Massive Water Savings From Modern Building Standards
May 4th, 2024
Via the Arizona Capitol Times, a report on the water savings benefits through the implementation of modern building standards: Over the next 50 years, nearly half of America’s freshwater basins may not be able to meet the monthly water demand, with shortages anticipated in the central and southern Great Plains, the Southwest, and central Rocky […]
Read more »Investments in Miami-Dade’s Tree Canopy Are Taking Root
May 4th, 2024
Via the Miami Herald, commentary from the Mayor of Miami on efforts to green the city: Miami-Dade County has come a long way in terms of recognizing the importance of reforestation and growing our tree canopy. What once was considered a beautification effort is now widely understood as an essential part of building a more […]
Read more »Cities Use Data To Fight Climate Crisis
May 2nd, 2024
Via Fast Company, a report on how data will help cities fight the climate crisis: Earth Day is a good opportunity to see how data and technology can improve sustainability. Even with Earth Day in the rearview mirror, it’s still clear that the fight to counter the climate crisis will be won or lost in […]
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.