water with chemicals. A culture of smaller scale, organic production would do wonders for the health of Panjab in terms of food quality, and save people a lot of money.  

[kdsingh80]

3 hours ago, dalsingh101 said:

I'm talking on a next level. With certain farmers commonly polluting the land/water with chemicals. A culture of smaller scale, organic production would do wonders for the health of Panjab in terms of food quality, and save people a lot of money.  

1)In India govt from past few years have already started advertisements , telling farmers not to use over pesticides, so with time we see reduction in use of those in Punjab

2) Organic farming is promoted in big way in Punjab, the problem is in country like India where the main requirement of consumer is cheap price , how many will pay double or triple amount for organic products

3) Organic is still very much debatable there are many articles on net calling organic big hoax

 

Quote

The Colossal Hoax Of Organic Agriculture

http://www.forbes.com/sites/henrymiller/2015/07/29/why-organic-agriculture-is-a-colossal-hoax/

There should be various studies before jumping into organic business ,O/W farmers may go bankrupt if it is found to be true.