China Plans Two-Way Charging System Between EVs and Grids
January 11th, 2024
Via Caixin Global, a report on China’s push for ‘vehicle-grid interaction’ The central government has announced a plan to build a two-way charging system between electric vehicles (EVs) and the country’s power grids. According to the plan, EV owners can charge their vehicles during off-peak hours to enjoy lower electricity prices. During peak hours, they can send […]
Read more »How U.S. Cities Can Scale On-Site Solar with New Federal Incentives
January 11th, 2024
Via RMI, a look at how US cities can leverage the new “direct pay” mechanism build on-site solar projects for local governments: Last year, San Antonio set a new record of 75 days at or above 100°F. An innovative solar project approved by the City in November will not only provide a solution for beating the […]
Read more »How Electricity Could Help Tackle a Surprising Climate Villain: Cement
January 5th, 2024
Via MIT Technology Review, a look at how Sublime Systems is trying to drive down the carbon footprint of cement production: Cement hides in plain sight—it’s used to build everything from roads and buildings to dams and basement floors. But there’s a climate threat lurking in those ubiquitous gray slabs. Cement production accounts for more than […]
Read more »The Architect Making Friends With Flooding
January 2nd, 2024
Via MIT’s Technology Review, a report on one Chinese landscape designer who has pioneered a new approach—working with water instead of trying to bend it to our will: For years, Beijing landscape architect Yu Kongjian was ridiculed by his fellow citizens as a backward thinker. Some even called him an American spy—a nod to his […]
Read more »Embracing a Wetter Future, the Dutch Turn to Floating Homes
December 29th, 2023
Via Yale e360, an article on how – faced with worsening floods and a shortage of housing – the Netherlands is seeing growing interest in floating homes: When a heavy storm hit in October, residents of the floating community of Schoonschip in Amsterdam had little doubt they could ride it out. They tied up their […]
Read more »After a Decade of Planning, New York City Is Raising Its Shoreline
December 29th, 2023
Courtesy of Yale e360, a look at how – inspired by the Dutch model of living with water – New York’s coastal defenses are on the rise via a combination of infrastructure like floodwalls with nature-based features, as it moves ahead with the largest resiliency project in the US: On a recent morning in Asser […]
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.