Bill Gates: Rethink Capitalism, Creatively
Capitalism's veritable poster-child, Bill Gates (is he still the number one richest person in the world?), said today that we need to refine the free-market system.
"Free-market forces have failed the world's poor," he said.
He was addressing the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland - an audience that's done well by free-market forces just as they are.
But Gates is calling for something new: "creative capitalism -- pushing beyond profit goals to more compassionate ones.
He admits that his company, Microsoft, hasn't always been about charity, but his own philanthropic work has taken him to places in the world where he's been faced with the brutal realities of poverty, places that have been bypassed while others thrive.
How would he do it? He offered a couple options:
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Leaf Blowers: Not A Big Climate Problem
In my line of work one sometimes hears strange things. These include allegations that leaf blowers or pet manure should be high priority targets for reducing climate emissions. I'm in a myth-busting mood today, so I am happy to report that leaf blowers don't really rate.
In the US, the emissions from all leaf blowers, both residential and commercial, for all of 2008 will be roughly equivalent to the emissions from driving that occurred between the arrival of the new year and 11:00 a.m. on January 1.
Add to that the entire year's worth of snowblowers, and you can equal the driving emissions up until 1:30 p.m. on the first.
Add in all lawn mowers, both residential and commerical, including the big riding and tractor-type units. Add in rototillers and other turf maintenance equipment. Add chainsaws, chippers, stump grinders, and shredders. Now add trimmers, edgers, brush cutters, and any other garden tool you can think of. The combined emissions from all of that racket-making equipment, for the entire year, is roughly equal to the driving that occurred before afternoon rush hour on January 6.
Of course, that's not really the whole story.
Special Series
Climate Fairness
In a Series
Climate Fairness
Climate change is a universal menace, threatening hardships for everyone. But it’s not an egalitarian menace: everyone will not suffer equally. Perversely, those people and nations least to blame for causing it are most vulnerable to its impacts.
Climate disruption heaps misfortune on the less fortunate, whether in low-lying Bangladesh, the Ninth Ward of New Orleans, or the flood plains around Chehalis, Washington. In climate change, the less you have, the more you’re likely to lose.
