Bill Gates's Climate Memo (6th Grade Version)

A Simpler Look at Bill Gates’s Climate Memo

Bill Gates caused a big reaction this week when he shared a new message about his ideas on climate change. On the first page, he rejected what he called the “doomsday view” that climate change will destroy human life. Instead, he said we should change some of our priorities. He wants more money for global health and more attention on a few key technologies that could really help the climate. Because he also cut some climate-policy funding earlier this year, many people thought he was making a major change in direction.

After the memo came out, many scientists were angry. Former President Donald Trump praised it. People brought it up in almost every climate talk I heard all week. Gates did not seem upset by this. When I met him the week before the memo was released, he seemed ready for the reaction. He told reporters that people who think climate is the only problem would not like the memo, and people who think climate is not important also would not like it.

But a lot of the loud response misses the main point. In the memo, Gates says he is trying to be “practical.” He points out that many governments are cutting foreign aid money, so he thinks funding should move toward urgent health needs. He recognizes that the world is getting hotter and says we must do more to adjust to the effects of climate change. And he wants to spend money carefully on the technologies—like new kinds of nuclear power or cleaner ways to make products—that could lower pollution. Even if someone disagrees with his tone, these ideas are hard to argue against.

Right now, climate work is under pressure. There are many fair criticisms of the memo, but this moment also shows why people working on climate must look at the issue from more angles. The more ideas we consider, the better our solutions will be.

At the meeting, Gates began by talking about numbers. He said Gavi, a group that provides vaccines, can save a life for about $1,000. But this year, Gavi did not get as much money as it needed because many countries cut their aid budgets. “This is the first year more kids will die than last year,” Gates said, suddenly becoming more serious. He believes saving lives today should be a bigger priority than small future temperature increases. He explained it like this: if he had to choose between preventing 0.1 degrees of warming or ending malaria, he would choose to end malaria because he feels the suffering happening right now is more urgent.

These efforts—health and climate—do not need to be enemies. But Gates says they still compete for money in government budgets. “Trying to convince rich countries to give more is lonely work,” he said. “Right now we are losing that battle.”

For years, climate experts have said that climate action should focus on helping people. That has also been a big part of my own work. Yet in many places that face the worst storms and heat waves, climate change is not even a top worry because people have more immediate problems. Fighting diseases that kill people now—as Gates suggests—can build trust and make it easier to talk about climate in the long run.

Gates also wants adaptation—the actions we take to prepare for climate impacts—to become a bigger part of the climate conversation. For decades, many climate activists avoided talking too much about adaptation. They worried that if people thought we could simply adapt, they would avoid reducing pollution. But in 2025, with extreme weather becoming common, climate change is already here. We must plan and build for it now. Roads, bridges, and buildings made today will last for many years.

Gates goes even further. He says countries should grow their economies even if that means using more gas for now. He argues that economic growth helps people handle climate impacts.

The memo also talks about new technology. Some people do not trust “innovation” because they think it becomes an excuse to delay action. But the memo points out that innovation has already helped clean energy grow faster. Today, clean power is often cheaper because of new inventions, not just because of government rules. Gates lists areas where smart investment could lower costs even more, like greener airplane fuel and cleaner steel-making.

Still, the memo has weak points. It does not mention “tipping points,” like the loss of coral reefs, which scientists say is already happening. Climate change does not follow a simple, steady path. At some unknown level of warming, the damage might become permanent and impossible to fully understand.

Gates also downplays the cost of climate change in rich countries. He points to studies showing that some parts of the U.S. economy might grow in warmer weather. He says rich countries can “absorb” many of the costs. But this view ignores other effects. New costs can cause political problems if regular people end up paying for them. We see this with inflation. And no place in the world is truly separate from others. Climate disasters cause people to move, weaken societies, and create feelings of loss. Some diseases also spread more in a changing climate. Economic studies have a hard time measuring these effects.

If Gates meant his memo to be a complete plan for climate action, it would need to talk more about these social and political challenges. Gates is smart and experienced, but his answers often focus on technology and not enough on politics. People often ask me how worried they should be about climate change. My usual answer is: it probably won’t wipe out civilization, but that was never the standard for concern. Climate change will shape our future and change how society works. And that is reason enough to care.

After the memo came out, many scientists were angry. Former President Donald Trump praised it. But Gates said he expected people to disagree.

Gates’s Main Points:

• Help people now by fighting deadly diseases.

• Prepare for climate effects (adaptation).

• Invest in technology that reduces pollution.

Problems With the Memo:

• It does not discuss tipping points.

• It underestimates climate costs in rich countries.

• It focuses too much on technical solutions.

Why It Still Matters:

Climate change will shape our future. It may not end civilization, but it will change how society works. That is why we must care.

Vocabulary List (6th Grade English Level)

1. Memo – A short written message.

2. Doomsday – A belief that the world will end.

3. Climate – The usual weather in a place over time.

4. Adaptation – Changing to deal with new conditions.

5. Foreign aid – Help or money sent to other countries.

6. Technology – Tools made using science.

7. Emissions – Polluting gases in the air.

8. Practical – Useful and realistic.

9. Vaccine – A shot to prevent disease.

10. Malaria – A deadly sickness from mosquitoes.

11. Budget – A plan for how to spend money.

12. Urgent – Very important and needing quick action.

13. Extreme weather – Very strong or unusual weather.

14. Infrastructure – Roads, bridges, and buildings a society needs.

15. Innovation – A new idea or invention.

16.Decarbonization – Reducing pollution from carbon.

17. Tipping point – A moment when something changes in a big or permanent way.

18. Coral reef – A large group of tiny sea animals that form colorful underwater structures.

19. Absorb – To take in or deal with something.

20. Migration – When people move from one place to another.

Multiple-Choice Questions

1. Why did Bill Gates write his climate memo?

A. To say climate change is not real

B. To share ideas on climate and health

C. To stop countries from helping each other

D. To end all climate projects

2. What does Gates think should get more money?

A. Space travel

B. Sports programs

C. Global health

D. Video games

3. What does “adaptation” mean?

A. Ignoring climate change

B. Changing to handle new conditions

C. Ending all pollution today

D. Moving to another planet

4. Why are some scientists upset?

A. Too many big words

B. He seems too positive

C. He ignores tipping points

D. They dislike Microsoft

5. What does Gates say about rich countries?

A. They can handle many costs

B. They cannot handle any costs

C. They will never need to adapt

D. They solved climate change

6. What is one key message?

A. Climate change will end the world

B. Technology cannot help

C. Climate change will reshape society

D. Gates doesn’t care about climate

Link to Answers for Multiple Choice Questions

Gates Responds to Some Criticism (photo and quote carousel only)