Power-Hungry Data Centers Are Warming Homes in the Nordics
May 15th, 2025 Via Bloomberg, a look at how – by pairing computer processing facilities with district heating systems – countries like Finland and Sweden are trying to limit their environmental [...]
The Wealthy California Town That Can’t Get Rid of Water Fast Enough
May 15th, 2025 Via SFGate, a report on a city slipping into the ocean: Every day, Rancho Palos Verdes inches closer to destruction. The beleaguered Southern California city, which is southwest of downtown Los [...]
Private Equity Eyes Up US$1.3 trillion Climate Adaptation Market by 2030
May 15th, 2025 Via EcoBusiness, a report on a new study that – while the public sector is expected to account for the bulk of adaptation funding – identifies six investable segments for private [...]
Why Are All of America’s Biggest Cities Sinking?
May 8th, 2025 Via Grist, a report on a new study finds that the country’s 28 most populous metros are losing elevation, from New York City to Seattle. Cities sit unmoving on the landscape — a sprawling [...]
Are China’s Battery Swap Stations The Future of Electric Cars?
May 7th, 2025 Via BBC, a look at China’s swap stations, where drivers can get new fully charged EV battery in five minutes: At a battery swap station near the Beijing Olympics Sports Centre, the owner of a [...]
Balcony Solar Took Off in Germany. Why Not the US?
April 25th, 2025 Via Grist, commentary on how – from breaker-masking to voltage mismatches – America’s grid isn’t ready for balcony solar — yet: Raymond Ward wants to see solar panels draped over [...]

ABOUT
BLACK SWANS GREEN SHOOTS
Black Swans / Green Shoots examines the collision between urbanization and resource scarcity in a world affected by climate change, identifying opportunities to build sustainable cities and resilient infrastructure through the use of revolutionary capital, increased awareness, innovative technologies, and smart design to make a difference in the face of global and local climate perils.

'Black Swans' are highly improbable events that come as a surprise, have major disruptive effects, and that are often rationalized after the fact as if they had been predictable to begin with. In our rapidly warming world, such events are occurring ever more frequently and include wildfires, floods, extreme heat, and drought.

'Green Shoots' is a term used to describe signs of economic recovery or positive data during a downturn. It references a period of growth and recovery, when plants start to show signs of health and life, and, therefore, has been employed as a metaphor for a recovering economy.

It is my hope that Black Swans / Green Shoots will help readers understand both climate-activated risk and opportunity so that you may invest in, advise, or lead organizations in the context of increasing pressures of global urbanization, resource scarcity, and perils relating to climate change. I believe that the tools of business and finance can help individuals, businesses, and global society make informed choices about who and what to protect, and I hope that this blog provides some insight into the policy and private sector tools used to assess investments in resilient reinforcement, response, or recovery.