John Peace's Key Ideas from How to Avoid a Climate Disaster
by Bill Gates

Contrary to popular belief, emissions caused by car traffic and aviation only make up around 16% of all greenhouse gases emitted.

The remaining 84% are caused by the production of food, electricity and building materials, as well as air conditioning.

Generating electricity causes 27% of greenhouse gas emissions.

Today, fossil fuels account for two-thirds of all electricity generated worldwide. Getting all this energy from clean sources requires breakthroughs in science, for example in nuclear fusion and carbon capture.

Because the sun doesn't always shine and the wind doesn't always blow, we also need more efficient batteries to store solar and wind generated electricity.

Production of plastics, concrete and steel causes 31% of greenhouse gas emissions.

By 2060, urbanization will have approximately doubled. That's the equivalent of putting up another New York City every month.

Currently, the only way to make concrete and steel involves tremendous carbon emissions. We need to electrify these processes and use materials more efficiently.

Food production causes 19% of greenhouse gas emissions.

In agriculture, the main culprit isn't carbon dioxide, but methane. It causes 28 times more warming per molecule than carbon.

As funny as it sounds, 4% of global warming is due to cows farting and burping methane - that's the same amount of what ship and airplane traffic causes combined!

So, to lower these numbers, we need to eat more plant-based and waste less food.

Vehicle traffic causes 16% of greenhouse gas emissions.

For short-distance vehicles, like cars and buses, going all-electric is an efficient alternative to gasoline.

Long-distance vehicles, like trucks and planes, might have to switch to advanced bio- or electrofuels.

Ships could rely more on atomic energy, like plenty submarines and aircraft carriers do.

Air conditioning causes 7% of greenhouse gas emissions.

With climate change warming the earth more and more, A/C demand is on the rise.

The biggest problem here are the coolants used to transfer the heat. Especially in cheap A/C units, so-called F-gases leak out into the atmosphere, accelerating global warming.

Government policies and incentives are needed for more climate-friendly devices to be put in service.