Bill Gates said rich countries should only eat synthetic meat

Bill Gates urged rich countries to complete a dietary transition that sees them consuming “100% synthetic meat” in the next decades to fight greenhouse gas emissions that are driving global climate change.

The recommendation of the American magnate and philanthropist is one of many contained in his new book “How to Avoid a Climate Catastrophe”, which is now on sale in about 20 countries. In this work, the founder of Microsoft offers a roadmap to reduce emissions to zero, an objective that he considers achievable, but which will require major technological advances.

Gates’ message is both optimistic – stopping global warming in the decades to come is possible – and realistic – it will be necessary. huge technological advances and a lot of political will. Between them, develop and manufacture economically practical foods with lower environmental impact, like synthetic meat.

“I think all rich countries should switch to 100% synthetic meat”, Gates said in an interview on the subject with the magazine Review of MIT technology.

Cows raised for meat are one of the main sources of methane, a greenhouse gas which reached record levels and that could cause temperatures to rise up to 4 degrees by the turn of the century, according to a study released last July by the Global Carbon Project at Stanford University.

Gates describes the cattle problem as “very difficult” and noted that even compounds that reduce methane emissions were not enough.

The founder of Microsoft pointed out a company, Memphis meats, which is already making synthetic meat at the cellular level to address this issue, but said that “I do not think that [la técnica de fabricación de carne sintética] that it is always economical ”.

However, he added, well-known companies like Impossible Meat and Beyond Meat “They have a quality track record and a cost track record, which makes them totally competitive.”

Although these companies represent less than 1% of the world’s meat supply, Gates said they could open up a way to fix the issue.

“You can get used to the difference in flavor, and they say it will make it taste even better over time.”Gates added.

On the other hand, the founder of Microsoft said that The 80 poorest countries in the world will continue to consume animal meat because synthetic meat will cost them too much.

Years of study

Gates became interested in climate change about two decades ago and broached the subject indirectly, by studying the relationship between the lack of electricity supply and the poverty he saw during his travels in developing countries with his Foundation.

Little by little, after many conversations with experts and scientists, he explains that concluded that the challenge for the world was even greaterIt was not just a question of producing more electricity so that the poorest prosper, but of do it without emitting more greenhouse gases.

His conclusion is that to avoid a catastrophe, one must reach zero net emissions and for that it will be necessary boost existing tools such as solar and wind energy or carbon capture, but also develop new technologies.

These, he warns, cannot be limited to areas such as power generation and transport, but must transform many other sectors such as agribusiness, cement or steel production.

A technological revolution

And for that, he insists, the world needs a plan, a roadmap that will achieve zero emissions by 2050 and to which he hopes to contribute with his book.

“We need to evolve at a rate of change in the physical economy that we have never seen at any time in history.”explains Gates, who sees absolutely essential for science “radical” advance.

Thus, he considers that the seriousness of countries in their fight against climate change can largely measured by the money spent on research and developmentBecause without these technological advancements the world is doomed.

In the meantime, he assures us that the growing interest in climate change that has manifested itself since 2015, especially carried by young people, is the great asset of the international community.

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