Bill Gates is out with a new book on how to tackle the problem of climate change, and at least one of his ideas was red meat to critics.
How to Avoid a Climate Disaster: the Solutions We Have and the Breakthroughs We Need reflects the general history of highlighting technological innovation over policy reforms. But in an interview promoting the new book, he proposed a drastic change in behavior, saying that people living in richer countries should turn to plant-based meat alternatives.
"I do think all rich countries should move to 100% synthetic beef," Gates told the MIT Technology Review Sunday. "You can get used to the taste difference, and the claim is they're going to make it taste even better over time."
As expected, a great number of Twitter folks are not into the whole idea of giving up their steaks and burgers. So on Tuesday afternoon, Gates found himself on the platform's trending list with critics chewing him out.
Some critics have questioned why Gates should decide what nations should do to combat climate change when a recent Nation report named Gates as one of the world's top carbon emitters. It states that he lives in a 66,000-square-foot mansion outside Seattle, and that his private jet uses 486 gallons of fuel every hour it flies.
Indeed, Gates himself acknowledges in his book that he is an "imperfect messenger on climate change." Although, he does put his money where his mouth is.
Breakthrough Energy Ventures, funded by Gates, invests in businesses that aim to fight climate change and has a variety of investments in plant-based food companies.
For example, Nature's Fynd, a food science business, uses fermentation technology to make alternatives to meat. They use cultured fungi found in Yellowstone National Park to produce non-dairy cheese and meatless breakfast patties. Their Fy range of products, which are vegan, recently launched for pre-order and already sold out.
Despite the backlash against his campaign for synthetic meat, global demand for plant-based food continues to rise. Morningstar estimates that the plant-based meat industry will hit $74 billion by 2029, up from $12 billion in 2019. And Beyond Meat is partnering with McDonald's and Yum Brands, fast food chains KFC and Taco Bell to launch plant-based burgers and other alternative meat options in 2021.
