After a Record Hot Summer, Pressure Grows for A/C Mandates
September 12th, 2024
Via Bloomberg, a look at how lawmakers and advocates from NYC to Ontario are considering new policies to protect tenants from extreme heat: Heating on cold days is a widespread requirement for rental homes in much of Canada and the US. Air conditioning, not so much. But as extreme heat becomes a growing health threat, […]
Read more »As Phoenix Deals With Record Heat, Other Cities Using Similar Approaches
September 12th, 2024
Via KJZZ, a look at how other cities are learning from Phoenix’s approach to record heat: Phoenix continues to set heat records this summer, but other communities have also seen an increase in the impacts of extreme heat. And Sara Meerow, an associate professor in the School of Geographical Sciences and Urban Planning at ASU […]
Read more »Climate Security = National Security: Securing Our Future in a Hotter, More Dangerous World
September 10th, 2024
Courtesy of Scientific American, commentary on how defending the U.S. is much more complicated in an era of climate change: Flying by helicopter over the Greenland ice sheet, I am struck by its vast expanse of whiteness. But as I look closer I see that much of the ice is dotted with bright blue pools. […]
Read more »Chilling Out: How Africa Can Stay Cool As The Climate Warms
September 10th, 2024
Via The Economist, an article on strategies to mitigate Africa’s increasing cases of extreme heat: FEW PLACES on Earth are more familiar with the deadly consequences of extreme heat than countries in Africa. Heat kills crops, spoils food and medicines, and makes it impossible to work, study or sleep. As the planet warms, the number of […]
Read more »Why Cities Are Getting More Rainy
September 10th, 2024
Via Washington Post, a report on a new study has found most cities receive significantly more rain than nearby rural regions, an effect that has become more pronounced over the past two decades: Cities are hot. The fact that urban areas tend to be warmer than their surrounding region — a phenomenon called the heat island […]
Read more »Fossil Fueled Comfort—The History and Cost of Air Conditioning in Bahrain
September 6th, 2024
Via the Middle East Research and Information Project, an interesting look at the history, cost, and social inequities of air conditioning in Bahrain where the first air conditioner in the Gulf was installed in the oil town of Awali: The town had been built by Bahrain Petroleum Company (Bapco)—a creation of the Standard Oil Company […]
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.