Dangerous Discomfort: Extreme Heat Is Deadlier Than Hurricanes, Floods and Tornadoes Combined
July 21st, 2023 Courtesy of Scientific American, an article on how – when dangerous heat waves hit cities – better risk communication could save lives: On June 25, 2022, Esteban Chavez, Jr., started his [...]
California’s Electric Cars Can Feed the Grid and Help Avoid Brownouts
July 21st, 2023 Courtesy of Jefferson Public Radio, a look at how – through bidirectional charging – owners of electric cars can sell energy to the grid or use it to power their homes: An electric school [...]
Iran’s Ancient ‘Wind Catchers’ Beat The Heat Naturally
July 20th, 2023 Via Al Monitor, a look at UNESCO-listed Yazd, a World Heritage Site described as a ‘living testimony to intelligent use of limited available resources in the desert for survival’: Tall, [...]
Las Vegas Plans To Plant 60,000 Trees To Help Combat Urban Heat
July 20th, 2023 Via Las Vegas Sun, an article on Las Vegas’ plan to plant 60,000 trees over the coming three decades to help combat the urban heat island effect: The city of Las Vegas has a lofty goal when it [...]
Wood Is Not the Climate-friendly Building Material Some Claim it to Be
July 20th, 2023 Via World Resources Institute, a new report suggesting that wood is not the climate-friendly building material some claim: Because concrete and steel used to construct buildings are a major source of [...]
Designing for Planetary Boundary Cities
July 18th, 2023 Only 3% of Earth’s surface is occupied by cities. But they are responsible for 70% of global CO2 emissions. Cities rely heavily on Earth’s systems to support urban life. Fertile soils enable food [...]

ABOUT
BLACK SWANS GREEN SHOOTS
Black Swans / Green Shoots examines the collision between urbanization and resource scarcity in a world affected by climate change, identifying opportunities to build sustainable cities and resilient infrastructure through the use of revolutionary capital, increased awareness, innovative technologies, and smart design to make a difference in the face of global and local climate perils.

'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.