Bill Gates Gave $3.5M to Think Tank Run by Climate Crisis Denier Bjorn Lomborg
17 days ago
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- #climate-change
- #controversy
- Bill Gates’ charity donated over $3.5 million to Bjørn Lomborg’s climate-skeptic think tank, the Copenhagen Consensus Center, between 2017 and 2022.
- Lomborg argues climate change is not an existential threat, aligning with Gates’ recent memo claiming it won’t lead to humanity’s demise.
- Gates’ memo criticized climate ‘doomsday’ outlooks, drawing backlash from scientists who say it fuels misinformation and delays climate action.
- Lomborg praised Gates’ stance, while climate deniers, including Donald Trump, celebrated the memo as a victory against climate activism.
- Gates’ foundation funded a 2021 report by Lomborg’s center that ranked climate solutions low for Africa, prioritizing family planning and agriculture instead.
- Gates and Lomborg have collaborated since 2014, promoting fossil fuel use in poor countries and questioning UN climate goals.
- Gates cut climate staff at Breakthrough Energy, signaling a shift in priorities, while Lomborg endorsed his stance on prioritizing immediate human suffering over climate.
- Climate scientists like Katharine Hayhoe and Michael Mann criticized Gates, arguing climate crises worsen poverty and are the top threat to developing nations.