Fossil Fueled Comfort—The History and Cost of Air Conditioning in Bahrain
September 6th, 2024
Via the Middle East Research and Information Project, an interesting look at the history, cost, and social inequities of air conditioning in Bahrain where the first air conditioner in the Gulf was installed in the oil town of Awali: The town had been built by Bahrain Petroleum Company (Bapco)—a creation of the Standard Oil Company […]
Read more »Climate Change Can Cause Bridges to ‘Fall Apart Like Tinkertoys,’ Experts Say
September 5th, 2024
Courtesy of the New York Times, a look at how extreme heat and flooding are accelerating the deterioration of bridges, engineers say, posing a quiet but growing threat: On a 95-degree day this summer, New York City’s Third Avenue Bridge, connecting the Bronx and Manhattan, got stuck in the open position for hours. As heat […]
Read more »Cold Reality: New Technology Can Make Air Conditioning Less Harmful To The Planet
September 5th, 2024
Via The Economist, a look at innovations in cooling technology that can help reduce the negative impact A/C has on the environment: In many parts of the world, the cool blast of an air-conditioner on a hot day is nowadays seen as a luxury rather than a necessity. Climate change is tipping the balance. Average global […]
Read more »Will New York City Make Landlords Provide Air Conditioning?
August 31st, 2024
Via Smart Cities Dive, a report on whether New York City will make landlords provide air conditioning: Housing laws are really about public health, says New York City’s chief climate officer and Department of Environmental Protection commissioner, Rohit Aggarwala. “We don’t mandate that the paint job be attractive. We do mandate that it not be poisonous,” […]
Read more »Resilient Urban Forests: How Tipuana Trees Could Revolutionize City Planning
August 29th, 2024
Via Energy & Environment Leader, a look at how cities could utilize a specific tree species to revolutionize urban planning in an era of climate change: As cities across the globe grapple with climate challenges, innovative approaches to urban planning are becoming increasingly crucial. With projections indicating that 68% of the world’s population will reside […]
Read more »Learning To Live With 50C Temperatures
August 28th, 2024
Courtesy of The Financial Times, a report on how – from Dubai to Mumbai – cities are having to adapt to hotter summers, often exacerbating economic inequality in the process: Sitting astride a motorbike near a Dubai kitchen, sweat forms on Mohamad’s brow as he waits to collect a lunch order. The food is not […]
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.