Heat-Proofing India
October 3rd, 2023
Via Science.org, a report on how cities in India are testing measures that could help urban populations worldwide cope with rising temperatures: In Lal Matti, an informal settlement of tin-roofed homes in this coastal city, summer can be unbearable. Before the monsoon rains arrive, temperatures can top 37°C, with humidity at a sweltering 95%. The […]
Read more »New York Needs to Get Spongier—or Get Used to More Floods
September 29th, 2023
Via Wired, a report on how devastating deluges around the world point to the metropolis of tomorrow: the “sponge city.” Think more parks and fewer parking lots. TWO YEARS AFTER the remnants of Hurricane Ian dumped up to 10 inches of rain on New York City in just two hours, the metropolis is once again inundated today by extreme […]
Read more »Transforming Trees Into Skyscrapers
September 28th, 2023
Courtesy of The New Yorker, a look at how – in Scandinavia – ecologically minded architects are building towers with pillars of pine and spruce: Brumunddal, a small municipality on the northeastern shore of Lake Mjøsa, in Norway, has for most of its history had little to recommend it to the passing visitor. There are […]
Read more »SolarEV Cities Began In the South. Can They Work in the North? First stop, Paris. Next, Berlin.
September 27th, 2023
Via Anthropocene Magazine, a look at the first detailed study of combining rooftop solar panels with electric vehicles—for storage and power—in northern latitudes which reveals nuanced potential: A widespread rollout of rooftop solar panels connected to electric vehicle (EV) batteries in the region surrounding Paris, France could supply 60% of the area’s electricity demand and […]
Read more »To Decarbonize Transportation, We Must Invest in the US EV Battery Supply Chain
September 27th, 2023
Via RMI, a report on how a circular EV battery economy can help strengthen the U.S. EV battery supply chain and the nation’s growing demand for EVs: As the number of people adopting electric vehicles (EVs) continues to grow, many are concerned that the North American EV battery (EVB) supply chain won’t be able to meet the […]
Read more »Water Authority Moves To Conserve On Cooling Systems In Southern Nevada
September 25th, 2023
Via the Las Vegas Sun, a report that the Southern Nevada Water Authority has banned high-consumption evaporative systems in new commercial buildings amid drought: The Southern Nevada Water Authority has banned evaporative cooling in new commercial buildings because the systems are one of largest consumers of water in Clark County. The ban went into effect […]
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.