♪♪♪ >> Stephen: HEY, EVERYBODY!
WE'RE BACK WITH THE AUTHOR OF "HOW TO AVOID A CLIMATE
DISASTER," BILL GATES.
GOVERNOR ABBOTT DOWN IN TEXAS SAYS THEIR PROBLEM WAS GREEN
ENERGY DOWN IN TEXAS.
THAT'S WHY THEY DIDN'T HAVE POWER, SO THE WATER SYSTEM SHUT
DOWN AND THE HEATERS SHUT DOWN AND THE PIPES BURST.
WHAT'S YOUR RESPONSE TO SOMEONE WHO WANTS TO BLAME GREEN ENERGY
FOR THERE LATEST CRISIS?
>> WELL, THE PROBLEM WAS THEY DIDN'T WEATHERIZE ANY OF THEIR
POWER SOURCES, SO NATURAL GAS SHUT DOWN, AND THAT WAS THE
BIGGEST THING.
THE WIND SHUTTING DOWN WAS A VERY SMALL PERCENTAGE, AND THAT
WAS JUST BECAUSE THEY HAVEN'T WEATHERIZED IT.
EVEN NORTH DAKOTA HAS WIND THAT WORKS AT COLD TEMPERATURES.
THERE ARE TWO REALLY VALID POINTS HERE, THOUGH, WHICH IS
WE'RE GOING TO HAVE MORE OF THESE CRAZY WEATHER EVENTS, EVEN
COLD ONES LIKE THAT, BECAUSE OF CLIMATE CHANGE, AND, AS WE MAKE
THE GRID CLEAN, IT IS -- IT WILL BE A CHALLENGE TO KEEP IT
RELIABLE BECAUSE YOU CAN HAVE LOTS OF CASES WHERE THERE'S NOT
MUCH SUN OR WIND, SO WE HAVE TO INNOVATE TO BE ABLE TO STORE
ENERGY OR USE A WEATHER-INDEPENDENT GREEN SOURCE
LIKE NUCLEAR.
>> Stephen: OKAY.
WELL, I MEAN, PEOPLE LOOK AT NUCLEAR A LITTLE ASKANCE, AND
I'M SURE YOU CAN UNDERSTAND WHY.
THERE HAVE BEEN NUCLEAR ACCIDENTS.
I'M NOT SURE IF YOU SAW H.B.O.'S SHEERS CHERNOBYL, BUT IT WAS A
BIT CHILLING, ABOUT THE POSSIBILITY THERE WOULD BE A
LARGE HUNK OF EASTERN EUROPE WOULD NOT BE INHABITABLE FOR
SEVERAL THOUSAND YEARS.
IS IT POSSIBLE TO DO NUCLEAR POWER SAFELY?
>> ABSOLUTELY.
WE NEED A NEW DESIGN.
THE RECORD, DESPITE CHERNOBYL, DESPITE WHAT COAL HAS DONE TO
PEOPLE'S HEALTH AND COAL MINUS AND NATURAL GAS PIPELINES
BLOWING UP, IT'S QUITE GOOD, BUT IT'S NOT GOOD ENOUGH.
SO WE NEED TO START FROM SCRATCH AND HAVE A REACTOR THAT THE
OPERATES CAN NEVER MESS UP, THAT NO MATTER WHAT, THE RADIOACTIVE
STUFF STAYS ON SITE, AND I'M INVOLVED IN A COMPANY THAT JUST
GOT A U.S. GOVERNMENT CONTRACT TO PROVE THAT THERE'S THIS NEW
SUPER SAFE GENERATION.
>> Stephen: UM, NOT TO PUSH BACK AGAINST SOMEONE WHO KNOWS
MORE ABOUT THIS THAN I DO, BUT ISN'T THE DANGER WITH NUCLEAR
REACTORS NOT SO MUCH THAT OTHER FORMS OF ENERGY DON'T KILL
PEOPLE IN THE LONG RUN, BUT THAT A LARGE CHUNK OF THE PLANET
DOESN'T BECOME UNINHABITABLE AS A RESULT OF AN ACCIDENT WHEN
NUCLEAR RADIATION IS SPREAD LIKE A POISONOUS SAUCE OVER UKRAINE?
>> NO, THE CHERNOBYL WAS A HUGE DISASTER, AND, YOU KNOW, THE
RADIOACTIVE MATERIAL SPREAD OUT OF THE REACTOR, AND, YOU KNOW,
PEOPLE HAD TO LEAVE THAT AREA.
AND, YOU KNOW, YOU HAVE TO KEEP THE STUFF IN THE REACTOR.
IT IS, YOU KNOW -- IT -- THE HISTORY IS CLEAR, BUT, GOING
FORWARD, PEOPLE SHOULD JUST HAVE AN OPEN MIND BECAUSE YOU WANT A
GREEN SOURCE OF ENERGY THAT'S NOT WEATHER DEPENDENT, AND
NUCLEAR IS THE ONLY THING THAT HAS A CHANCE OF SCALING THAT
WELL, AND, YOU KNOW, I'M AMAZED AT THE BRILLIANT THINGS PEOPLE
HAVE COME UP WITH TO BE ABLE TO GUARANTEE THIS, AND NOW WE CAN
SIMULATE ALL THE BAD THINGS THAT MGHT HAPPEN TO MAKE SURE WE'RE
ROBUST.
>> Stephen: AT 65 YEARS OLD, DO YOU HAVE ANYTHING YOU WANT TO
SAY TO THIS GUY FROM 37 YEARS AGO?
YOU SEE THIS FELLOW RIGHT HERE?
>> YEAH, HE WAS A MAD MAN.
HE WORKED ALL THE TIME.
HE DIDN'T THINK OLD PEOPLE HAD ANY GOOD IDEAS, SO I WOULD TELL
THEM TO MELLOW ON THAT ONE.
( LAUGHTER ) >> Stephen: ARE THERE ANY
THINGS YOU WOULD SAY LIKE, DON'T DO THAT, DON'T PURSUE THAT
PROJECT?
IS THERE ANYTHING YOU WOULD WAVE HIM OFF.
>> BE NICE TO THE GOVERNMENT.
>> Stephen: BE NICE TO THE GOVERNMENT?
WHY?
WAS THIS GUY JUST A LITTLE CREEP TO THE GOVERNMENT?
>> NO, NO, HE EVENTUALLY GOT INTO AN ANTITRUST TRIAL.
>> Stephen: OH, THAT'S RIGHT.
THAT'S RIGHT.
AND WAS HE RIGHT OR WRONG FOR DEFENDING HIS ACTIONS?
>> UH, I'M TOO BIASED TO ANSWER THAT QUESTION.
>> Stephen: YOU'RE IMMINENTLY FAIR TO YOURSELF.
( LAUGHTER ) WELL, BILL, THANK YOU SO MUCH
FOR BEING HERE.
>> WELL, THANKS.
GREAT TO TALK TO YOU.
>> Stephen: I WAS WAITING FOR A THANKS BACK.
THAT'S ALL.
CAN'T BELIEVE HOW HARD I HAD TO FISH FOR THAT ONE.
( LAUGHTER ) HOW DO AVOID A CLIMATE DISASTER
IS AVAILABLE NOW.
BILL GATES, EVERYBODY.
WE'LL BE RIGHT BACK WITH A PERFORMANCE BY "TUNE-YARDS."
♪♪♪