Bill Gates: "Climate change will not wipe out humanity"
Steps back from "apocalyptic outlook"... welcomed by Trump
Al Gore: "Gates seems to fear Trump"
Former U.S. Vice President Al Gore strongly criticized Microsoft (MS) founder Bill Gates' views on climate change. According to Yonhap News, on the 12th (local time) at the 30th United Nations Climate Change Conference (COP30) held in Brazil, Gore said in an interview with the British daily The Guardian, "Gates reversed his stance on the climate crisis out of fear of being harassed by U.S. President Donald Trump, who is a fossil fuel enthusiast," adding, "It is truly regrettable."
Former U.S. Vice President Al Gore delivering a speech at the event commemorating the 20th anniversary of Hurricane Katrina last August. Photo by AP Yonhap News
At the end of last month, Gates posted on his blog, "Humanity will not be wiped out by climate change," taking a step back from his previous position. He argued that rather than limiting efforts to reducing greenhouse gas emissions, the focus should be on improving quality of life and reducing suffering through other means such as economic growth and public health. For example, he cited the spread of air conditioners, stating that while air conditioners emit greenhouse gases, they save lives from heat waves, thus the benefits outweigh the harms. He also referenced statistics showing that, despite more severe typhoons, floods, and wildfires, the number of deaths has decreased by 90% compared to a century ago.
This contrasts with previous "apocalyptic outlooks." In his 2021 book "How to Avoid a Climate Disaster," Gates stated, "Within decades, the death rate from climate change will surpass that of COVID-19," and emphasized, "If we respond quickly, we can avoid the disasters caused by climate change."
In response, former Vice President Gore said, "Every climate scientist I respect has asked, 'What on earth is he thinking?'" and called Gates' remarks "foolish." He continued, "When President Trump was re-elected, Gates fired climate staff and visited the White House to praise Trump. He may have been worried that Trump would harass him as he did other entrepreneurs. It seems that Gates is afraid of Trump," Gore asserted.
Gore also pointed out, "On the day Gates released his new stance on climate action, the prestigious international medical journal The Lancet published a report warning that 'enormous health problems could arise if climate action is not accelerated,'" adding, "It was truly pitiful."
Last September at the White House, President Donald Trump, First Lady Melania Trump, and Bill Gates, founder of Microsoft, were engaged in conversation. Photo by AP Yonhap News
He said, "The only person who was enthusiastic about Gates' recent opinion was President Trump," adding, "Perhaps Gates was aiming for that reaction." In fact, President Trump commented on Gates' change in position, saying, "We have won against the climate change hoax." Gore called Trump "the most corrupt president in American history," and criticized him for "abandoning renewable energy and promoting fossil fuels, causing severe damage to the U.S. economy." He also pointed out that China's exports of eco-friendly technology far exceed America's fossil fuel exports, adding, "This trend is accelerating rapidly."
Since losing the 2000 presidential election, former Vice President Gore has become an environmental activist and won the Academy Award for Best Documentary Feature for "An Inconvenient Truth," which features his lectures on global warming. In 2007, he was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize for his efforts to address global warming.
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