Riding The Heat Wave: Why America’s Hottest City Is Still Booming
August 10th, 2023
Courtesy of The Atlantic, an article on how air conditioning is keeping America’s hottest city still booming: In Phoenix, a high of 108 degrees Fahrenheit now somehow counts as a respite. On Monday, America’s hottest major city ended its ominous streak of 31 straight days in which temperatures crested past 110. The toll of this […]
Read more »The Functionality of Green Infrastructure
August 10th, 2023
Via The Waterfront Alliance, a report on green infrastructure: Have you ever walked down the street and noticed a blossoming garden between the curb and sidewalk? You may have thought this bioswale brightened up the block, but beneath its flourishing exterior it also works to absorb, slow, and filter stormwater flows. In other words, it is a […]
Read more »China: An Adaptation Advantage?
August 10th, 2023
Courtesy of The Wire China, a look at China’s efforts to mobilize to adapt and thrive in a rapidly warming world. If it succeeds, the geopolitical consequences will be profound. Is America ready? On an August day last year, Xi Jinping visited Saihanba National Forest Park to inspect the trees and flowers. Spanning nearly 200,000 acres northwest of […]
Read more »Greening America’s Cities
August 9th, 2023
Via Bezos Earth Fund, positive news on a new commitment to addressing U.S. cities’ green deserts challenge: The Bezos Earth Fund firmly believes that living in a city should not have to mean living without nature. Green spaces such as parks, community gardens, nature trails, and tree canopies along city blocks are vital to the […]
Read more »Japan’s Creative Cooling Solutions
August 9th, 2023
Via BBC Travel, a look at a wealth of cooling solutions, from high-tech underwear to ancient philosophies, on a journey round Japan: When our iPhones alerted us that the temperature had crept past 37C, we paused. Every sun-drenched step outside felt like we were wagyu steaks sizzling on the grill. Was honeymooning in Japan in July – […]
Read more »As Climate Change Worsens, Military Builds ‘Base of the Future’ on Gulf Coast
August 7th, 2023
Courtesy of The Washington Post, a look at how – after Tyndall Air Force Base was leveled by 2018?s Hurricane Michael – those overseeing its reconstruction hope it becomes the ‘test bed’ for bases to defend against the perils posed by a warming atmosphere: Five years later, the scars of Hurricane Michael are still visible across […]
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.