Mass Timber Construction Approved For More Builds In B.C.
April 11th, 2024
Via Global News, a report on the approval of mass timber for more builds in British Columbia where the province is making building-code changes allowing for use of mass timber in buildings up to 18 storeys, an increase from the previous 12-storey limit: The use of mass timber in British Columbia is moving up and expanding to schools, libraries and other construction. The […]
Read more »To Slash Building Emissions, Biomaterials Are Our Friends
April 10th, 2024
Via Anthropocene Magazine, an article on new research that indicates swapping conventional insulation with straw or hemp, and firing up wood pellets or a heat pump for warmth could slash Swiss building emissions by almost 90 percent: Buildings should be front and center in efforts to tackle climate change. Buildings account for 40 percent of global energy […]
Read more »Greening Urban Development: The Business Case for Investing in Urban Green Spaces
April 10th, 2024
Via Earth.org, a look at the investment case for urban green spaces: Urban green spaces have the potential to make a positive impact on cities and the people living in them and present significant business opportunities for construction entrepreneurs. Green property development allows you to connect with buyers increasingly demanding sustainable homes and offers multiple […]
Read more »Communist-Era Apartment Blocks Dominate Eastern Europe – Now They’re Being Transformed
April 9th, 2024
Courtesy of BBC, a report on how Communist-era apartment blocks in Eastern Europe are being transformed: From Prague to Plovdiv, engineers and architects are giving a second life to communist-built apartment blocks in Central and Eastern Europe, ready for the climate change era. One of the oldest residents of one of the tallest building in […]
Read more »Rooftop Heat Pump Technologies Can Save US Businesses $5B Annually: DOE
April 9th, 2024
Via Smart Cities Dive, an article on a new U.S. Department of Energy program aims to bring higher-efficiency rooftop heat pump technologies to market as soon as 2027: Dive Brief: The U.S. Department of Energy’s new Commercial Building Heat Pump Accelerator program aims to help manufacturers develop heat pumps that can replace less efficient rooftop heating and […]
Read more »The $2 Billion Plan to Electrify American Homes
April 5th, 2024
Via Heatmap, an article on the $2B plan to electrify U.S. homes: Getting fossil fuels out of your home is really hard. You have to find a contractor, ideally one who supports electrification and doesn’t ask why you won’t just stick with natural gas. You have to coordinate between multiple trades — electricians, plumbers, HVAC […]
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.