Eco-Action Book Chat

Join our 6-week virtual discussion of “How to Avoid a Climate Disaster: The Solutions We Have and the Breakthroughs We Need,” by Bill Gates.
Discussion dates are April 6, 13, 20, 27 and May 4 and 11, from 1 to 2 p.m.
“In this urgent, authoritative book, Bill Gates sets out a wide-ranging, practical – and accessible – plan for how the world can get to zero greenhouse gas emissions in time to avoid a climate catastrophe.
Bill Gates has spent a decade investigating the causes and effects of climate change. With the help of experts in the fields of physics, chemistry, biology, engineering, political science, and finance, he has focused on what must be done in order to stop the planet’s slide toward certain environmental disaster. In this book, he not only explains why we need to work toward net-zero emissions of greenhouse gases, but also details what we need to do to achieve this profoundly important goal.
He gives us a clear-eyed description of the challenges we face. Drawing on his understanding of innovation and what it takes to get new ideas into the market, he describes the areas in which technology is already helping to reduce emissions, where and how the current technology can be made to function more effectively, where breakthrough technologies are needed, and who is working on these essential innovations. Finally, he lays out a concrete, practical plan for achieving the goal of zero emissions-suggesting not only policies that governments should adopt, but what we as individuals can do to keep our government, our employers, and ourselves accountable in this crucial enterprise.
As Bill Gates makes clear, achieving zero emissions will not be simple or easy to do, but if we follow the plan he sets out here, it is a goal firmly within our reach.” (From Goodreads.com)
WMEAC’s Lakeshore Outreach Organizer Tanya Cabala is facilitating this discussion and will provide questions for each session via email, on a weekly basis. Please provide your name and email address to her at [email protected] to get on the distribution list.
Participants are encouraged to purchase the book from the co-sponsoring independent bookstores, Book Nook & Java Shop in Montague, or Books and Mortar in Grand Rapids.