Why Heat Pumps Are the Future, and How Your Home Could Use One
April 14th, 2024
Via the New York Times, a report on heat pumps, highly efficient devices considered by many to be powerful tools in combating climate change: Heat pumps, which both warm and cool buildings and are powered by electricity, have been touted as the answer to curbing greenhouse gas emissions produced by homes, businesses and office buildings, […]
Read more »Inside the Rise of Groundwater-Based Geothermal Heat Pumps
April 12th, 2024
Via Utility Dive, an article on the rise of groundwater-based geothermal heat pumps: The technology, which is cost-effective across 75% of the U.S. landmass and ideal for space-constrained users, could eventually displace utility gas service, proponents say. A few steps from the front door of Rochester, Minnesota’s city hall, two newly drilled wells plunge hundreds […]
Read more »Combining Heat Pumps with Smart Tariffs, Solar and Batteries
February 6th, 2024
An insightful LinkedIn analysis on potential to combine heat pumps with smart tariffs, solar and batteries: There has been a lot of interest recently looking at whether heat pumps should be left on all the time – and how this works with time of use (ToU) tariffs. Over the last year I have had the […]
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 »Using AI to Combat Floods, Wildfires and Extreme Heat
October 25th, 2023
Via Google, a look at some AI tools and technologies helping communities around the world address the effects of climate change: From experiencing the hottest summer on record to dealing with frequent and devastating floods and wildfires, the effects of climate change are already here and impacting all of us — particularly the most vulnerable […]
Read more »Turn Climate Risk Into Opportunity with Resilient Geographies
September 29th, 2023
Courtesy of Climate Alpha, an interesting look at how to turn climate risk into opportunity with resilient geographies: Earlier this month, Climate Alpha’s Founder & CEO Dr. Parag Khanna keynoted Climate Day at CREtech, the Built World’s largest innovation and sustainability conference in New York City. Parag spoke on turning climate risk into opportunity by […]
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.