Richard Branson pledges $3 billion to combat global warming; music to the ears of environmentalists.

While in attendance at the Clinton Global Initiative in New York, Virgin Group chairman Richard Branson pledged $3 billion over the next decade to causes that will fight global warming.

Branson has transcended into a mythical type figure through his success in business and love for extreme adventure. He has made billions off his companies that comprise Virgin Group and made headlines for traversing the globe in a hot-air balloon.

For the British Branson already has a knighthood to his credit, the threat posed by global warming is a disaster in the making. Branson urged those in attendance to take notice of alternative energy sources and move towards a more eco-friendly consciousness, saying “We have to wean ourselves off our dependence on coal and fossil fuels. Our generation has the knowledge, it has the financial resources and, as importantly, it has the will power to do so.”

The Clinton Global Initiative is held annually by former U.S. President Bill Clinton in attempt to alleviate world problems in areas that include poverty, education and climate control.