An Architect Has Found a Way to Build Flood-Proof Homes
December 3rd, 2023
Via The Washington Post, a report on one architect’s efforts to build swaths of flood-resistant homes out of bamboo: Yasmeen Lari spent a four-decade career designing award-winning structures out of concrete, glass and steel before stumbling into her ideal material. It was at a camp for refugees from military conflict in Pakistan’s northwestern Swat Valley. […]
Read more »Rising Tides, Rising Solutions: Tuvalu’s Innovative Climate Adaptation Strategies
December 1st, 2023
Via The Diplomat, a look at what the world can learn from Tuvalu’s unique approach to the existential threat of climate change: Climate change is destroying our world as we know it. The Pacific Island countries have been hit hardest by its effects, forcing them to take drastic measures to adapt. Tuvalu, in particular, is […]
Read more »Extreme Heat Will Bake America’s Cities
November 28th, 2023
Via The Economist, a look at the impact of extreme heat on U.S. cities and how they may prepare: The monsoon is late again. Without the almost biblical rains, there is nothing to break the heat during a long stretch of days above 43°C (109°F). The pavement is scalding. Hospital wards are filling with burn victims. […]
Read more »Bettering The Built Environment
November 26th, 2023
Via Gates Notes, a reminder that buildings represent significant opportunities for energy efficiency improvements: Buildings waste a lot of energy: Because of inefficient windows and gaps in what’s known as the building envelope, as much as 40% of heated or cooled air leaks out of the typical building. If we can drive that number down, […]
Read more »Climate Havens: May Be Closer To Home Than Initially Thought
November 22nd, 2023
Via Grist, commentary on why ‘climate havens’ are not something nature hands us, but something we have to build ourselves: Moving is never easy — and it’s even harder in the era of global warming. Beyond the usual concerns like jobs, affordability, and proximity to family and friends, people are now considering rising seas, wildfire […]
Read more »The Next Power Plant Is on the Roof and in the Basement
November 22nd, 2023
Courtesy of The New Yorker, an article on a new Department of Energy report promoting a new system that could remake the energy grid: On any given Monday in Vermont, Josh Castonguay, the vice-president of innovation at that state’s Green Mountain Power utility, told me, he studies the forecast for the days ahead, asking questions […]
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.