Can YOU Fix Climate Change? (2)

to influence the people at the levers.

Politicians need to know and feel strongly that the people care, that their own success

depends on tackling rapid climate change.

When governments and local politicians are reluctant to change laws that affect their

biggest tax contributors or campaign donors, we need to vote them out and vote in people

who respect science.

We need to hold them accountable for implementing the most effective climate change strategies.

Not waste our time with things like banning plastic straws but by moving the big levers:

Food, transportation and energy while not forgetting the smaller ones like cement or

construction.

When industries fight against changing their ways, for fear of losses or in an honest attempt

to protect their own, we need politicians to change the laws and incentivise the deployment

of existing technologies and massively invest in innovation for the fields where we don't

have great solutions yet.

There is no reason that the profit interests of industries could not match the need to

reduce carbon emissions as much as possible.

And if they still don't cooperate harsh punishments and regulation need to force or

bankrupt them.

It's still unrealistic that change of that scope can be forced onto a worldwide economy

quickly enough, because many low carbon technologies still need a lot of time and research – which

means they are expensive.

But more companies will make more efficient carbon capture systems, tasty meat alternatives,

better batteries, cement alternatives and so on, if there is a clear and growing demand.

And if you are affluent enough, you can do your part by investing in these things right

now while they're still expensive.

These are the mechanisms that will drive the prices down later on.

So this is basically what you can do.

Vote at the ballot, vote with your wallet.

There are too many opposing interests and complicated grey zones.

In the end if we truly get the systemic change we need, everybody will be unhappy about some

aspect of it.

Only if we all accept that some solutions will have negative impacts for us, can we

have an honest conversation and make progress.

Everybody will be a little unhappy.

And that is ok.

This is the best you can do.

You can deal with the reality of the situation and promote your priorities through your behaviour

and your actions.

And while you do so, you can eat less meat, fly less or get an electric car.

Not because you should feel guilty if you don't or because you naively believe that

you alone can stop rapid climate change – but to do your tiny, tiny part for the systemic

change we need.

This video was supported by Gates Notes, the personal blog of Bill Gates, where he writes

about global health, climate change, and more.

Check out gatesnotes.com to learn more about ways the world can work together to reach

zero greenhouse gas emissions, or use the link below.

And in the spirit of transparency, if you want to learn more about how we handle Sponsorships

like this one, we also have a medium article describing how we do it.