He's transformed the personal computer, health outcomes in the developing world, and education opportunities in the U.S. For Bill Gates's next act, the Microsoft founder is trying to turn atomic trash into treasure.
With a team of engineers, physicists and nuclear experts at the start-up TerraPower, Bill Gates and fellow billionaire Nathan Myhrvold are trying to develop "a new kind of nuclear reactor that would be fueled by today’s nuclear waste, supply all the electricity in the United States for the next 800 years and, possibly, cut the risk of nuclear weapons proliferation around the world," writes Matthew L. Wald.
The complicated, and costly, process involves using uranium 238, the "mostly natural waste" produced by today's conventional nuclear reactors, and eliminates "several routes to weapons proliferation".
"The engineers working for Mr. Gates acknowledge the enormous challenges but say they are convinced that he, and they, are chasing the solution not only to energy and weapons proliferation but also to climate change and poverty," Wald adds.
FULL STORY: Atomic Goal: 800 Years of Power From Waste
Bill Gates' Nuclear Power Company Takes Giant Step in Cowboy State
A Wyoming coal power plant will be transformed by a company backed by Microsoft co-founder Bill Gates to run on nuclear power. With the signing of the bipartisan infrastructure act, $1.5 billion will help produce zero-emission power by 2028
Can Steel Go Green?
Making materials like cement, plastic, glass, and steel creates a lot of emissions. In an opinion piece, Bill Gates argues any climate plan needs to grapple with these hard-to-decarbonize industries.
Bill Gates's Coalition of Rich Investors Buying In to Energy Storage
To reach goals in reducing emissions, Gates's group is looking to invest in technology that can provide energy in efficient ways by supplying clean power when the sun isn't shining and the wind isn't blowing.
The YIMBY-NIMBY Debate Gets 'Uninteresting'
Labels like "YIMBY" and "NIMBY" may be crude—but so what? One of them wants to solve America's housing crises. The other does not. Un-housed and under-housed people cannot wait for a perfect ideology to come along, writes Josh Stephens.
Urban Exodus: Data Don't Support the Popular Pandemic Narrative
Americans fled cities in waves during the pandemic, right? Not to so fast.
Cities Finding Ways to Resist State-Mandated Upzoning
The resistance to state-mandated zoning reforms, already well underway in Oregon, is now starting to whiplash through California as well.
Biden Commits Federal Government to Carbon Neutrality
President Biden signed an executive order on Wednesday that aims to cut 65 percent of the government's carbon emissions by the end of this decade and reach carbon neutrality by 2050.
Senate Will Vote to Repeal OSHA's Vax-or-Test COVID Rule
Senate Republicans will target the Biden administration's private employer vaccine-or-test mandate using a law they successfully employed during the beginning of the Trump administration to recall a slew of environmental regulations.
Double First: The First Station on Tampa Bay's First BRT Line Complete
The first of 15 bus rapid transit stations in St. Petersburg was unveiled last week.
Brailsford & Dunlavey
Hopkinsville Christian County Planning Commission dba Community and Development Services
Kendig Keast Collaborative
HUD's Office of Policy Development and Research
HUD's Office of Policy Development and Research
City of San Carlos
HUD's Office of Policy Development and Research
City of Royal Oak, Michigan
Urban Design for Planners 1: Software Tools
This six-course series explores essential urban design concepts using open source software and equips planners with the tools they need to participate fully in the urban design process.
Hand Drawing Master Plans
This course aims to provide an introduction into Urban Design Sketching focused on how to hand draw master plans using a mix of colored markers.
