Trees and Greenery Can Cool Cities by as Much as 18°C – but Only If It’s the Right Type
May 31st, 2026
Via The Conversation, a report on the potential for trees and greenery to cool cities: Cities around the world are planting more trees to cope with rising urban heat. But our research shows trees alone are often not enough. In some cases, the wrong kind of greening can even make streets feel less comfortable on a hot […]
Read more »Selling the Outcome, Not Just the Appliance: What the Clean Cooling Sector Can Learn from Clean Cooking
May 28th, 2026
Via Next Billion, commentary on what the clean cooling sector can learn from clean cooking: As cooling solutions become an increasingly essential element of global climate change adaptation, the world stands at the crossroads of two radically different pathways: The choice we make will have major implications for the broader fight against climate change. Under […]
Read more »Boston Public Housing Upgrades Units With Window Heat Pumps
May 23rd, 2026
Courtesy of Bloomberg, a report on a pilot project aims to cut heating costs and provide air conditioning while reducing emissions: The city of Boston is using a heat pump that can be installed in minutes to decarbonize a public housing complex for the elderly and provide air conditioning. The Boston Housing Authority is managing […]
Read more »Come for the Biking, Stay for the Otters
May 23rd, 2026
Via Bloomberg, a look at how – with tight budgets and political pushback – policymakers are pitching bike lanes that serve other green purposes like flood and habitat protection: Cardiff’s new cycle paths are designed to function as rain gardens, helping to prevent flooding and providing habitats for wildlife. The multi-purpose design of the bike […]
Read more »How Cities From Tokyo to Nairobi Are Becoming Flood-Proof
May 20th, 2026
Via Bloomberg, an article on the business of adaptation—investing in climate resilience—which is projected to be a $1.3 trillion market: The planet is warming faster than ever, and as it does, extreme weather is intensifying. Of those events, almost half involve flooding. So to protect the world’s coastal cities and the hundreds of millions who […]
Read more »The Balcony Solar Boom Coming to the U.S.
May 8th, 2026
Via MIT Technology Review, a look at the growing popularity of plug-in panels: Dozens of US states are considering legislation to allow people to install plug-in solar systems, often called balcony solar. These small arrays require little to no setup and could help cut emissions and power bills. Balcony solar is already popular in Europe, […]
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.