The Intersection of Buildings, Energy, and Emissions Reduction
November 15th, 2023
Via Green Money, commentary on the intersection of buildings, energy, and emissions reduction: Buildings use energy. Lots of energy. Buildings account for 30-50% of building energy use globally; in the US it’s 39%, more than industry and transportation. Figure 1 shows the US building sector energy consumption, courtesy of Sunproject. Source: World Economic Forum. (October […]
Read more »After its Hottest Summer On Record, Phoenix’s Mayor Outlines the City’s Future
November 13th, 2023
Via Inside Climate News, an interview with Phoenix’s Mayor Kate Gallego, looking at how the city is looking to address extreme heat and drought to build a more sustainable city: The Phoenix summer of 2023 was one for the record books. For 54 days straight—36 more than the previous record—the hottest city in the country had […]
Read more »Heat Pump Installations Slow, Impeding Biden’s Climate Goals
November 9th, 2023
Via the New York Times, an article on heat pumps – devices which can heat and cool homes more efficiently than furnaces and air-conditioners – but their sales have slowed because of higher interest rates and a slow rollout of federal incentives: More Americans are buying heat pumps, an environmentally friendly alternative to furnaces and […]
Read more »Cement and Concrete That Could Help Builders Get Greener
November 9th, 2023
Via Fortune Magazine, a look at Holcim, whose cement and concrete could help builders get greener: Construction workers build with 3D-printed cement at a housing complex in Kenya. Structures built with printed concrete can retain the same strength while using up to 50% less material, Holcim says. COURTESY OF HOLCIM In its peacefulness and civility, […]
Read more »Buildings That Can Stand Up To Hurricanes and Sharply Cut Emissions Too
November 7th, 2023
Via AP News, a report on how some houses are being built to stand up to hurricanes and sharply cut emissions, too: When Hurricane Michael hit the Florida Panhandle five years ago, it left boats, cars and trucks piled up to the windows of Bonny Paulson’s home in the tiny coastal community of Mexico Beach, […]
Read more »How An 8-Acre Green Roof Is Boosting New York City’s Biodiversity and Resilience
November 6th, 2023
Via GreenRoofs.com, a look at how an 8-acre Green Roof Atop the Javits Center is Boosting NYC’s biodiversity and resilience: Photo: Jacob Javits Convention Center. Rosemary Misdary of Gothamist writes: It’s migratory bird season, and ecologists are cataloging the large number of birds that stop and refuel in New York during journeys that can reach up […]
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.