Could the Global Boom in Greenhouses Help Cool the Planet?
June 20th, 2024
Via Yale e360, a look at how – as agricultural greenhouses proliferate – researchers are finding that their reflective roofs are having a cooling effect. Some experts see this as an unintended experiment with lessons for cooling cities, but others point to the environmental damage that greenhouses can cause: The world is awash with greenhouses […]
Read more »Toronto Homes Can’t Go Carbon-Neutral Unless Developers Get On Board
June 20th, 2024
Via Narwahl, a report on how buildings are Toronto’s largest source of greenhouse gases but, while the city has ambitious plans to fix that, developers are balking at the price tag: In the hollow of the Don Valley, on the site of a historic brickyard and quarry, stands a nearly 70-year-old, 53,000-square-foot testament to the […]
Read more »Harnessing Nature To Cool Cities: Parks For Tomorrow
June 18th, 2024
Via Harvard Magazine, an article on how nature can help cool cities: IN 2009, Bas Smets walked across an old industrial plaza in Arles, France. Entirely concrete, the space posed a problem. The area was being transformed into a large art complex, but in the intense summer sun, the ground reflected the heat, doubly baking […]
Read more »Keeping Stormwater at Bay: A Brooklyn Green Roof Offers a Look at a Climate Resilient Future
June 15th, 2024
Via Inside Climate News, an article on how green infrastructure mitigates the impacts of stormwater on New York City’s sewer systems, limiting the flow of sewage to local waterways: Every Friday afternoon, the Kingsland Wildflower Green Roof opens its doors to the local community. Tall grass and brightly-colored flowers greet visitors after their four-floor trek […]
Read more »America’s Largest Renewable Energy-Powered Transit Depot
June 14th, 2024
Via AlphaStruxure, a look at the U.S.’s largest renewable energy-powered transit depot: Welcome to the Equipment Maintenance & Transit Operation Center microgrid Fast facts Location: Derwood, Montgomery County, MD Size: 5.5 MW of solar generation with 2 MW battery storage Timeline: Construction to last about 1 year, operational by Fall 2025 Project Superlatives #1 largest renewable energy-powered transit depot […]
Read more »Researchers Are Reinventing Glass For A Warmer World
June 13th, 2024
Via Anthropocene Magazine, a look at how scientists have devised a window coating that looks like frosted glass but is brighter, provides cooling to reduce reliance on air-conditioning, and does not require cleaning: Glass walls are great for letting in natural light and brightening up living rooms and offices. But they are not the best […]
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.