Chicago’s Mayor Proposes Plan to Fundamentally Change Construction of New Buildings
April 20th, 2024 Via The Cool Down a report on a Chicago’s new decarbonization ordinance: The Windy City could soon be much cleaner and cooler thanks to Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson’s proposed plan to [...]
‘We Need More Shade’: U.S.’s Hottest City Turns to Trees to Cool Those Most in Need
April 19th, 2024 Courtesy of The Guardian, a look at Phoenix – which broke several heat records last year – is deploying a tree-planting drive that promises some respite from 100F temperatures: It was a [...]
Climate Change Will Increase Value of Rooftop Solar
April 19th, 2024 Via Futurity, an argument that climate change will increase value of rooftop solar panels: Climate change will increase the future value of residential rooftop solar panels across the United States [...]
Environmental Damage Could Cost You a Fifth of Your Income Over the Next 25 Years
April 19th, 2024 Via Ars Tecnnica, a look at how climate damages by 2050 will be 6 times the cost of limiting warming to 2°: The world is already committed to warming that will undercut the global economy by 20 [...]
Is China Ready To Power Crowded Coastal Cities With Ocean Solar?
April 19th, 2024 Via Dialogue Earth, a look at China’s evaluation of ocean solar which could help power densely populated coastal cities with clean energy: China is increasingly seeking to put solar panels on [...]
Nearly Half of China’s Major Cities Are Sinking
April 19th, 2024 Via Reuters, a report on China’s growing challenge of subsidence: Nearly half of China’s major cities are suffering “moderate to severe” levels of subsidence, putting millions [...]

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.