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Leader and Humans

What could we do for the climate and health if money were no object?

24 February 2021

New Scientist. Science news and long reads from expert journalists, covering developments in science, technology, health and the environment on the website and the magazine.

Bill Allsopp/Loop Images Ltd/Ala

SOME readers might remember the 1985 movie Brewster’s Millions. Richard Pryor’s character has to spend $30 million in 30 days in order to inherit a $300 million fortune. This week, we update the conceit, inflating the sum to a cool $1 trillion, and set a few ground rules: the money has to be spent on projects to improve human welfare, to restore the environment and to advance science.

It is the premise of How to Spend a Trillion Dollars, a new book by New Scientist‘s podcast editor Rowan Hooper that takes 10 megaprojects and costs them out. It is a timely exercise, with US…

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