In Parts of New York City, a Vexing Mix of Stormwater and Sewage Have Made Flooding the ‘New Normal’
November 30th, 2024 Via Inside Climate News, a look at New York where city officials and water management experts are working to stop overflows from New York’s archaic sewer system without really knowing how much [...]
The Hidden Threat of Rising Coastal Groundwater
November 27th, 2024 Via Knowable Magazine, an article on the impact that sea level rise will have on the infrastructure beneath our feet: When people think about sea level rise, many picture scenarios like flooded [...]
Europe’s Cities Should Prepare for Hotter, More Hazardous Days Ahead
November 27th, 2024 Via WRI, commentary on how European cities should prepare for hotter days ahead: Europe is the world’s fastest warming continent, which is severely impacting cities and leading to tens of [...]
How To See If Your City Is Poised To Bounce Back From The Next Climate Disaster
November 25th, 2024 Via The Washington Post, an article on how to see if your city is poised to bounce back from the next climate disaster: How do you pick a safe place to live? Climate scientists predict an [...]
To Cope with Extreme Heat, Paris Will Swap Parking Spaces for Trees
November 19th, 2024 Via Yale e360, a report on Paris’s plan to swap parking spaces for trees: Paris aims to replace 60,000 parking spaces across the city with trees by the end of this decade, according to its [...]
How Urban Planners Can Use Trees To Cool Entire Cities
November 5th, 2024 Via Terra Daily, a look at how urban planners can use trees to cool entire cities: Cities worldwide face rising temperatures, with urban areas particularly vulnerable due to heat absorption by [...]

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.