It is the height of irony for billionaire Bill Gates to note that climate change will not result in ‘humanity’s demise.’ Gates argues for more resources to be spent fighting poverty and hunger. Never mind that there is room for continued investment in addressing the climate crisis, as well as funding programs that alleviate hunger and poverty. We do not have to pick one at the exclusion of the other.
Further, if we do not address the underlying causes of the climate crisis, our inaction will fuel more hunger and more poverty.
Gates’ words are all the more curious given that we are in the tail end of the 2025 Atlantic hurricane season, which runs from June 1 through Nov. 30. Each hurricane season, the storms appear to not only come earlier (or later in the season), but they appear to increase in intensity and severity.
Moreover, as Hurricane Melissa churns, and people watch the decimation of their livelihoods and property, Gates’ words ring hollow. Imagine how his words must feel to persons fighting for their lives in Haiti, Cuba and Jamaica amid Hurricane Melissa’s battering. How does one maintain that money spent on addressing the underlying causes of these sorts of crises is ill-spent?
Additionally, where will people in these regions go once the storm subsides? With the United States’ crackdown on immigration, it is unreasonable to believe the Trump administration will roll out a welcome mat to displaced children and families.
We know that after a natural disaster, even with the best of intentions, it takes years to recover. Some communities never recover. They also face multiple storms. First there is the weather event; then there is the fallout from the storm – rebuilding, emergency support, PTSD, etc. All of this causes immense strain on local infrastructure and displaces vulnerable communities.
With extreme wealth, over 275,000 acres of farmland, and resources the average American lacks, Gates is insulated from the worst effects of the climate crisis. The rest of us aren’t so lucky. Women and children are more likely to be displaced following weather emergencies, more likely to suffer from gender-based violence during times of crisis, and more likely to have fewer resources to navigate displacement.
For instance, the United Nations’ Spotlight Initiative found that “Every 1°C rise in global temperature is associated with a 4.7 per cent increase in intimate partner violence (IPV), the study cites. In a 2°C warming scenario, 40 million more women and girls are likely to experience IPV each year by 2090. In a 3.5°C scenario, that number more than doubles.”
Additionally, although frontline communities are least responsible for the climate crisis, they suffer disproportionately because of it. Jamaica, and other parts of the Caribbean, have smaller carbon footprints but each hurricane season appears to bring storms worse than the year before. How many more storms can coastal communities navigate?
It’s important to remember that just because we don’t see the suffering doesn’t mean it isn’t happening. The fallout from Hurricane Melissa is in the news today. But long after the headlines of this storm subside, communities will continue to suffer.
Bill Gates has done a great deal of good in the word, but I believe he got this one wrong. Organizers for justice have long argued that the people closest to the pain of an issue should be the ones deciding how to address it. If one subscribes to this notion, you’ll understand why some might take issue with Gates’ seeming about-face.
It is not lost on me that Gates’ change of heart comes on the eve of the Conference of Parties, COP 30. Global leaders gather to discuss the climate crisis at these events. I hope other world leaders reject his premise and champion continued action in solving the climate crisis. Coastal and frontline communities deserve no less.
Jennifer R. Farmer is a crisis communications expert and founder Spotlight PR LLC. The firm helps clients build their platforms and protect their brands.