We’re building roofs wrong. A different approach can save money and lives.
July 15th, 2023
Courtesy of The Washington Post, an article on innovative roof technology which can help combat extreme heat: Years ago, I walked onto the roof of the Palo Alto Research Center. The nondescript beige building in Silicon Valley, known for groundbreaking technology, is the birthplace of the mouse, laser printer and Ethernet. That afternoon, researchers were sending heat […]
Read more »Are Cities’ Long Held Plans For Extreme Heat Enough In A Warming World?
July 12th, 2023
Via AP News, a look at whether cities’ long-held plans for extreme heat are enough in a warming world: Natural disasters can be dramatic — barreling hurricanes, building-toppling tornadoes — but heat is more deadly. Chicago learned that the hard way in 1995. That July, a weeklong heat wave that hit 106 degrees Fahrenheit (41 […]
Read more »Green Buildings Can Reduce City Temperatures By Up To 2°C
July 12th, 2023
Via World Economic Forum, a report on the need for green buildings to become the norm to improve well-being, air quality and carbon emissions” Green buildings are vital in the fight against climate change. But, social benefits are also seen as users of these buildings will see improved well-being, health and productivity. One study saw […]
Read more »The Simple Ways Cities Can Adapt To Heatwaves
July 12th, 2023
Courtesy of the BBC, a look at some simple ways cities can adapt to heatwaves: Satellite images reveal how green spaces, white roads and water features are helping keep cities cool during deadly heatwaves. Ribbons of blue snake through the bird’s eye view of Prague, a cool relief from the intense patchwork of hot red, […]
Read more »Lighter Pavement Really Does Cool Cities When It’s Done Right
July 10th, 2023
Via The Conversation, a look at how lighter pavement really does cool cities when it’s done right: When heat waves hit, people start looking for anything that might lower the temperature. One solution is right beneath our feet: pavement. Think about how hot the soles of your shoes can get when you’re walking on dark […]
Read more »The Cooling Challenge
July 4th, 2023
Via the Clean Cooling Collaborative, a summary of the challenges/opportunities ahead: As temperatures rise, cooling demand is expected to triple by 2050. Cooling already produces more than 7% of global greenhouse gas emissions and if we don’t transform how we cool, these emissions could double over the same period. However, if we get cooling right, […]
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.