The Rise of Electric Heat Pumps
July 15th, 2023 Courtesy of Harvard Business School, an independent project with Professor George Serafeim to assess the viability of a heat pump: In the U.S., 17% of homes have an electric heat pump installed. In [...]
This New Neighborhood Will Be Net-Zero, Off the Grid, and Leaves Room for the Forest
July 15th, 2023 Via Fast Company, a look at a new 67-home neighborhood in Ontario which will be walkable, run off community battery systems, and will protect nearby forests and wetlands In a new neighborhood that [...]
A Climate Laggard in America’s Industrial Heartland Has a Plan to Change, Fast
July 15th, 2023 Courtesy of The New York Times, a look how lawmakers in Michigan have long fought tough pollution controls, but the toll of flooding, lost crops and damage to the Great Lakes appears to be changing [...]
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 [...]
Green IRR: Rethinking Financial Valuations of Property In Light of Climate Change
July 14th, 2023 Via Ivanhoe Cambridge, interesting commentary from one real estate investor/developer regarding the impact of climate change on their properties’ valuations: To meet the climate emergency [...]
Even ‘Safe’ Places Are Experiencing Climate Chaos in America
July 13th, 2023 Courtesy of The New York Times, commentary on recent flooding in Vermont and the need to develop responsive infrastructure: The capital of Vermont — the state that often tops those “best states [...]

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.