Bill Gates misrepresents the Climate Crisis — revised 3/17/21
By: Larry Langdon
Tags: Climate Change, Global Warming, Bill Gates, Flip The Senate, Climate Crisis

To Bill Gates:

You got the science right, but you have the language wrong. You need to consult language/communication experts because it’s the MESSAGING that’s keeping us from solving the climate crisis. The book title “How to Avoid a Climate Disaster” understates the problem by orders of magnitude. Just as our current actions under-responds b orders of magnitude. “Can We Stop the Life-Ending Climate Catastrophe?” might be more accurate. Humanity faces multiple disasters each year. They used to be “acts of god,” but now we think of them as “natural disasters.” However, NOW, we’ve reached the point, PRESENTLY, where at least half the annual disasters are at least partially caused by the climate crisis humanity has created. We’re only beginning to acknowledge the extent that climate is influencing political and social unrest, poverty, and starvation. Unprecedented fires engulf whole states and continents. Floods are larger than ever. Greta Thunberg has the best handle on the language so far: “Our house is on fire.” It’s questionable whether humanity is capable of understanding the profoundly extreme nature of our situation, but the least we can do is attempt to craft language to match the issue at hand. We’ve moved from “climate change” which isn’t even evaluative to Climate Crisis, but need to declare “climate emergency” and fight a climate war — now.

THANK YOU for focusing on climate change, and for acknowledging how critical it is. I’m concerned about your messaging “we can avoid the worst effects of climate change.” Because the worst effects of climate change, predicted by many, include a planet Earth completely devoid of life. The thing is, Bill, we are ALREADY experiencing horrible effects — here in California our forests are NOW ON FIRE. Every day we can read of incredible damage to our ecosystems. Whole global regions are on fire. The polar ice is melting. The coral reefs are bleaching. Fire is JUST AN EXAMPLE OF CURRENT DEVISTATION. Perhaps we can dream of a future world where all the major IMPACTS TO DATE are reversed, but that’s a science-fiction world. We have a serious denial problem and as individuals, as a nation, and globally. Our leaders, and yes, our thought leaders such as yourself, aren’t admitting HOW HORRIBLE THE CURRENT IMACT IS. And the fact that GLOBAL EMISSIONS HAVE NOT EVEN BEEN STABOLIZED, THEY ARE STILL INCREASING. Of course, that is because most of the people on the planet are living in relative poverty and the “under” developed half of the world are racing to catch up and USE AT LEAST 10 TIMES THEIR CURRENT ENERGY. So, Bill, when you use a phrase like “we can avoid the worst,” you’re choosing phrases that misrepresent our situation. A more realistic phrase, which is not incompatable with the truth of “we can avoid the worst” is “we must do FAR MUCH BETTER and WE MUST MAKE CONSIDERABLE SACRIFICE AND APPLY CONSIDERABLE FOCUS TO AVOID UNTHINKABLE DISTRUCTION AND SUFFERING” — WE NEED A “WAR EFFORT” NOW IF THE INTHINKABLE IS TO BE AVOIDED.

Fortunately, we in the United States have elected a new executive team who are committed to doing what they can to prioritize the climate crisis. I’m optomistic that their comprehensive approach will help considerably. In fact, they seem to be working in agreement with Greta Thunberg’s analysis: “Everything must change” and crafting a “build back better” strategy that attacks MANY of the root causes of climate change, including systemic racism, elitism, selfishness, materialism, and a lack of concern for our fellow humans, to say nothing of other living creatures. HOWEVER, I FEAR IF THE GEORGIA ELECTION DOES NOT FLIP THE SENATE, JOE BIDEN AND KAMALA HARRIS WILL BE POWERLESS TO MAKE THE DRAMATIC CHANGES REQUIRED TO STOP OUR CONTINUED GLOBAL RUSH TOWARD DISTRUCTION CAUSED BY UNWILLINGNESS TO FACE THE SEVERITY OF THE PROBLEM AND CHANGE EVERYTHING INCLUDING OVERCONSUMPTION. AT THIS POINT, ANY DISCUSSION THAT DOESN’T FOCUS ON FLIPPING THE SENATE IS A DISTRACTION. I BELIEVE AND FEAR THAT IF WE DONT FLIP THE SENATE WITH THE GEORGIA ELECTION THIS COMING JANUARY, THE NEXT TWO YEARS WILL BE ENOUGH TO MAKE MAKE A CONTINUED PLUNGE INTO UNTHINKABLE GLOBAL DISASTER INEVITABLE AND IRREVERSABLE. WE ARE AT A DESPERATE CROSSROADS — OUR FATE WILL BE SEALED ON JANUARY 5TH.

I PRAY TO GOD THE PEOPLE OF GEORGIA, WITH OUR HELP, HAVE THE WISDOM TO SAVE OUR PLANET. I FEAR THEY HOLD OUR GLOBAL FUTURE IN THEIR HANDS. PLEASE TAKE WHAT ACTION YOU CAN TO ASSURE A VICTORY FOR OUR PLANET ON JANUARY 5TH IN GEORGIA.