China: An Adaptation Advantage?
August 10th, 2023
Courtesy of The Wire China, a look at China’s efforts to mobilize to adapt and thrive in a rapidly warming world. If it succeeds, the geopolitical consequences will be profound. Is America ready? On an August day last year, Xi Jinping visited Saihanba National Forest Park to inspect the trees and flowers. Spanning nearly 200,000 acres northwest of […]
Read more »Greening America’s Cities
August 9th, 2023
Via Bezos Earth Fund, positive news on a new commitment to addressing U.S. cities’ green deserts challenge: The Bezos Earth Fund firmly believes that living in a city should not have to mean living without nature. Green spaces such as parks, community gardens, nature trails, and tree canopies along city blocks are vital to the […]
Read more »As Climate Change Worsens, Military Builds ‘Base of the Future’ on Gulf Coast
August 7th, 2023
Courtesy of The Washington Post, a look at how – after Tyndall Air Force Base was leveled by 2018?s Hurricane Michael – those overseeing its reconstruction hope it becomes the ‘test bed’ for bases to defend against the perils posed by a warming atmosphere: Five years later, the scars of Hurricane Michael are still visible across […]
Read more »Heat Pumps Blow A Green Wave Across Europe
August 7th, 2023
Courtesy of The Financial Times, an article on growing adoption of heat pumps in Europe: When one village resident wanted to join the green revolution by installing a heat pump in his English countryside home to replace an off-grid oil boiler, he had a frustrating year-long wait and paid a hefty bill. Lord Adair Turner […]
Read more »Electrified Cement Could Turn Houses and Roads Into Nearly Limitless Batteries
August 5th, 2023
Via Science, an article on energy storing building materials which could make on-demand power from renewables affordable worldwide: Tesla’s Powerwall, a boxy, wall-mounted, lithium-ion battery, can power your home for half a day or so. But what if your home was the battery? Researchers have come up with a new way to store electricity in cement, using […]
Read more »In Washington State, A new Initiative To Boost Urban Tree Cover
August 2nd, 2023
Via Grist, an article on the Washington Tree Equity Collaborative which aims to bring more greenery to underserved communities: Urban trees bring clean air and shade to many city dwellers — but those trees aren’t always equitably distributed between rich and poor neighborhoods. In Washington state, a first-of-its-kind effort is underway to fix that. Representatives from […]
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.