Hurricane Helene Destroyed Roads. Here’s How to Rebuild—and Flood-Proof Them for Next Time
October 5th, 2024
Via Wired, a look at how – as it becomes clear that climate change devastation can hit anywhere – engineers are considering how best to protect vital thoroughfares from intense storms: A week after Hurricane Helene ripped through the southeastern United States, parts of western North Carolina devastated by the storm are still facing more than […]
Read more »Climate Change Is Destroying American Homes. Who Should Have To Move?
October 2nd, 2024
Via Grist, commentary on how it’s unfair to force people out of their homes, but we have to do it anyway: Consider the following scenario: A local government wants to relocate a neighborhood that is vulnerable to climate change. The streets have flooded several times in recent years during major storms, and projections indicate that […]
Read more »Before The Floods, Asheville Was Called A ‘Climate Haven.’ Is Anywhere Safe?
October 1st, 2024
Via The Washington Post, a look at how – as climate change leads to more severe hurricanes – mountain communities like Asheville, N.C., face growing flood danger: Asheville, N.C., seemed like an ideal place to escape the worst effects of global warming. In recent years, media outlets and real estate agents named the city a […]
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 »Climate Change Can Cause Bridges to ‘Fall Apart Like Tinkertoys,’ Experts Say
September 5th, 2024
Courtesy of the New York Times, a look at how extreme heat and flooding are accelerating the deterioration of bridges, engineers say, posing a quiet but growing threat: On a 95-degree day this summer, New York City’s Third Avenue Bridge, connecting the Bronx and Manhattan, got stuck in the open position for hours. As heat […]
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.