Buildings as Batteries: How Basic Demand Response Could Shift Peak Demand, Save Billions
April 23rd, 2024
Via Renew Economy, an interesting look at the impact that demand response alongside energy efficiency could have on overall energy savings: Demand response, alongside energy efficiency, is often cited as one of the unsung heroes of the energy transition, thanks to its potential to shift large electricity loads out of periods of peak demand with […]
Read more »Environmental Cost of China’s Addiction to Cement
April 23rd, 2024
Via BBC, a report on the environmental cost of China’s addiction to cement: China’s cities are sinking – apparent victims of their own success. Large swathes of the country’s population now live in major cities that are subsiding at more than 3mm (0.1in) per year, according to a recent study. Some areas are sinking by more than 45mm (1.7in) […]
Read more »Dubai’s Green Paths: A Sensible Start to Mitigating Climate Change
April 23rd, 2024
Via Green Prophet, a look at Dubai’s green paths project: The Green Paths to Future initiative in Dubai spans about 10 miles and stands as a groundbreaking eco-project to redefine Dubai’s urban landscape, spearheading a transformational change in sustainability, liveability and climate resilience. Dubai’s Green Paths to Future initiative was conceived to address the pressing challenges of […]
Read more »Green Roofs Are Great. Blue-Green Roofs Are Even Better
April 22nd, 2024
Via Wired, an article on Amsterdam’s experiments with roofs that not only grow plants but capture water for a building’s residents. Welcome to the squeezable sponge city of tomorrow. You might visit Amsterdam for its famous canals, and who could blame you, really. But the truly interesting waterways aren’t under your feet—they’re above your head. […]
Read more »Asia’s Heat Wave Scorches Hundreds of Millions
April 22nd, 2024
Via the New York Times, a report on Asia’s heat wave: Hundreds of millions of people in South and Southeast Asia were suffering on Monday from a punishing heat wave that has forced schools to close, disrupted agriculture, and raised the risk of heat strokes and other health complications. The weather across the region in […]
Read more »Cities That Are Saving The Planet
April 22nd, 2024
Cities are transforming to integrate with nature, using features like vertical forests to encourage wildlife’s return and restore our connection to the natural world. Here is an interesting video look at some of the innovations from BBC.
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.