SolarEV Cities Began In the South. Can They Work in the North? First stop, Paris. Next, Berlin.
September 27th, 2023
Via Anthropocene Magazine, a look at the first detailed study of combining rooftop solar panels with electric vehicles—for storage and power—in northern latitudes which reveals nuanced potential: A widespread rollout of rooftop solar panels connected to electric vehicle (EV) batteries in the region surrounding Paris, France could supply 60% of the area’s electricity demand and […]
Read more »To Decarbonize Transportation, We Must Invest in the US EV Battery Supply Chain
September 27th, 2023
Via RMI, a report on how a circular EV battery economy can help strengthen the U.S. EV battery supply chain and the nation’s growing demand for EVs: As the number of people adopting electric vehicles (EVs) continues to grow, many are concerned that the North American EV battery (EVB) supply chain won’t be able to meet the […]
Read more »Water Authority Moves To Conserve On Cooling Systems In Southern Nevada
September 25th, 2023
Via the Las Vegas Sun, a report that the Southern Nevada Water Authority has banned high-consumption evaporative systems in new commercial buildings amid drought: The Southern Nevada Water Authority has banned evaporative cooling in new commercial buildings because the systems are one of largest consumers of water in Clark County. The ban went into effect […]
Read more »L.A. Freeway: New Life As Parks and Green Housing?
September 25th, 2023
Courtesy of the Los Angeles Times, a look at how one unfinished freeway could be revitalized as green space and housing: The 90 Freeway, an unfinished three-mile stretch of road from Marina del Rey, is one of Los Angeles’ shortest thoroughfares. Now a local nonprofit is suggesting turning it into a large public park and […]
Read more »Empowered by Solar Panels, Here Come the Armchair Energy Traders
September 23rd, 2023
Courtesy of HeatMap, a look at the rise of the “armchair” energy traders, empowered by their home solar panels: The new film Dumb Money gives home traders the Hollywood treatment. The movie, based on the GameStop saga of 2021, recounts how amateur stock enthusiasts and trolls united on online platforms like Reddit drove up the stock price […]
Read more »How to Cool Down a City
September 22nd, 2023
Courtesy of the New York Times, an article looking at Singapore’s efforts to tackle urban heat: Singapore is rethinking its sweltering urban areas to dampen the effects of climate change. Can it be a model? Singapore’s prime minister has described climate change as “life and death.” He has reason to worry: Stifling temperatures and humidity […]
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.