Wood Is Not the Climate-friendly Building Material Some Claim it to Be
July 20th, 2023
Via World Resources Institute, a new report suggesting that wood is not the climate-friendly building material some claim: Because concrete and steel used to construct buildings are a major source of global greenhouse gas emissions, there is growing interest in “mass timber” — a supposedly lower-carbon option — to replace them. New ways of gluing […]
Read more »Designing for Planetary Boundary Cities
July 18th, 2023
Only 3% of Earth’s surface is occupied by cities. But they are responsible for 70% of global CO2 emissions. Cities rely heavily on Earth’s systems to support urban life. Fertile soils enable food production. Rivers, lakes and oceans enable transport and provide core resources. Forests regulate and purify water supplies while protecting against flooding. Nature […]
Read more »As Climate Shocks Multiply, Designers Seek Holy Grail: Disaster-Proof Homes
July 17th, 2023
Via The New York Times a look at how – despite the fact that the homebuilding industry has been slow to adopt changes that can better protect against extreme weather – some architects are showing what’s possible: Jon duSaint, a retired software engineer, recently bought property near Bishop, Calif., in a rugged valley east of […]
Read more »On the Grid: How Old Coal Plants Could Help Fuel A Renewable Boom
July 15th, 2023
Via E&E News, an interesting look at the potential for old power plants and their links to the grid to be repurposed to bring renewables online faster and aid nearby communities? And if so, which companies will benefit? When Pennsylvania’s largest coal plant closes Saturday, it will leave behind more than towering smokestacks and mounds […]
Read more »This New Neighborhood Will Be Net-Zero, Off the Grid, and Leaves Room for the Forest
July 15th, 2023
Via Fast Company, a look at a new 67-home neighborhood in Ontario which will be walkable, run off community battery systems, and will protect nearby forests and wetlands In a new neighborhood that will be surrounded by forests in rural Canada, you’ll be able to live fully off the grid—and potentially avoid much driving, despite […]
Read more »We’re building roofs wrong. A different approach can save money and lives.
July 15th, 2023
Courtesy of The Washington Post, an article on innovative roof technology which can help combat extreme heat: Years ago, I walked onto the roof of the Palo Alto Research Center. The nondescript beige building in Silicon Valley, known for groundbreaking technology, is the birthplace of the mouse, laser printer and Ethernet. That afternoon, researchers were sending heat […]
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.