Global Warming Is Coming For Your Home
April 12th, 2024 Via The Economist, a report on climate change’s impact on housing: Think about the places vulnerable to climate change, and you might picture rice paddies in Bangladesh or low-lying islands [...]
Two Sides of the Equator: Extreme Heat in the Southern Hemisphere
April 11th, 2024 Via the Clean Cooling Collaborative, a report on extreme heat in the southern hemisphere: In the colder months of winter, it is understandable to let global temperature rise and the risks of extreme [...]
Mass Timber Construction Approved For More Builds In B.C.
April 11th, 2024 Via Global News, a report on the approval of mass timber for more builds in British Columbia where the province is making building-code changes allowing for use of mass timber in buildings up to 18 [...]
To Slash Building Emissions, Biomaterials Are Our Friends
April 10th, 2024 Via Anthropocene Magazine, an article on new research that indicates swapping conventional insulation with straw or hemp, and firing up wood pellets or a heat pump for warmth could slash Swiss [...]
Investors Tap Into Demand For Electric Buses With New Funding Model
April 10th, 2024 Courtesy of The Financial Times, an article on a fund that will help finance the electrification of London’s iconic red buses: A group of investors has launched a £100mn fund to help finance [...]
When Climate Goals, Housing Policy, and Corporate R&D Collide, Social Good Can Emerge
April 10th, 2024 Via Harvard Business School, an article on how grants designed to improve housing can make homes more energy efficient and save money for low-income families, providing a powerful way to confront [...]

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.