Cement and Concrete That Could Help Builders Get Greener
November 9th, 2023
Via Fortune Magazine, a look at Holcim, whose cement and concrete could help builders get greener: Construction workers build with 3D-printed cement at a housing complex in Kenya. Structures built with printed concrete can retain the same strength while using up to 50% less material, Holcim says. COURTESY OF HOLCIM In its peacefulness and civility, […]
Read more »How Ailing Strip Malls Could Be a Green Fix for U.S. Housing Crisis
November 8th, 2023
Via Yale e360, a report on urban designer Peter Calthorpe’s plan for the shuttered and financially troubled strip malls that dot the suburban landscape: Convert the malls into housing that would be part of green communities where people could be closer to their jobs and get out of their cars. The U.S. housing shortage is […]
Read more »Paving The Way For Cleaner Public Transit
November 8th, 2023
Via WRI Insights, a look at how – from minibuses to “Boda Bodas” – informal transport systems could be an untapped urban climate change solution: Over 50% of all transport-related emissions come from high-income countries, where people are more likely to own and depend on personal vehicles. Meanwhile, less than 1% is generated by low-income countries […]
Read more »Cities: To Build Or Not To Build Homes In Risky Places
November 7th, 2023
Via NPR, a look at three (3) how a growing number of local governments are considering limits on homebuilding in the face of floods, droughts and wildfires driven by climate change: With climate-fueled disasters killing hundreds of Americans annually and costing communities billions of dollars, a growing number of local governments are asking a basic […]
Read more »Ecosystems as Infrastructure: A New Way of Looking at Climate Resilience
November 7th, 2023
Via Yale e360, a look at how landscape architect Kate Orff works on rebuilding natural systems to help communities and cities reduce their climate risks: When people think of landscape architecture, small-scale recreational spaces like urban parks, gardens, and golf courses may come to mind. MacArthur “Genius Award” winner Kate Orff has a grander and […]
Read more »Buildings That Can Stand Up To Hurricanes and Sharply Cut Emissions Too
November 7th, 2023
Via AP News, a report on how some houses are being built to stand up to hurricanes and sharply cut emissions, too: When Hurricane Michael hit the Florida Panhandle five years ago, it left boats, cars and trucks piled up to the windows of Bonny Paulson’s home in the tiny coastal community of Mexico Beach, […]
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.