Bill Gates Prediction: The COVID-19 Pandemic Is The Answer To Climate Change

Bill Gates (Instagram @thisisbillgates)

JAKARTA - The impact of the COVID-19 pandemic is not always bad for the Earth. The spread of the virus has forced the business and economic sectors to be suspended, but this virus has made parts of the environment in China and Venice, Italy appear to have significant climate change.

According to philanthropist Bill Gates and founder of Microsoft, in the long term efforts to control the COVID-19 pandemic will facilitate humanity in the fight against climate change.

"The idea of innovation and science and the world working together, that's really common between these two issues, and so I don't think this should be a big setback for the climate," Gates told TED's Co-Host Chris Anderson as quoted by CNBC.

The collaboration that Gates observes globally in the science community is very encouraging, "On the science side and data sharing, you see this great collaboration happening (a case of a pandemic that results in climate change)," continued Gates.

After retiring from Microsoft, Gates is busy with the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, a foundation that focuses on environmental and natural issues from the threat of pollution from various industrial wastes. Now they are also focusing on making a medicinal vaccine for COVID-19.

The second richest man is also very optimistic when scientists work together to fight this pandemic by finding a way to eradicate it.

"The amount of innovation, the way we connect and work together. Yes, I am very positive about that. I love my work because I see progress on all these diseases all the time. Now we have to focus on this, but you know the message for me even though it is very conscious. "When we are dealing with this epidemic, you know I am very positive that this has to unite us. We are going to get out of this and then we will get ready for the next epidemic," Gates explained.

However, not everyone agrees with Gates regarding a global pandemic that will have a good impact on climate change.

"COVID-19 could provide some short-term climate benefits by limiting energy use, or even long-term benefits if economic stimulus is linked to climate goals or if people are accustomed to using telecommunications and thus use less oil in the future. But any climate benefit from it. The COVID-19 crisis is likely to pass quickly, ”said former senior director of the US National Security Council and President Barack Obama's special assistant, Jason Bordoff.

According to Bordoff, climate change would be impossible if a pandemic could be controlled by mankind. That is, "The pandemic is a reminder of how dire the problem of climate change is because it requires collective action, public understanding and support, as well as decarbonizing the energy mix while supporting economic growth and energy use around the world."

But there is another possibility, that humanity could use this moment as a unique window of opportunity to rebuild society and the economy as desired. With scientists warning beforehand, Earth has 10 years left to avoid the worst consequences of climate change, as this could offer an opportunity to fix the climate crisis before it's too late.

A number of changes brought about by the COVID-19 emergency lay the groundwork for the transformation needed. Gates has previously put forward a statement that is, "If anyone kills more than 10 million people in the next few decades, it is most likely a highly contagious virus. We have to pay attention. But we can actually build a very good response system."

One of the questions I am most often asked about the # COVID19 pandemic is how, and when, it will end. This article by @ edyong209 does a really good job of outlining the steps we need to take. https://t.co/hA2JChowQS

- Bill Gates (@BillGates) March 30, 2020

But it will take catastrophe to encourage governments, businesses and individuals to act on the scale required. Climate change is also a major threat to human life and urgently needs a comprehensive response. A study published in the Lancet medical journal predicts 500,000 adult deaths will be caused by climate change by 2050.

Many aspects of the impact of COVID-19 are similar to the kinds of changes that are needed. What is interesting is that as many changes are needed as culture changes. For example, governments in every country should expand bicycle lanes to avoid using public transportation, as well as trying to work from home. Of course this policy can reduce exhaust emissions in the air.

It is clear that we have many solutions to make great progress in tackling climate change. Thus, what we need now is the willingness of the state to implement it or ignore it.