L.A. County Looks to Require Rental Units to Stay Cool in Summer
January 30th, 2024
Via the Los Angeles Times, a report that L.A. County is considering establishing a maximum temperature for rental units in the county: This winter, renters in frigid Los Angeles apartments have some ammo when they complain to their landlord about busted heating and drafty rooms: Legally speaking, rental units aren’t supposed to dip below a […]
Read more »The Problem With Heat Pumps
January 30th, 2024
Via The New Statesman, a look at heat pumps – which have been the norm in Sweden for 40 years – but have not had the same success in the UK? My parents are getting the hang of sustainable living. From their home in Cumbria, they drive a hybrid car, which they charge regularly in […]
Read more »Cool Roofing Initiative to Address Record-Breaking Heat in Arizona
January 30th, 2024
Via Environment and Energy Leader, an article on cool roofing initiative designed to address record heat in Arizona: NanoTech Materials and Cool Roof Coating Systems are joining forces to install cool roof coatings as a durable, low-maintenance solution to combat high indoor temperatures in Arizona. NanoTech’s cool roof coat offers an alternative to costly roof replacements, […]
Read more »Agency Leaders Ask Utilities for Water and Energy Data for Apartment Buildings
January 29th, 2024
HUD, DoE, and EPA leaders are asking utilities for water and energy data for apartment buildings: “Making these data easily available for multifamily properties is critical to the ability of property owners participating in these programs to assess the need for energy upgrades and prioritize those upgrades which will have the greatest benefit to their residents.” – Letter from […]
Read more »Bump in the Road: Climate Change’s Surprising Impact on Potholes and the Revolutionary Solutions Ahead
January 28th, 2024
Via One Green Planet, a look at climate change’s surprising impact on potholes and the revolutionary solutions on the horizon: Climate change isn’t just about rising seas and scorching heatwaves; it’s also unleashing a pothole plague on our roads! In 2023, the UK reported nearly 630,000 pothole complaints – a shocking five-year peak. Across the pond, the USA […]
Read more »Coping With Climate Change Could Be A Matter of what Building You’re In
January 26th, 2024
Via Nature, a new publication emphasizing the importance of beefing up building codes to help to save lives in extreme heat or cold: Three years after the 1978 Miyagi earthquake, a magnitude-7.4 event that caused extensive damage to the city of Sendai, Japan overhauled its building codes to better protect people against quakes. The country’s […]
Read more »'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.