ARAB TIMES, SUNDAY, FEBRUARY 21, 2021 NEWS/FEATURES 13

People & Places

Books

Roots of Amazon’s success Gates explains how to avoid climate disaster By Jeff Rowe

ow to A Avoid Climate Disaster: The Solu- ‘Htions We Have and the Breakthroughs We Need,’ by Bill Gates (Knopf) Watching Bill Gates in the news over the years, his demeanor usually is that of an earnest, enthusiastic college professor, someone who draws on research and thinks before he talks. And it turns out, before he writes, too. Gates has crafted a calm, reasoned, well-sourced explanation of the greatest challenge of our time and what we must change to avoid cooking our planet in “How to Avoid A Climate Disaster: The Solutions We Have and the Breakthroughs We Need.” His goal with this book ap- pears to be to explain and per- suade and although he doesn’t say so in the book, the implicit theme parallels something President Abraham Lincoln once said: “Give the people the facts and the nation will be safe,” meaning we Americans would make the right decisions about the problems we face if we have the facts. Will we though? Gates Certainly in recent years many Americans have felt completely free to adopt their own beliefs on everything, completely unmoored from science and truth. CNCO performs at Premio Lo Nuestro at American Airlines Arena on Feb 18, in Miami. (AP) What should make Gates’ book compelling to climate-change skeptics however are the concise, straightforward explanations of, for example, how Tributes, performances galore at ‘Premio Lo Nuestro’ awards much carbon is produced in the making of electricity and what we can do to reduce that. Bad Bunny topped Univision’s “Premio Lo Nuestro” Bad Bunny’s awards included the night’s top hon- who died earlier this week at 85. Gates works through steel, meat-production, fl ying awards with seven wins on a night that included a or, artist of the year, as well as album of the year A total of 147 artists were nominated in 34 cat- and every other way we produces carbon dioxide and tribute to late Mexican singer-composer Armando and best urban artist of the year. He did not attend egories honoring various musical styles, including other gasses that are causing our atmosphere, oceans Mazanero and performances by some of the biggest the ceremony. pop, urban, tropical and regional Mexican. and land to retain more heat. names in Latin music. The performance packed show at Miami’s Ameri- The show included the performance debuts of One conclusion sure to provoke debate is Gates’ Among the winners at Thursday’s show were pop can Airlines Arena included performances by Sele- several new songs, including Anuel AA and Ozuna contention that to conquer global warming, we need singer Camilo and the Mexican band Grupo Firme, na Gomez and Luis Fonsi, who debuted his new- performing the songs “RD” and “Antes” from their to produce at least some of our electricity from nuclear which took home five awards apiece. Karol G, Romeo est song, “Vacio.” The show, in its 33rd year, also “Los Dioses” album. CNCO also premiered their power, which he notes, is clean and safer than ever. Santos and Lenin Ramirez each won three awards. included a tribute to salsa legend Johnny Pacheco, song “Tan Enamorados.” (AP) And Gates is funding multiple research projects himself focused on fi nding ways to, among other things, make cement without releasing carbon into the atmosphere. Gates cautions however, that we can’t invent our Museum way to a reprieve from catastrophic global warming. Can we make the sacrifi ces and changes necessary to, for example, shift to a more plant-based diet? Cows ex- pel great quantities of methane, which causes 28 times Disney World unveils details about 50th anniversary more warming per molecule than carbon dioxide. Gates implores federal governments to fund more research on how we can shift to an economy that can reduce our damaging emissions to zero by 2050. He acknowledges that the issue is complex but he Pandemic eases Louvre works says the Biden administration understands the urgency for action. PARIS, Feb 20, (AP): The 518-year- “We’re taking advantage of the mu- Those who cannot wait are still able What about for the rest of us? old Mona Lisa has seen many things seum’s closure to carry out a number to see the Louvre’s treasure trove of art We can buy green products whenever possible, he in her life on a wall, but rarely this: of major works, speed up maintenance in virtual tours online. Almost four months with no Louvre operations and start repair works that asks, and we also must demand public policies that put Also: us on a path to zero global-warming emissions. visitors. are difficult to schedule when the mu- And if we don’t? Gates’ book is high on solutions As she stares out through bullet- seum is operating normally,” Laurent LOS ANGELES: Walt Disney World in and low on dire warnings, the staple of many other proof glass into the silent Salle des le Guedart, the Louvre’s Architectural Florida turns 50 in October. writings on climate change. Etats, in what was once the world’s Heritage and Gardens Director told AP To help celebrate, Mickey Mouse Still, Gates occasionally points out the realities of most-visited museum, her celebrated from inside the Grande Galerie. and Minnie Mouse will be wearing inaction. Just a 2 degrees Celsius rise in ocean tem- smile could almost denote relief. A bit As le Guedart spoke, restorers were flashier threads and iconic structures further on, the white marble Venus de standing atop scaffolds taking scien- such as the Cinderella Castle and the peratures, he notes, could kill coral reefs and destroy This cover image released by Knopf the food source for 1 billion people. shows ‘How to Avoid A Climate Disaster: Milo is for once free of her girdle of tific probes of the walls in preparation golf-ball-like Spaceship Earth are get- To avert that, he says, “we need to accomplish gi- The Solutions We Have and the Break- picture-snapping visitors. for a planned restoration, travelling ting new lighting, Disney officials said gantic we have never done before.” throughs We Need’ by Bill Gates. (AP) It’s uncertain when the Paris mu- back to the 18th century through layer Friday while unveiling the first details ❑ ❑ ❑ seum will reopen, after being closed after layer of paint. of how the massive theme park resort on Oct. 30 in line with the French Around the corner the sound of will mark its milestone anniversary. “Working Backwards: Insights, Stories and Se- government’s virus containment mea- carpenters taking up floorboards was Plans for the 18-month celebration crets from Inside Amazon,” Colin Bryar and Bill sures. But those lucky enough to get faintly audible. They were putting in which starts in October are being made Carr (St. Martin’s Press) in benefit from a rare private look at the cables for a new security system. amid one of the toughest stretches the This book reads like a how-to guide, which perhaps collections covering 9,000 years of hu- Previously, these jobs could only be resort the size of the city of San Fran- is by design — Bryar and Carr both were long-time man history -- with plenty of space to done on a Tuesday, the Louvre’s only cisco has faced in its nearly 50 years. Amazonians and their vantage point is that of an en- breathe. closed day in the week. Now ham- Last spring, Disney World closed for thusiast rather than a critic. That’s normally sorely lacking in mers are tapping, machines drilling two months to help stop the spread of To be sure, Amazon offers much to admire. a museum that’s blighted by its own and brushes scrubbing to a full week the new coronavirus, leading to the The company is approaching 1 million employees, success: Before the pandemic, staff schedule, slowed down only slightly temporary furlough of 43,000 workers. a stunning rise from the 600 in 1997, the company’s walked out complaining they couldn’t by social distancing measures. Last fall, the company announced fi rst year as a public company. handle the overcrowding, with up to In total, ten large-scale projects that layoffs for 28,000 workers from its Bryar and Carr’s book derives its title from Ama- Dee Balasevic 30,000-40,000 visitors a day. were on hold since last March are un- parks division in Florida and Califor- zon’s practice of designing a business segment start- The forced closure has also granted der way - and progressing fast. nia due to limits on attendance and ing with the desired customer experience. museum officials a golden opportunity This includes works in the Etruscan other pandemic-related issues. Disney Well, that’s not so different, you say. to carry out long-overdue refurbish- and Italian Halls, and the gilded Salon officials said last November that reve- But Amazon excels in part because it has created Variety ments that were simply not possible Carre. A major restoration of the an- nue at its parks, experiences and prod- rigorous procedures for everything it does. with nearly 10 million visitors a year. cient Egyptian tomb chapel of Akheth- ucts business fell 61% to $2.6 billion. Rather than using widely used presentation slide Unlike the first lockdown, which otep from 2400BC is also underway. Before the pandemic, Disney World series for example, where the information is distilled BELGRADE, Serbia: Djordje Bala- brought all Louvre activities to a halt, “When the museum reopens, every- employed around 77,000 workers. into graphics and phrases, Amazon culture calls for a sevic, a Serbian singer who remained the second has seen some 250 of the thing will be perfect for its visitors - Disney World has high hopes the six-page report, believing the demands of such narra- widely popular throughout the former museum employees remain fully op- this Sleeping Beauty will have had the 50th anniversary celebration provides tives sharpen thinking. Yugoslavia after the wars of the 1990s, erational. time to powder her nose,” said Elisa- Disney fans enough reason to return It’s hard to argue with Amazon’s success — operat- has died after contracting the new coro- An army of curators, restorers and beth Antoine-Konig, Artifacts Depart- to the theme park resort during a time ing income totaled $6.9 billion in the fourth quarter navirus, state television reported Friday. He was 67. workers are cleaning sculptures, reor- ment Curator. “Visitors will be happy when vaccines will be more widely of 2020, up from operating income of $3.9 billion in dering artifacts, checking inventories, to see again these now well-lit rooms distributed. fourth quarter 2019. Balasevic was admitted to a hospital in the northern Serbian city of Novi Sad reorganizing entrances and conducting with polished floors and remodeled For starters, Mickey Mouse, Minnie Pay and bonus plans are focused on long-term suc- restorations, including in the Egyptian display cases.” Mouse and other costumed characters cess rather than the annual reckoning common with three days ago suffering from pneumonia that appeared to be a complication of Wing and the Grande Galerie, the mu- Initially, only visitors with pre-booked will be getting sparkling clothes that in- other companies. Amazon wants its people to think seum’s largest hall that is being fully reservations will be granted entry in line clude iridescent fabric and embroidery over the horizon. COVID-19. State broadcaster RTS said he died at the hospital on Friday. renovated. with virus safety precautions. with renderings of the Cinderella Castle. Some Amazon standards are givens — earn trust, Balasevic launched his career in the hire and develop the best; other standards are bolder late 1970s and early 1980s, fi rst perform- — a bias for action — and these separate the company ing in bands before establishing a solo from timid competitors. following with his soft pop music and millions of copies and they were featured Damon “Kool Rockski” Wimbley tour during which they generated high Can Amazon’s practices simply be installed at oth- witty lyrics. in the fi lms “Krush Groove” and “Disor- were known as Disco 3 when they won room-service bills that earned the ire of er companies, sort of a tonic for success? Absent the When Yugoslavia disintegrated in derlies.” a rap contest in Brooklyn in 1984. That their promoter, who started calling them adoption of Amazon’s up-tempo and meticulous com- ethnic warfare in the early 1990s, Bala- Morales, Darren Robinson and win led to a record deal and a European “fat boys,” a 1995 obituary for Robinson pany culture, probably not. And for a critical analysis sevic openly opposed the nationalism noted. (AP) of the company, the culture and it economic impact, that fueled the confl icts. Because of his ❑ ❑ ❑ we must go elsewhere. positions, mainstream media in Serbia NEW YORK: Genevieve Young was a shunned Balasevic during the war era. publishing editor with a long and diverse Also: But he remained well-liked throughout legacy. NEW YORK: NBA All-Star Chris Paul has an off- the ethnically divided Balkans region She entered the business in the early court project in the works: His fi rst book. after the wars, fi lling up concert halls in 1950s, when there were few female edi- Paul’s “Sixty-One: Life Lessons from Papa, On and all the countries that emerged from the tors and even fewer Asians. She worked Off the Court” will come out in September, St Mar- six former Yugoslav republics. His per- with authors ranging from Herman Wouk tin’s Press announced Wednesday. formances were famous for his on-stage to Betty Rollin and played a key role Co-written with journalist and ESPN broadcaster comments on various topics. (AP) in the writing of Erich Segal’s “Love Michael Wilbon, the memoir by the Phoenix Suns’ ❑ ❑ ❑ Story,” the novelization of the Oscar- point guard is a tribute to his late grandfather and men- NEW YORK: Prince Markie Dee, a winning movie of the same name that is tor, Nathaniel Jones, who died while Paul was in high member of the Fat Boys hip-hop trio who currently marking its 50th anniversary. school. The book’s title refers to a high school game, later formed his own band and became She also edited the groundbreaking played after his grandfather died, when Paul scored a well-known radio host, has died. He photographer and fi lmmaker Gordon was 52. Parks, married him in the 1970s and later 61 points — one for each year his grandfather lived. helped oversee his estate. “‘Sixty-One’ is a celebration of my Papa Chilly His death was announced Thursday by the SiriusXM station Rock The Bells, Young’s name was known to many in who helped shape who I am today and what I value,” the industry and beyond. But her death Paul said in a statement. which did not provide a cause of death. received little initial attention. She was “His legacy of hard work and service to others is Born Mark Morales in Brook- lyn 89 when she died at her home in Manhat- woven through the fabric of my parenting, my com- , Prince Markie Dee was a prolifi c tan on Feb 18, 2020, after a long battle munity work and how I have approached my basket- songwriter and founding member of the with cancer. Fat Boys, a group known for beatboxing Beyond publishing a paid notice in ball career. That high school game where I scored 61 that released several popular albums in Workers handle the painting called ‘The Healing of Saint Bonaventure as a Child points was a healing moment through basketball and I The New York Times, the family says it the 1980s such as the platinum record by Saint Francis’ by Spanish painter Francisco de Herrera, in the Louvre mu- had trouble fi nding anyone to report on am thrilled to work with Michael Wilbon to share this “Crushin.’” seum, in Paris, Feb 9. The forced closure has granted museum officials a golden story with the world.” (AP) her death because of the quickly spread- Their 1984 debut album, “Fat Boys,” opportunity to carry out long-overdue refurbishments that were simply not pos- ing coronavirus. (AP) went gold, their next two albums sold sible with nearly 10 million visitors a year. (AP)