Climate Migration Is Here. The U.S. Must Invest Accordingly
September 30th, 2024
Via The Washington Post, commentary on the need for the U.S. to realistically assess which geographies are becoming unlivable and which are well suited to larger population settlement. It should then offer incentives for migration toward the latter and away from the former — and direct infrastructure spending accordingly. This week, parts of the Pacific […]
Read more »Finding a Fix for Playgrounds That Are Too Hot to Touch
September 28th, 2024
Courtesy of Inside Climate News, an article on Arizonan researchers who are studying playgrounds where the equipment gets so hot it can burn kids’ skin. As heat worsens nationwide, other communities will need to take note. It was just before 8 a.m., yet the temperature was already nearing 100 degrees Fahrenheit as members of Arizona […]
Read more »How a Children’s Playground Is Helping With Flood Mitigation in a Small, Historic New Jersey City
September 28th, 2024
Courtesy of Inside Climate News, a look at how flood-prone Hoboken, New Jersey, has opened a play area for its youngest residents that also doubles as storage for stormwater runoff. For a city that’s almost small enough to fit inside Manhattan’s Central Park just a few miles away, Hoboken, New Jersey, has seen a lot […]
Read more »Baltimore Is Investing in Wetlands Restoration, a Climate Line of Defense
September 28th, 2024
Via Inside Climate News, a report on wetlands restoration and shoreline rehabilitation efforts in South Baltimore which promise to make communities resilient against climate change and severe weather while spawning new green spaces. Scientists say it’s a new science that needs careful and closer scrutiny. Brad Rogers and Brett Berkley stepped carefully on the gravel […]
Read more »Green Roofs and Solar Chimneys Are Here
September 28th, 2024
Via The Guardian, a look at how builders already have the tools needed to build cooler homes for an increasingly hotter world: The US sweltered under record-breaking heat this year, with new research suggesting that air conditioning is no longer enough to keep homes cool. Spiraling energy demands and costs of indoor cooling now have planners looking […]
Read more »How Germany Outfitted Half A Million Balconies With Solar Panels
September 27th, 2024
Via Grist, an article on balkonkraftwerk, the simple technology putting solar power in the hands of German renters: Matthias Weyland loves having people ask about his balcony. A pair of solar panels hang from the railing, casting a sheen of dark blue against the red brick of his apartment building. They’re connected to a microinverter […]
Read more »'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.