Roads of the Future Could Be Paved With Plastic
August 7th, 2023
Via Fast Company, a report on how most plastic never gets recycled, but the construction industry could offer a solution: Despite the fact that waste plastic can be recycled, in the U.S. less than 10% of it actually is. Part of the problem is a lack of demand for the plastic coming out of recycling […]
Read more »Heat Pumps Blow A Green Wave Across Europe
August 7th, 2023
Courtesy of The Financial Times, an article on growing adoption of heat pumps in Europe: When one village resident wanted to join the green revolution by installing a heat pump in his English countryside home to replace an off-grid oil boiler, he had a frustrating year-long wait and paid a hefty bill. Lord Adair Turner […]
Read more »Electrified Cement Could Turn Houses and Roads Into Nearly Limitless Batteries
August 5th, 2023
Via Science, an article on energy storing building materials which could make on-demand power from renewables affordable worldwide: Tesla’s Powerwall, a boxy, wall-mounted, lithium-ion battery, can power your home for half a day or so. But what if your home was the battery? Researchers have come up with a new way to store electricity in cement, using […]
Read more »As Indian Cities Heat Up, Climate-Resilient Traditional Buildings Return
August 4th, 2023
Via Eco Business, a look at how – as Indian cities heat up – climate-resilient traditional buildings are coming into fashion: If the pandemic triggered eco-consciousness in A. Krishnan, a Chennai-based software professional, the heat waves of April and May and the floods that followed made him into a total sustainability convert. In Chennai, the […]
Read more »Innovative Cooling Solutions for Overheated Cities
August 3rd, 2023
Via Inhabitat, a look at some innovative solutions for overheated cities: With climate change ramping up and an El Nino weather pattern in effect for the western hemisphere, heat island effect has become a real problem for cities sweltering under the summer sun. GAF created a product called Streetbond Pavement Coating that aims to turn that heat […]
Read more »In Washington State, A new Initiative To Boost Urban Tree Cover
August 2nd, 2023
Via Grist, an article on the Washington Tree Equity Collaborative which aims to bring more greenery to underserved communities: Urban trees bring clean air and shade to many city dwellers — but those trees aren’t always equitably distributed between rich and poor neighborhoods. In Washington state, a first-of-its-kind effort is underway to fix that. Representatives from […]
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.