Should More Homes and Buildings Be Built Using Straw?
February 3rd, 2024
Via BBC, a look at the potential use of straw in construction: When packed into panels straw is highly insulating This year, straw from Lithuania will envelop a building in the quiet town of Todmorden, West Yorkshire. Barbara Jones and her colleagues at Todmorden Learning Centre and Community Hub have hatched a plan to clad […]
Read more »Zum Raises $140 Million for School Bus Batteries on Wheels
February 2nd, 2024
Via ImpactAlpha, an article on a company raising money to use school buses as batteries on wheels: School buses are the largest source of mass transit in the US, transporting over 20 million students to and from school daily. Most run on diesel fuel, which spew toxic fumes that are harmful to human health and […]
Read more »U.S. Will Pay to Add Solar Panels to Hospitals, Schools After Disasters
February 2nd, 2024
Courtesy of the New York Times, a report on federal government’s plans to reimburse state and local governments that rebuild damaged public buildings to be more energy resilient: The Federal Emergency Management Agency will begin paying to install solar panels on schools, hospitals and other public buildings that are rebuilt after disasters, making them more […]
Read more »L.A. County Looks to Require Rental Units to Stay Cool in Summer
January 30th, 2024
Via the Los Angeles Times, a report that L.A. County is considering establishing a maximum temperature for rental units in the county: This winter, renters in frigid Los Angeles apartments have some ammo when they complain to their landlord about busted heating and drafty rooms: Legally speaking, rental units aren’t supposed to dip below a […]
Read more »The Problem With Heat Pumps
January 30th, 2024
Via The New Statesman, a look at heat pumps – which have been the norm in Sweden for 40 years – but have not had the same success in the UK? My parents are getting the hang of sustainable living. From their home in Cumbria, they drive a hybrid car, which they charge regularly in […]
Read more »Cool Roofing Initiative to Address Record-Breaking Heat in Arizona
January 30th, 2024
Via Environment and Energy Leader, an article on cool roofing initiative designed to address record heat in Arizona: NanoTech Materials and Cool Roof Coating Systems are joining forces to install cool roof coatings as a durable, low-maintenance solution to combat high indoor temperatures in Arizona. NanoTech’s cool roof coat offers an alternative to costly roof replacements, […]
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.