Bronze Age Technology Could Aid Switch to Clean Energy
August 5th, 2024
Via Stanford’s School of Sustainability, a report on new research that finds the cost-effective thermal properties that make “firebricks” suitable for energy storage could speed up the world’s transition to renewable energy at low cost: Technology with roots going back to the Bronze Age may offer a fast and inexpensive solution to help achieve the […]
Read more »Heat Pumps Could Help Cut China’s Building CO2 Emissions By 75%, Says IEA
August 3rd, 2024
Via Carbon Brief, a look at the potential benefit of heat pumps in China: Wider adoption of heat pumps could accelerate decarbonisation of heating in China’s carbon-intensive buildings and light industry sectors, a report by the International Energy Agency (IEA) says. The report, published in collaboration with Tsinghua University, finds that, by using heat pumps as part of China’s strategy to reach carbon neutrality […]
Read more »The Tesla of Stoves Comes With a Battery to Power Your Whole House
July 22nd, 2024
Courtesy of the Wall Street Journal, a look at the appliances of the future that will protect us from power outages—and could share energy with our neighbors too—if bets on new battery tech pay off: Battery-powered cooktops, like this one from Impulse, may one day replace gas-powered ranges. PHOTO: ROB WILLIAMSON/OMA CREATIVE/IMPULSE What if everything in […]
Read more »New York Wants Tall Commercial, Multifamily Buildings To Test Low-Carbon Heating Retrofits
July 22nd, 2024
Via Smart Cities Dive, an article on seven finalists in a $10 million competition will develop heating and distribution systems that can be installed without displacing occupants: Dive Brief: New York Gov. Kathy Hochul named seven finalists Wednesday for the $10 million Empire Technology Prize, launched last October to advance technologies for low-carbon heating system retrofits in […]
Read more »NYC Bets Big On Porous Pavement With $32M Flood-Control Project
July 20th, 2024
Via Smart Cities Dive, a look at New York City’s first large-scale implementation of the approach after years of testing different porous pavement products: Dive Brief: New York City hopes to ease flooding with its first large-scale implementation of porous pavement, allowing stormwater to drain into the ground rather than overwhelm the city’s sewer system. Seven miles of road in Brooklyn will be […]
Read more »Protecting London A Matter of ‘National Security’ If Extreme Weather Hits
July 17th, 2024
Courtesy of The Financial Times, a look at how climate preparation must be embedded into government’s growth strategy to avoid ‘catastrophic’ impacts: Protecting London from extreme weather is a matter of “national security”, according to an independent report, which found that flooding, drought and wildfires were putting the UK capital’s economy and citizens at risk. […]
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.