Rehydrating the Los Angeles Heat Island
March 3rd, 2025
Via Californians for Energy and Water Abundance, commentary on the need to find ways to cool Los Angeles: Along with the fairly recent popularization of terms such as atmospheric river and bomb cyclone, we increasingly hear the term “vapor pressure deficit” (VPD). At any given temperature, the term refers to how much moisture is in […]
Read more »Cooling People, Not Spaces: Surmounting the Risks of Air-Conditioning Over-Reliance
January 24th, 2025
Via UPENN’s Kleinman Center for Energy Policy, a look at ways to overcome the risks of air conditioning over-reliance: At A Glance Key Challenge Overreliance on AC worsens climate change through energy use and refrigerant leaks, also harming health in low-income homes. Sustainable cooling solutions like passive design and hybrids exist but face adoption barriers—both […]
Read more »The Ordinary Ceiling Fan May Be an Extraordinary Cooling Solution
January 8th, 2025
As global temperatures rise, ceiling fans are essential for millions who lack access to air conditioning. In India, for example, nearly 90% of households use ceiling fans. By 2038, an estimated 950 million fans will be installed across the country — more than double the number in 2017. Adopting super-efficient ceiling fans on a large […]
Read more »Urban Forests: Planting The Wrong Trees In the Wrong Places Can Diminish Cooling Benefits
January 8th, 2025
Via Anthropocene Magazine, commentary on the first comprehensive global study of the effect of trees on urban temperature, in which researchers discovered that in hot, compact cities, narrow species and sparse planting strategies work best: Urban trees need to be planted strategically to maximize their ability to help keep cities cool, according to a new […]
Read more »How 1.4B Indians Are Adapting To Climate Change
January 6th, 2025
Via The Economist, a look at how Indians are adapting to climate change: The flood waters were rising and Sukanya Ashin realised she had to get out of her house. Her husband tried to open the back door, but it was blocked by shifting mud. So they wrapped their two-year-old in a blanket and waded through […]
Read more »To Combat Phoenix’s Extreme Heat, a New Program Provides Sustainable Shade
January 5th, 2025
Via Inside Climate News, a report on Arizona State University’s efforts to create neighborhood shade plans for Phoenix communities and train the workforce needed to support green infrastructure across the metropolitan area: After the hottest summer on record in the nation’s hottest major city, residents, nonprofits, academics and community leaders are planning for the heatwaves to come. […]
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.