>> James: OUR NEXT GUEST IS THE NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLING
AUTHOR OF "HOW TO AVOID A CLIMATE DISASTER." AND HE ALSO
HAD SOME SUCCESS WITH PERSONAL EXPOOTER, SOMETHING LIKE THAT,
PLEASE WELCOME MR. BILL GATES IS HERE, THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR
BEING HERE ON CLIMATE NIGHT, WE COULDN'T THINK OF A GREATER
GUEST, ALSO CAN I SAY A PERSONAL THANK YOU FOR BEING THE ONE
BILLIONAIRE WHO IS NOT TRYING TO ESCAPE PLANET EARTH ON A
SPACESHIP AT THE MOMENT.
THANK YOU.
>> HI, HAVE YOU ANY THOUGHTS, WHY IS THIS A THING BILLIONAIRES
ARE OBSESSED WITH IT, BILL, WHAT ARE YOUR THOUGHTS ON IT?
>> YOU KNOW, I DON'T KNOW.
I HAVE BECOME OBSESSED WITH THINGS LIKE MALL AR YARK AND HIV
AND GETTING RID OF THOSE DISEASES.
AND YOU KNOW, I PROBABLY BOTHER PEOPLE AT COCKTAIL PARTIES
TALKING ABOUT DISEASES, SO YOU KNOW, WE HAVE A LOT TO DO HERE
ON EARTH.
>> James: THAT IS THE CLASSIEST BURN I'VE EVER HEARD.
THE CLASSIEST BURN, I LOVE IT.
NOW THERE IS SO MUCH TO TALK ABOUT, BILL, THERE REALLY IS.
LET'S TALK ABOUT YOUR BOOK HERE, HOW TO AVOID A CLIMATE DISASTER.
IT FEELS LIKE CONSTANTLY NOW MORE THAN EVER WE SEE TEAR
TERRIFYING STORIES ABOUT CLIMATED CHANGE.
HERE IN CALIFORNIA WILDFIRES.
HURRICANES IN THE GULF COAST.
FLOODS IN EUROPE.
I THINK ANYBODY, ANY CITIZEN IN THE WORLD PARTICULARLY ANYBODY
WITH YOUNG CHILDREN LIKE MYSELF, THE THING THAT KEEPS ME UP AT
NIGHT IS WHAT KIND OF WORLD ARE THEY GOING TO INHERIT.
THE THING I HAVE LOVED EVERY TIME WE HAVE BEEN ON THE SHOW
BEFORE IS YOU ALWAYS FIND AN OPTIMISTIC CASE, EVEN IN THE
DARKEST TIMES, HOW COMMITTED ARE YOU THAT PLANET EARTH WILL BE A
LIVABLE PLACE FOR OUR CHILDREN AND THEIR CHILDREN AND FUTURE
GENERATIONS?
>> WELL, WE'RE GOING TO HAVE TO ACT TOGETHER AND WE'RE GOING TO
HAVE TO INNOVATE AT A VERY RAPID PACE.
THIS WILL BE THE HARDEST THING HUMANITARIAN HAS EVER DONE.
AND WE HAVE TO DO IT ACROSS ALL AREAS, NOT JUST ELECTRICITY BUT
TRANSPORT, HEATING, FOOD.
WE HAVE TO DO IT IN BASICALLY ALL COUNTRIES.
BECAUSE I THINK OUR POWER OF INNOVATION AND COMMITMENT OF
YOUNGER GENERATION TO THIS CAUSE IS VERY STRONG, I THINK WE'RE
MAKING PROGRESS.
BUT YOU KNOW, SIX YEARS AGO WE DIDN'T HAVE THE PRIVATE
SECRETARIER COMMITTED.
NOW THE LEADING PRIVATE SECTOR COMPANIES ARE SAYING THEY ARE
NOT ONLY GOING TO SOLVE THEIR OWN EMISSIONS BUT HELP OTHERS
SOL THEIR-- SOLVE THEIR EMISSIONS, SO THERE ARE SOME
GOOD SIGNS BUT WOW, THIS IS STILL A VERY DAUNTING TASK.
AND SADLY IT HAS BECOME SOME WHAT POLITICAL SOO WE HAVE TO
BRING EVERYBODY ON BOARD AND HAVE A UNIQUE LEVEL OF
COOPERATION SWRZ SOMETIMES IT FEELS-- SOMETIMES IT FEELS I
THINK FOR US, SO OVERWHELMING.
THE SCALE OF WHAT GLOBALLY NEEDS TO HAPPEN.
YOU WRITE IN THE BOOK ABOUT HOW THE GOAL IS TO GET TO ZERO,
WHICH MEANS REMOVING, I THINK THINK IT IS 51 BILLION TON OF
GREEN HOUSE TBAS FROM THE ATMOSPHERE EF YEE-- EVERY YEAR
WHICH MEANS SO MUCH MORE STRKS NOT JUST THE CASE OF EVERYONE
SWIMPING TO ELECTRIC CARS OR EATING LESS MEAT, HOW DO WE DO
THAT?
>> YEAH, SO YOUR CONSUMER PREFERENCES, IF YOU CAN AFFORD
A ELECTRIC CAR, BIO EFFICIENT MEAT OR EAT LESS, THAT REALLY IS
CONTRIBUTING AND ENCOURAGES THE COMPANIES THAT NEED TO BRING THE
PRICE OF THESE GREEN PRODUCTS DOWN, WE NEED GREEN CEMENT,
GREEN STEEL, YOU KNOW, ALL THE DIFFERENT AREAS.
VERSUS SIX YEARS AGO THE AWARENESS OF THE PROBLEM IS MUCH
HIGHER.
THE ARTICLES ABOUT IT ARE MUCH MORE.
I ADMIT AT FIRST THAT MAKES YOU DEPRESSIONED BUT THEN WE HAVE TO
GET ENGAGED AND SAY THIS WILL BE HARD.
BUT I WILL USE MY POLITICAL VOICE, I WILL MAKE SURE THE
COMPANY I WORK FOR IS ENGAGED.
AND I WILL STUDY THE PROBLEM.
SO YOU KNOW, PEOPLE GET WHAT NEEDS TO BE DONE.
IT IS IS VERY DAUNTING BECAUSE THAT 51 BILLION, YOU KNOW, IT
HASN'T GONE DOWN, IT WENT DOWN ONLY A TEENY BIT DURING THE
PANDEMIC, YOU KNOW, IN GENERAL IT HAS GONE UP AND WHAT WE ARE
SAYING IS WE HAVE TO NOT ONLY FLATEN IT BUT WE HAVE TO MAKE IT
GO WITHIN 30 YEARS, CHANGE THE FEEL CHANGE TO STEEL AND CEMENT
AND HOW WE FUEL OUR PLANES AND ALL TRANSPORT.
SO YEAH, THERE ARE TIMES WHEN IT IS DAUNTING, BUT YOU KNOW, WHEN
YOU SEE SMALL COMPANIES THAT ARE INNOVATING, YOU SEE THE BIG
COMPANIES NOW SIGNING UP TO HELP.
I HAD SEVEN JUST THIS WEEK COMMIT OVER A HUNDRED MILLION SO
WE'VE GOT A BILLION DOLLARS TO DO PIONEERING PROJECTS.
SO I AM SEEING PROGRESS.
AND NOBODY SHOULD GIVE UP.
THEY SHOULD SEE HOW THEY CAN GET INVOLVED INCLUDING SPEAKING OUT
ON THE TOPIC.
>> WHEN YOU SAY SPEAKING OUT ON THE TOPIC, WHAT DO YOU MEAN, THE
PEOPLE AT HOME RIGHT NOW, WHEN YOU SAY SPEAKING OUT ON THE
TOPIC, WHAT CAN THEY DO, WHAT DOES THAT MEAN?
>> WELL, THERE ARE TWO BILLS IN CONGRESS, IN THE U.S. CONGRESS
THAT EACH, THE RECONCILIATION, HAVE REALLY IMPORTANT CLIMATE
FUNDING IN THEM.
SO HOPEFULLY WE GET THE CONSENSUS TO GET BOTH OF THOSE
PUSHED THROUGH.
WE DO HAVE TO MAKE IT SO THAT EVEN THOUGH THE PARTIES CAN HAVE
DIFFERENT-- TACTICS IN MIND, THEY BOTH AGREE IT IS A
PRIORITY.
SO I PARTICULARLY LOOK TO YOUNG REPUBLICANS TO LOOK INTO THIS
ISSUE AND HAVE A VIEW.
NOT MAYBE THE SAME TACTICS BUT A VIEW THAT IF WOW, THIS IS RIGHT
UP THERE IN TERMS OF HOW THE U.S. IS GOING TO CREATE NEW
INDUSTRIES AND HELP THE ENTIRE WORLD AVOID THIS.
BECAUSE WE ARE THE MOST INNOVATIVE COUNTRY.
AND INVASION CAN BRING THE PRICE OF THESE GREEN PRODUCTS DOWN.
TODAY GREEN CEMENT COSTS TWICE AS MUCH, AND YOU KNOW, ELECTRIC
CARS DON'T GO AS FAR.
SO WE NEED A LOT OF INNOVATION AND I'M I'VE ALWAYS SEEN THAT AS
A KEY ANSWER.
AND HERE WE HAVE A DEADLINE TO GET IT NOT ONLY INVENTED BUT
DEEMPLOYED BY 2050.
>> James: SOMETIMES, I CAN REMEMBER THIS HAPPENED IN
AMERICA, THERE WAS A MASSIVE THING IN BRITAIN WHICH WAS TO
NOT LEAVE YOUR TV ON STANDBY, SO THE LITTLE RED LIGHTED WHAT WAS
ON, LIKE YOU CAN MAKE A DIFFERENCE, SO I DO THIS ALL THE
TIME.
AND THEN I WENT TO VEGAS AND THE STRIP WAS JUST LIT UP ALL NIGHT
AND I THOUGHT, AND I REMEMBER THINKING I DON'T THINK MY TV IS
GOING TO MAKE A DENT HERE.
AND I THINK IN IT'S OWN TINY WAY THAT IS SOMETIMES HOW YOU FEEL,
I CAN MAKE THESE SMALL CHANGES BUT UNLESS BIG INDUSTRIES
GLOBALLY, HUGE CORPORATIONS AND WORLD LEADERS MAKE A DIFFERENCE,
WHAT I AM DOING, CAN I REALLY, INDIVIDUALS CAN FEEL SO
POWERLESS IN ALL OF THIS.
>> WELL, I DEFINITELY THINK THAT YOUR BEHAVIOR, A LOT OF PEOPLE
RIGHT NOW, THEY FEEL IMPOSSIBLE BEYOND AND SFERL OTHERS BURGER
KING OFFERED IT, AND IT WAS SO POPULAR THEY'VE NOW PUT IT IN
ALL OF THEIR OUTLETS.
AND SO THAT IS DRIVING A WHOLE NEW INDUSTRY, YOU KNOW, WHEN
PEOPLE CAN AFFORD AN ELECTRIC CAR OR ELECTRIC HEATING FOR
THEIR HOUSE, THAT IS INDUSTRY, THE MORE THOSE INDUSTRIES GROW,
THE MORE THEY BRING THE PRICE DWN, SO WE HAVE SEEN THE SOLAR
ENERGY, THE PRIZE HAS COME DOWN, THAT IS WHAT WE NEED ACROSS ALL
THE DIFFERENT AREAS OF THE NATION, AND SO POLITICAL VOICE
REALLY DOES MATTER A LOT.
AND YOUR VOICE WITH CONSUMER, YOU KNOW.
AND GET OUT THERE, GET INVOLVED.
I DID IMPRESS, THE ACTIVISM, IT IS STRONGER TODAY AND IT IS
DIRECTED AT REAL SOLUTIONS.
>> James: SO I KNOW WE HAVE TO GO TO BRING IN A-- BREAK IN A
PIN BUT IS IT GOING TO BE.
>> I THINK WE'RE GETTING VERY COMMITTED PEOPLE WITH DIFFERENT
SKILL SETS ENGAGED ON THIS THING.
THIS IS A VERY SPECIAL TIME AND THE FACT WE EVEN HAVE A CLIMATE
WEEK, ALL OF HUMANITY ENGAGES, PEOPLE SHOULD NOT BE PESSIMISM,
THEY SHOULD NOT GIVE UP.
>> James: THANK GOD FOR BILL GATES, EVERYBODY.
HOW TO AVOID A CLIMATE DISASTER IS WORTHY OF YOUR TIME, AND IT
IS OUT RIGHT NOW, THANK YOU SO MUCH, BILL GATES.
WE'LL BE RIGHT BACK WITH MORE OF THE "LATE, LATE SHOW."