Tech billionaire Bill Gates flies across Australia in his $70 million private jet while preaching about the dangers of climate change.
The Microsoft founder and fourth richest person in the world is in Australia with representatives from his company Breakthrough Energy to do business for the company, which claims to be driving innovation in sustainable energy and technologies to reduce greenhouse gas emissions.
Mr Gates relaxed on Lizard Island on Queensland’s Great Barrier Reef before flying to Sydney on Saturday on the Gulfstream jet, one of two he owns, to meet Anthony Albanese.
His $70 million Gulfstream, spotted on the tarmac at Sydney’s Kingsford Smith Airport en route to Kirribilli House, the Australian Prime Minister’s official residence, burns around 1,700 liters of fuel per hour.
Mr Gates also addressed the corporate-funded Lowy Institute think tank in Sydney on Monday to share his views on the Covid-19 pandemic and environment.
Climate change was high on the agenda as Bill Gates (left) sat down with Prime Minister Anthony Albanese (right) on Saturday
“Climate change has not yet had the negative impact of a disease like malaria, which kills 400,000 children a year,” Mr. Gates told attendees.
“The reason climate change is worth investing heavily in is because it only gets worse over time.”
“If you allow warming to reach extreme levels, all sorts of natural ecosystems disappear and all sorts of places in the world where you can’t work outdoors.
“So in the tropical areas farming would be impossible, outdoor work for large parts of the year would be impossible.”
Mr Gates believes there is “no chance” of limiting warming to the 1.5 degree Paris climate target, while a 2 degree target is also “very unlikely”.
“The key is to minimize warming as much as possible,” Gates said.
“Staying below 2.5C at this point would be pretty fantastic. I think that’s possible.’
He added it was “great to have Australia on board on climate” after the country had been “an outlier until recently”.
Bill Gates’ private jet was spotted at Mascot on Saturday after arriving in Sydney for a four-day visit
Speaking of politics, Mr Gates said both US and Australian policies towards China require a more conciliatory and cooperative policy approach to combating climate change.
China is responsible for over a quarter of the world’s carbon emissions, and that would increase in the coming years as other nations are curtailed.
“I see China’s rise as a major win for the world… the current US mentality towards China, which is reciprocated, is a kind of loser-loser mentality,” Gates said.
“That could be very self-fulfilling in a very negative way.”
Gates flies to Melbourne on Wednesday for the final five days of Australian Open tennis.
Gates owns four private jets, which has been criticized by supporters.
The private jet collection is said to be worth $194 million and includes two Gulfstream G650ERs, valued at $70 million each, which can carry up to 18 passengers.
Bill Gates (pictured) warned Monday at a Lowy Institute think tank in Sydney that climate change will get worse over time
In his 2021 book How to Avoid Climate Disaster, Gates admitted his double standard when giving lectures on climate change.
“I recognize that I am an imperfect ambassador for climate change,” he wrote.
“The world isn’t short of rich men with big ideas about what other people should be doing, or who believe that technology can solve any problem.
“I own big houses and fly in private planes – in fact I took one to the climate conference in Paris, so who am I to lecture anyone about the environment?
“I plead guilty to all three counts. I can’t deny being a rich guy with an opinion. However, I believe it is an informed opinion and I am always trying to learn more.’
Despite climate change, Bill Gates owns four private jets. Pictured is one of his jets in Sydney
Mr. Gates’ Gulfstream G650ER aircraft cost around $70 million each and can seat up to 18 passengers with leather seats that fold out into ten beds.
Prime Minister Anthony Albanese (left) and dog Toto welcomed Bill Gates (right) to their home at Kirribilli House on Saturday
Bill Gates is warning Australia to prepare for the next pandemic – which could be man-made and far more brutal than Covid
By Aidan Wondracz for Chron Australia
Tech billionaire Bill Gates has warned Australia to prepare for the next pandemic, which could be man-made and far more brutal.
Mr Gates told the Lowy Institute think tank in Sydney on Monday that political leaders need to settle their differences and work together to prepare for the next virus.
He called for greater global cooperation, citing the Covid-19 pandemic as an example of how countries could improve their response if they worked together.
He called for greater global cooperation, citing the Covid-19 pandemic as an example of how countries could improve their response if they worked together
“Compare the economic cost of preparing for the next to the cost of this, over $10 trillion in economic loss,” he said.
“With the pandemic, we were foolish not to have the tools, the practice and the global capacity to be on standby as we do with fire or earthquakes.”
Mr Gates praised Australia’s policies that helped keep infection rates down before vaccines were introduced.
“Some of the standout things are that Australia and about seven other countries had population-scale diagnostics early on and had quarantine policies,” he said.
“That meant you kept the infection levels down for that first year when there were no vaccines.”
The Microsoft founder-turned-philanthropist said a stable international order based on mutual political will was needed to deal with future pandemics.
“The only thing that is still hanging in the balance is whether we have the global capacity and at the regional and national level, which would mean that if there is a threat (from infectious diseases), we act in a way that does not make it global «, said Mr Gates.
“We need to have a comprehensive pandemic preparedness exercise every five years at both the national and regional levels, and you need a global group to assess everyone.”
Mr. Gates has pledged to donate half his wealth to good causes and try to put the healthcare, energy and education industries on an equal footing.
Mr Gates praised Australia’s policies that helped keep infection rates down before vaccines were introduced
The Microsoft founder-turned-philanthropist said a stable international order based on mutual political will was needed to deal with future pandemics
“There is this tremendous failure of market capitalism to address some of the needs of the poorest. Their voice in the market is very small,” he said.
“$1,000 can literally save lives, and there’s not much that should be that fulfilling.”
He criticized the United States, led by Donald Trump, for threatening to withdraw from the World Health Organization and withholding funding.
Mr. Gates called for an increase in the resources of the international health agency.