Former Reddit CEO Crashes Bill Gates’ AMA To Correct Him On Solar Desalination
Bill Gates opened himself to Reddit users Friday in his ninth Ask Me Anything, and while he answered everything from his alleged conspiratorial activities to his advice for job interviews, he focused mostly on climate change.
Gates just published a book on climate solutions, “How To Avoid A Climate Disaster,” but one particular Redditor found lacking Gates’ answer to a question about seawater desalination.
Another user, Sahil Raza, had asked Gates: “Hey Bill! How do you think Seawater Desalination will impact the issue of global water shortage in the coming years?”
“We have lots of water,,” replied Gates. “The problem is that it is expensive to desalinate it and move it to where it is needed. This is all about the cost of energy. The cost is prohibitive for agricultural use of water. New seeds can reduce water use, but some areas won't be able to farm as much.”
That’s when former Reddit CEO Yishan Wong stepped in, declaring that freshwater scarcity is “a problem that will likely be completely resolved in the next 10-20 years” thanks to the falling price of solar energy.