After reading fiction and poetry, exploring positive messages and the contributions of Indigenous peoples, we are going to dive into solutions-based books. And not just any solutions-based books, but two books written by people who know how to get things done!
Date: Thursday, November 10 at 7:00 pm
Co-hosted by: Citizens’ Climate Lobby and the Akron Zoo
Pick one of the books or read both – they are guaranteed to to provide lots of food for thought and stimulate a great conversation.
As we all know, Bill Gates is a technologist, business leader, and philanthropist. He grew up in Seattle, Washington, with a family who encouraged his interest in computers at an early age. He dropped out of college to found Microsoft with his childhood friend Paul Allen. Today, Gates co-chairs the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation through which he shares his wealth in efforts to solve society’s challenges.
This book suggests a way forward, a series of steps we can take to give ourselves the best chance to avoid a climate disaster. Gates is convinced of three things: To avoid a climate disaster, we have to get to zero greenhouse gas emissions; we need to deploy the tools we already have – like solar and wind – faster and smarter; and we need to create and roll out breakthrough technologies that can take us the rest of the way.
Saul Griffith is an inventor, author, and founder of multiple companies and nonprofits. The successful companies that he founded or co-founded include one acquired by Google, another by Autodesk, and another by a consortium of vehicle manufacturers including Toyota. He has led projects for agencies including NASA, DARPA, and National Science Foundation. In 2007, he was awarded a Macarthur Fellowship, the so-called ‘Genius Grant’, for inventions in the service of humanity.
In Electrify, Griffith lays out a detailed blueprint—optimistic but feasible—for fighting climate change while creating millions of new jobs and a healthier environment. Griffith’s plan can be summed up simply: electrify everything. He explains exactly what it would take to transform our infrastructure, update our grid, and adapt our households to make this possible.