Schools Close and Crops Wither as ‘Historic’ Heatwave Hits Southeast Asia
April 5th, 2024
Via The Guardian, a report on the southeast Asia’s historic heatwave what has left governments across region grappling for response as temperatures soar to unseasonable highs: Thousands of schools in the Philippines have stopped in-person classes due to unbearable heat. In Indonesia, prolonged dry weather has caused rice prices to soar. In Thailand’s waters, temperatures are so […]
Read more »How Women in Ahmedabad Slums Are Beating Back Climate’s Deadly Heatwave
March 29th, 2024
Via One World South Asia, a report on how women in Ahmedabad slums who work from home at tailoring, embroidery, kite-making, snack-making, or running grocery shops, micro-retailing vegetables and flowers, have been with little respite from the brutal heatwaves that have been steadily worsening. Until now… Seema Mali is desperate. She has no defences against […]
Read more »High Heat Insurance
March 25th, 2024
Via Fast Company, an article on one start-up company’s efforts to insure against extreme weather: Legislators in Florida recently made headlines by proposing a ban on heat-related protections for workers—including breaks to hydrate and get out of the sun. While the merits of that bill are questionable, especially as it potentially puts millions of outdoor workers in […]
Read more »What The World Can Learn From Singapore About Urban Heat Governance
March 15th, 2024
Courtesy of Illuminem, a look at Singapore’s leadership in urban heat governance: Extreme heat poses a significant policy dilemma in the Anthropocene era. The year 2023 witnessed the highest temperature recorded since 1850, surpassing the pre-industrial average by 1.35 degrees Celsius. The period spanning from 2014 to 2023 marked the ten hottest years on record, highlighting the severity […]
Read more »Coming Soon to Manhattan, a Brand-New Tiny Forest
March 12th, 2024
Courtesy of the New York Times, a look at how – pocket-size forests filled with native plants which have long been embraced worldwide for their environmental benefits – may be coming to New York City: A trend that’s gaining momentum around the world is set to finally arrive in Manhattan. It’s a tiny forest, to be planted […]
Read more »In Rural California, A Plan for Shade
March 5th, 2024
Courtesy of The Washington Post, an article on a rural California region’s plan to provide shade from dangerous heat: When Limba Contreras moved to the desert community of Oasis, California, about 50 years ago, her family relied on a water cooler to keep temperatures inside their home comfortable. Other times, they sprayed each other with […]
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.