Inside the Rise of Groundwater-Based Geothermal Heat Pumps
April 12th, 2024
Via Utility Dive, an article on the rise of groundwater-based geothermal heat pumps: The technology, which is cost-effective across 75% of the U.S. landmass and ideal for space-constrained users, could eventually displace utility gas service, proponents say. A few steps from the front door of Rochester, Minnesota’s city hall, two newly drilled wells plunge hundreds […]
Read more »Voltpost Launches EV Charging Solution Integrated Into Lampposts
April 12th, 2024
Via Energy & Environment Leader, a report on a new start up deploying EV charging solutions into lampposts: Voltpost, an electric vehicle (EV) charging company, has unveiled its commercial-ready, curbside EV charging solution. Aimed at transforming urban mobility, Voltpost is rolling out its unique EV charging projects across several major U.S. metropolitan areas this spring, […]
Read more »Slow Water: Can We Tame Urban Floods By Going With The Flow?
April 12th, 2024
Via The Guardian, a look at urban flooding: After epic floods in India, South Africa, Germany, New York and Canada killed hundreds in the past year, droughts are now parching landscapes and wilting crops across the western US, the Horn of Africa and Iraq. The responses have included calls for higher levees, bigger drains and longer aqueducts. But these concrete interventions aimed at controlling water are […]
Read more »Global Warming Is Coming For Your Home
April 12th, 2024
Via The Economist, a report on climate change’s impact on housing: Think about the places vulnerable to climate change, and you might picture rice paddies in Bangladesh or low-lying islands in the Pacific. But another, more surprising answer ought to be your own house. About a tenth of the world’s residential property by value is under threat from global […]
Read more »Two Sides of the Equator: Extreme Heat in the Southern Hemisphere
April 11th, 2024
Via the Clean Cooling Collaborative, a report on extreme heat in the southern hemisphere: In the colder months of winter, it is understandable to let global temperature rise and the risks of extreme heat temporarily slip our minds. In the Northern Hemisphere, October to May can often provide a welcomed respite, with the heat of […]
Read more »Mass Timber Construction Approved For More Builds In B.C.
April 11th, 2024
Via Global News, a report on the approval of mass timber for more builds in British Columbia where the province is making building-code changes allowing for use of mass timber in buildings up to 18 storeys, an increase from the previous 12-storey limit: The use of mass timber in British Columbia is moving up and expanding to schools, libraries and other construction. The […]
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.