Air Conditioning: A Moral Imperative
October 5th, 2024
Via The Washington Post, commentary on how – despite its contribution to climate change – the demand for AC will soar and must be met: Air conditioning transformed the world. Cities such as Singapore and Dubai would not have risen without it. In the United States, artificial cooling enabled the blockbuster growth of the Sun Belt. All over […]
Read more »Climate Migration Is Here. The U.S. Must Invest Accordingly
September 30th, 2024
Via The Washington Post, commentary on the need for the U.S. to realistically assess which geographies are becoming unlivable and which are well suited to larger population settlement. It should then offer incentives for migration toward the latter and away from the former — and direct infrastructure spending accordingly. This week, parts of the Pacific […]
Read more »Finding a Fix for Playgrounds That Are Too Hot to Touch
September 28th, 2024
Courtesy of Inside Climate News, an article on Arizonan researchers who are studying playgrounds where the equipment gets so hot it can burn kids’ skin. As heat worsens nationwide, other communities will need to take note. It was just before 8 a.m., yet the temperature was already nearing 100 degrees Fahrenheit as members of Arizona […]
Read more »Green Roofs and Solar Chimneys Are Here
September 28th, 2024
Via The Guardian, a look at how builders already have the tools needed to build cooler homes for an increasingly hotter world: The US sweltered under record-breaking heat this year, with new research suggesting that air conditioning is no longer enough to keep homes cool. Spiraling energy demands and costs of indoor cooling now have planners looking […]
Read more »Colorful Paints Could Slash Heating and Cooling Energy Use
September 23rd, 2024
Via Anthropocene Magazine, a look at new paints that – by reflecting infrared heat – could could keep buildings cooler in the summer and warmer in the winter without using energy: In parts of the world with hot, sunny climates, it is common to see houses painted white to reflect sunlight and stay cool during […]
Read more »Los Angeles Confronts Its Shady Divide
September 23rd, 2024
Courtesy of National Geographic, a look at how a lack of tree cover in low-income areas has left many residents especially vulnerable to rising heat. It’s a legacy of the city’s design—and its history of racist policies. Miguel Vargas vividly remembers when he first understood the power of shade. He was in middle school, sprinting up […]
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.