Paving Pakistan’s Pathway to Efficient Cooling
October 27th, 2023
Via CLASP, a look at how – as Pakistan’s growing population tries to cope with rising temperatures – the demand for cooling is soaring. CLASP is supporting the country’s first Cooling Action Plan to give communities access to efficient cooling appliances while controlling emissions and reducing the strain on power grids. Pakistan endures some of […]
Read more »As Stormwater and Flood Threats Change, Texas Cities Are Using Green Infrastructure To Adapt
October 25th, 2023
Via Texas Water Resource Institute, a look at how – as stormwater and flood threats change -Texas cities are using green infrastructure to adapt: How many storm drains does one residential street need? How much water can a vegetated buffer strip hold? How will new construction and increased impervious surfaces affect stormwater flow into an […]
Read more »Sustainable AC is Possible, Even with Covid Ventilation
October 25th, 2023
Via Anthropocene Magazine, a look at how it is possible to cool a ventilated building below outside temperatures using an uninsulated roof that sends heat to the sky day and night, while regularly changing indoor air for health: Sweltering temperatures due to climate change are prompting an increasing number of people around the world to […]
Read more »Using AI to Combat Floods, Wildfires and Extreme Heat
October 25th, 2023
Via Google, a look at some AI tools and technologies helping communities around the world address the effects of climate change: From experiencing the hottest summer on record to dealing with frequent and devastating floods and wildfires, the effects of climate change are already here and impacting all of us — particularly the most vulnerable […]
Read more »China’s Adaptation Advantage
October 23rd, 2023
Courtesy of The Wire, a look at China’s head-start in mobilizing to adapt and thrive in a rapidly warming world. If it succeeds, the geopolitical consequences will be profound; Illustration by Sam Ward. 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 […]
Read more »Could Billions of Oysters Protect Us From The Next Big Storm?
October 22nd, 2023
Via National Geographic, a report on how oysters are being used to protect shorelines from storm surge and high tides and reduce the impacts of erosion from intense rain: Flash flooding in New York City. Sinking coasts in Louisiana. To guard against the effects of climate change, these communities are turning to bivalves. This year […]
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.