Ask HN: You have a fortune of $100B, how would you fix earth in 3 years?

I would figure out how to cover each of the great lakes in algae (chlorella vulgaris), as they are the most efficient natural way we have of capturing CO2, and create a fund to pay off everyone who can validate having a business dependent on fishing in the great lakes for 7-10 years to make them quit talking. I would move whatever unique wildlife there are there to other lakes too because people would complain.

How is this a problem you can fix with money? Isn't it necessary, first of all, to change human expectations of life, and perception of wealth? I say your project is impossible.

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You can‘t fix any of the earths problems by spending money as an individual. Reason: in societies with free or semi free markets all opportunities that generate profit are exploited by economic activity. Even if they are horribly dirty like tar oil extraction in Canada or lignite coal mining in Europe.

There is only one way forward: The external costs of the economic activity must be internalised. There are two solutions to achieve that outcome. Taxation or handing out a limited number of emission permits that are traded with a market price.

Everything else is a waste of time/money as there are people on this planet who would do everything to make a profit. Therefore the only solution is to make the profit achieved by really dirty operations go away.

Further, CO2 emission and climate change is not the biggest problem of the humanity. Loss of biodiversity is maybe even worse as it is never ever reversible.

Elon Musk has that money, and he's not selling his Tesla shares.

This is the lazy way to answer the question, but when electric self driving cars get practical and scaled (some time in the next 10 years), CO2 emissions will significantly decrease.