Charging ‘Trees’ Could Solve Cities’ Biggest Electric Car Problem
July 1st, 2024 Via The Cool Down, a look at one company’s proposed solution to make every aspect of the on-street charging experience faster and better: Photo Credit: Rangr Studio Architecture and Gravity, [...]
Housing Insurance Is Melting Down In Some Markets Due to Climate Change
June 28th, 2024 Via Fortune Magazine, a report on how housing insurance is melting down in several property markets as climate change renders old assumptions obsolete The end of climate stability signals the end of [...]
Batteries and Rooftop Solar Can Lead to Huge Savings for the Entire Grid
June 28th, 2024 Via Inside Climate News, a report on a new study that shows the benefits of batteries and rooftop solar for the enitre grid: The growth of customer-owned solar and batteries can help to reduce wear [...]
Desert Saudi City Will Turn Green In $23 Billion Project
June 28th, 2024 Via Newsweek, a report on Riyadh’s plans to turn green in a a $23B project: Saudi Arabia aims to turn its arid capital into a desert oasis, though the ambitious project may encounter issues [...]
Rising Sea Levels Will Disrupt Millions of Americans’ Lives by 2050
June 26th, 2024 Via The Guardian, an article on how floods could leave coastal communities in states like Florida and California unlivable in two decades: Sea level rise driven by global heating will disrupt the [...]
Three Ideas to Beat the Heat, and the People Who Made Them Happen
June 26th, 2024 Via the New York Times, a look at how – as temperatures soar around the world – practical experiments are emerging to protect people: An app that helps people find relief from the heat. A [...]

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.