Climate Resolve Launches ‘Shine On’ Initiative to Combat Climate Change Through Cool Surface Solutions
February 3rd, 2024
Via Informed Infrastructure, a report on a new initiative to help scale up the adoption of cool surfaces as an essential strategy for combating climate change: Climate Resolve, a Los Angeles-based nonprofit organization, has launched Shine On, a new initiative funded by the Grantham Foundation and ClimateWorks Foundation’s Clean Cooling Collaborative (CCC). This innovative program […]
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 »Agency Leaders Ask Utilities for Water and Energy Data for Apartment Buildings
January 29th, 2024
HUD, DoE, and EPA leaders are asking utilities for water and energy data for apartment buildings: “Making these data easily available for multifamily properties is critical to the ability of property owners participating in these programs to assess the need for energy upgrades and prioritize those upgrades which will have the greatest benefit to their residents.” – Letter from […]
Read more »Bump in the Road: Climate Change’s Surprising Impact on Potholes and the Revolutionary Solutions Ahead
January 28th, 2024
Via One Green Planet, a look at climate change’s surprising impact on potholes and the revolutionary solutions on the horizon: Climate change isn’t just about rising seas and scorching heatwaves; it’s also unleashing a pothole plague on our roads! In 2023, the UK reported nearly 630,000 pothole complaints – a shocking five-year peak. Across the pond, the USA […]
Read more »Jakarta: Striving To Avoid Becoming Next Atlantis
January 26th, 2024
Via Onewater, an article on Jakarta’s efforts to adapt to increasing subsidence Jakarta — the fastest-sinking city in the world — has finally taken action on its core land subsidence problem when groundwater free zones for highrise buildings will start to be established in August this year. If the government accelerates the provision of piped- water to all residents […]
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.