The UK Is Losing the Race Against Devastating Floods
December 13th, 2024
Via Bloomberg, a look at how a first-of-its-kind insurance program bought some in the UK time to shore up flood defenses, but exclusive data shows that isn’t happening quickly enough: About 900 years ago, Medieval monks began resurrecting an expanse of land in southwest England that languished underwater for half the year. Stone by stone, […]
Read more »Copenhagen’s Biggest Climate Threat: Water
December 6th, 2024
Via Terra Daily, a look at how Copenhagen takes on its biggest climate threat — water: In low-lying Copenhagen where rising sea levels, groundwater and rainfall pose a risk to infrastructure, the Danish capital is trying to adapt and protect urban areas from climate change.And Karens Minde park is one of the more than 300 projects […]
Read more »New Orleans’ Striking Advantage in the Age of Climate Change
November 30th, 2024
Courtesy of the New York Times, commentary on New Orlean’s coastal/water challenges in the face of climate change: A unifying theme of this year’s extremely active Atlantic hurricane season, which officially concludes on Saturday, has been the disbelief echoing from the Blue Ridge Mountains to the Ozark plateau. “I had always felt like we were safe from […]
Read more »The Hidden Threat of Rising Coastal Groundwater
November 27th, 2024
Via Knowable Magazine, an article on the impact that sea level rise will have on the infrastructure beneath our feet: When people think about sea level rise, many picture scenarios like flooded coastlines in Florida or Bangladesh, and beachfront homes succumbing to erosion on the Outer Banks of North Carolina. But some of the most […]
Read more »Bangkok Turns To Urban Forests To Beat Worsening Floods
October 20th, 2024
Via Mongabay, a report on Bangkok’s use of urban forests to address flooding: Bangkok is launching city forests to help beat flooding by soaking up excess rainwater runoff. A new park slated to open in December will feature 4,500 trees, a floodplain and a weir to slow the flow of water; another newly opened $20 […]
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 »'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.