Massive Water Savings From Modern Building Standards
May 4th, 2024
Via the Arizona Capitol Times, a report on the water savings benefits through the implementation of modern building standards: Over the next 50 years, nearly half of America’s freshwater basins may not be able to meet the monthly water demand, with shortages anticipated in the central and southern Great Plains, the Southwest, and central Rocky […]
Read more »Results of Los Angeles’ Cool Pavement Experiment
April 26th, 2024
Via Smart Cities Dive, a report on the results of a recent cool pavement experience in Los Angeles in which the covered neighborhood saw cooling benefits, but some researchers contend shade is king when it comes to protecting people from heat: Reflective pavement coating helped cool down one of Los Angeles’ hottest neighborhoods over a year-long […]
Read more »Montreal To Build Its Largest Sponge Park
April 26th, 2024
Via Water Canada, a report on Montreal’s plans to build its largest sponge park in Verdun: The Ville de Montréal is proud to announce that a new sponge park, the largest to date on its territory, will be built in the borough of Verdun. The park, which will be built near Joseph and Dupuis streets, […]
Read more »A Technology In Road Markers Could Cool Cities By Up To 20°C
April 24th, 2024
Via Anthropocene Magazine, a look at how engineers are using retroreflector technology—based on prisms and reflective materials—to direct sunlight back into the sky and out of the urban canyon: Heat-related deaths around the world are climbing up as more frequent, longer-lasting extreme heatwaves become a harsh reality due to climate change. Heat deaths are projected to […]
Read more »Buildings as Batteries: How Basic Demand Response Could Shift Peak Demand, Save Billions
April 23rd, 2024
Via Renew Economy, an interesting look at the impact that demand response alongside energy efficiency could have on overall energy savings: Demand response, alongside energy efficiency, is often cited as one of the unsung heroes of the energy transition, thanks to its potential to shift large electricity loads out of periods of peak demand with […]
Read more »Green Roofs Are Great. Blue-Green Roofs Are Even Better
April 22nd, 2024
Via Wired, an article on Amsterdam’s experiments with roofs that not only grow plants but capture water for a building’s residents. Welcome to the squeezable sponge city of tomorrow. You might visit Amsterdam for its famous canals, and who could blame you, really. But the truly interesting waterways aren’t under your feet—they’re above your head. […]
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.