Securing a reliable source of inexpensive, clean energy is the answer to many of the world’s problems, Bill Gates said in his annual letter Tuesday. “If we really want to help the world’s poorest families, we need to find a way to get them cheap, clean energy. Cheap because everyone must be able to afford it. Clean because it must not emit any carbon dioxide—which is driving climate change,” Gates wrote.
The Microsoft co-founder noted that billions of people on the planet do not have access to electricity. This is more than an inconvenience, as areas without electricity lake proper medical facilities, lighting for schools, and basic modern agricultural equipment, Gates wrote. Furthermore, these poor communities are likely to feel the worst effects of climate change. “Millions of the poorest families work as farmers. Changes in weather often mean that their crops won’t grow because of too little rain or too much rain. That sinks them deeper into poverty,” the letter says
While renewable sources of energy have advanced and become a larger part of the world’s energy mix, they are not an entirely feasible answer to the problem, Gate’s asserted. “It’s great that these are getting cheaper and more people are using them. We should use more of them where it makes sense, like in places where it’s especially sunny or windy. And by installing special new power lines we could make even more use of solar and wind power,” he wrote. “But to stop climate change and make energy affordable for everyone, we’re also going to need some new inventions.”
Regardless of the size of the challenge, Gates believes that it can be surmounted. “I’m so optimistic about the world’s ability to make a miracle happen that I’m willing to make a prediction. Within the next 15 years—and especially if young people get involved—I expect the world will discover a clean energy breakthrough that will save our planet and power our world,” he wrote.
