Bill Gates Says Refusing to Eat Meat Will Not Really Affect the Climate CrisisThe billionaire took to Bloomberg's Zero podcast to talk about the need for innovative technology in solving climate change issues at hand.

ByEmily Rella

Michael Nagle/Bloomberg via Getty Images
Michael Nagle/Bloomberg via Getty Images

Bill Gates has long been an environmentalist, often touting the dangers of climate change and the potentially devastating effects it can have in the future.

Last week, Gates doubled down on his dedication to the cause but thinks telling celebs to curb their private jets is going a step too far — and not going to make any real change.

"Anyone who says that we will tell people to stop eating meat or stop wanting to have a nice house, and we'll just basically change human desires, I think that that's too difficult," Gates told Akshat Rathi on theZero podcast byBloombergin response to a question about whether or not new technologies were enough to fight back. "I mean, you can make a case for it. But I don't think it's realistic for that to play an absolutely central role."

Gates said that "without innovation, you will never solve climate change" and noted that even if the world's richest people were told to live a more sustainable lifestyle, it would do little — the world's richest countries only account for one-third of worldwide emissions, he said.

"Those [remaining] two-thirds of emissions are pretty basic in terms of the calories and shelter and transport and goods being used," Gates explained. "So the excesses of the rich countries … It may feel Calvinistically appropriate, but I'm looking at what the world has to do to get to zero, not using climate as a moral crusade."

盖茨最近招致了其他亿万富翁Elon Musk over funding for climate change technologies after texts between the two men leaked in which Musk called Gates out for shorting Tesla.

"Sorry, but I cannot take your philanthropy on climate change seriously when you have a massive short position against Tesla, the company doing the most to solve climate change," Musk confirmed he said viatext messageon Twitter.

Gates hit back at Musk's accusation at the time by saying that he gives "a lot more money to climate change than Elon Musk or anyone else" and that shorting Tesla stock doesn't hinder Musk's capabilities in any way.

The Microsoft founderrecently published a bookabout the climate crisis, aptly called "How to Avoid A Climate Disaster."

周一morning, his net worth wasan estimated$105 billion.

Emily Rella

Entrepreneur Staff

Senior News Writer

Emily Rella is a Senior News Writer at Entrepreneur.com. Previously, she was an editor at Verizon Media. Her coverage spans features, business, lifestyle, tech, entertainment, and lifestyle. She is a 2015 graduate of Boston College and a Ridgefield, CT native. Find her on Twitter at @EmilyKRella.

Editor's Pick

Related Topics

领导

Young Workers Don't Want to Become Managers — and This Study Uncovers the Reason Why.

The average person has no interest in becoming a manager anymore, and the missing middle is putting companies at risk.

Growing a Business

Defend Your Brand With These Strategies to Combat Misinformation in Business

False or misleading information has the potential to damage reputations, fuel poor business decisions and result in legal consequences, but there are proven ways of protecting yourself.

Business News

Jeff Bezos Becomes His Own Neighbor, Purchases $78 Million Florida Mansion Next Door

The billionaire bought another house in the same Florida neighborhood in August.

Business News

Barbara Corcoran Says Dyslexia Was Her Biggest Motivator: 'It Takes a Lot to Get Over the Damage Done'

The "Shark Tank" star opened up about overcoming negative self talk.

Business News

In-Office Workers Spend (A Lot) More Money Than Remote Employees During the Workday. Here's How Much.

According to a new report, 66% of U.S. employees who returned to the office are spending an average of $51 per workday.

Living

How to Achieve Superhuman Levels of Focus with Nutritional Psychology

Could poor nutrition be the reason for a lack of focus?