From the corridors of Microsoft to the frontlines of global health, Bill Gates has always been a man with his eyes fixed firmly on the future.
In recent years, his gaze has shifted to an even more pressing horizon: the health of our planet in the face of climate change.
The iconic visionary was often laughed at when he said early in his career that his quest was to have “a computer on every desk and in every home.”
He made the seemingly impossible possible. Now he is on another mission.
In his latest five-episode documentary series, What’s Next?, Gates sits at his desk, poring over the latest climate data. The numbers tell a story of rising temperatures, melting ice caps, and increasingly extreme weather events. But where others see despair, Gates sees opportunity.
“We’re at a critical juncture,” he muses, his fingers tapping thoughtfully on his keyboard. “The challenges are immense, but so is our capacity for innovation.”
For Gates, the fight against global warming isn’t just about reducing emissions — it’s about reimagining our relationship with energy and technology.
He envisions a world where clean energy is not just an alternative but the norm, where breakthrough technologies capture carbon from the air as efficiently as trees and where agriculture adapts to changing climates without sacrificing productivity.
This sense of urgency drives his investments in clean energy start-ups and his advocacy for increased government funding in climate research. Gates believes we can only hope to bend the curve of global emissions through private innovation and public policy.
“Knowledge is power,” he murmurs, pulling out a tome on renewable energy. “But knowledge without action is futile.”
Another visionary, Thomas Edison, described this in another way: “Vision without action is a hallucination.”
Gates is no dreamer divorced from reality. He understands the magnitude of the task at hand.
“It’s like trying to rebuild the entire global infrastructure in just a few decades,” he often says. “We need to move faster than we ever have before.
“Climate change isn’t just an environmental issue. It’s a health issue, an economic issue, a justice issue. We can’t address one without addressing the others.”
As Gates pours billions of dollars into solving these issues, he also plays the role of a wise old sage when he discusses the realities of environmental shifts with young climate activists.
Their frustration is palpable, but as Gates explains, anger and fighting are not the way forward, as this situation requires complex and ultimately expensive solutions, not wars on differing philosophies.
Finding solutions is always the key, but as the young, discouraged activists ask in the documentary, are we doing enough? What else can be done? We are running out of time.
Many people feel an overwhelming sense of useless endeavour when considering their role in environmental change. How on earth can I make a difference to this global issue? It is a familiar feeling.
I am blessed to be involved in many amazing and unique causes, and even through this column, I am privileged to meet committed and passionate people who share their visions for a better future with me.
Recently, I made a couple of advertisements for Containers for Change to promote the value of recycling in Western Australia. My kids think they are hilarious, but the humour highlights a simple yet powerful message.
When I asked Tim Cusack, CEO of (WARRRL) Containers for Change WA, for his most authoritative message, he said, “Avoid a general waste bin for recyclable goods like the plague. It’s highly likely that if a recyclable goes into the general waste bin it goes to landfill.”
He explained that over a billion recyclable 10¢ drink containers, including glass, plastic, and aluminium, have come to Containers for Change in the last year. This is a great outcome, but over half a billion drink containers also went into landfills this year alone.
His sobering analysis hit hard when he said, “That is like burying $89 million a year into the ground. That money can go into the pockets of households, businesses or not-for-profit organisations while also playing a significant role in protecting the environment.”
Quantified, that figure includes 10c per missed carton and $36 million in handling fees that would have been paid to refund points across the State if they had been recovered.
Little things like putting recyclables into recycling bins at home or in public spaces are simple, easy choices and actions. Asking for designated bins in your office or writing a note to your council asking for more bins in your parks or open spaces can make a difference.
Organisations like Wyalkatchem Men’s Shed donated $30,000 to St John WA in Wyalkatchem to purchase a new ambulance by collecting with Containers for Change.
An example of good people proving that win/win solutions can satisfy the needs of others, themselves and the broader community.
Then I heard about sisters Grace, Hope, and Ava, who made the journey to Roebourne to collect 10¢ containers along the side of the road. Their motivation was double-sided: to help fund their trip to a tennis competition in Bunbury but also, having been horrified at the extent of the rubbish thrown out of cars on the highway, the girls’ message was, “Be better, Pilbara. This is our country, and it should be respected.”
The Calista Primary School P&C won the Containers for Change P&C of the Year Award in 2024, working towards a goal of raising around $2500 for their school.
Starting with just four bins, the P&C quickly expanded to 12 to keep up with growing demand.
Not only did they make money, but community involvement was the key to their success. Going door-to-door, the P&C distributed wallet-sized cards with their unique member number to families, encouraging them to share their cause with neighbours, workplaces, and local businesses, significantly increasing collections.
Greyhound Adoptions WA, a devoted volunteer-run charity that transforms the lives of around 300 ex-racing and surrendered greyhounds each year, while also championing sustainability, has saved over 100,000 10¢ containers.
These organisations or individuals are a reminder of how small actions can go a long way.
In the grand tapestry of human history, certain individuals, like Gates, weave patterns of inspiration that captivate generations.
Others — like Mother Teresa, Nelson Mandela, Steve Jobs, Elon Musk, Barack Obama, and Muhammad Ali — might seem worlds apart at first glance. Yet, these luminaries are bound by threads of commonality, specifically their unwavering visions for a better future.
Gates envisioned a world where every home had a computer. Mother Teresa saw a Calcutta where the poorest of the poor were treated with dignity. Mandela dreamed of a South Africa free from the shackles of apartheid.
Jobs imagined technology as an extension of the human spirit. Musk sees a future where humans are an interplanetary species. Obama envisioned an America that could transcend its racial divides. And Ali? He saw himself as the greatest before the world did.
Few can dream of reaching the heights of these luminaries, but we can make a difference in our own way. The greatest visionaries certainly can’t do it alone.
This reminds me of the story of the young girl walking along a beach, where thousands of starfish had been washed up during a storm. When she came to each starfish, she would pick it up, and throw it back into the ocean. People watched her with amusement.
She had been doing this for some time when a man approached her and said, “Little girl, why are you doing this? Look at this beach! You can’t save all these starfish. You can’t begin to make a difference!”
The girl seemed crushed, suddenly deflated. But after a few moments, she bent down, picked up another starfish, and hurled it into the ocean as far as she could. Then she looked up at the man and replied, “Well, I made a difference for that one!”
The old man looked at the girl inquisitively and thought about what she had done and what she had said. Inspired, he joined the little girl in throwing starfish back into the sea. Soon others joined, and all the starfish were saved.
Gates says: “We’re in a race against time, but it’s a race we can win if we run it together.”
Like the little girl on the beach and the millions of people in Australia and around the world who are doing their bit to save the planet, the choices we make, big and small, can help us play our part in leaving this place better than when we entered it.
