In Washington State, A new Initiative To Boost Urban Tree Cover
August 2nd, 2023
Via Grist, an article on the Washington Tree Equity Collaborative which aims to bring more greenery to underserved communities: Urban trees bring clean air and shade to many city dwellers — but those trees aren’t always equitably distributed between rich and poor neighborhoods. In Washington state, a first-of-its-kind effort is underway to fix that. Representatives from […]
Read more »Hamburg: A Future-Proof, Climate-Resilient City
August 1st, 2023
Via Robert Brears, a look at how leading cities are future-proofing themselves with nature-based solutions that enhance resilience and promote biodiversity. One city leading the way is Hamburg, with green roofs sprouting up across the city: A future-proof city is a city that is resilient to climatic shocks and stresses including floods, droughts, and heatwaves. […]
Read more »Urban Growth Fuels Extreme Heat
July 31st, 2023
Courtesy of the Wall Street Journal, a compilation of satellite photos that shows how the growth of cities in the U.S. southwest is contributing to the crushing heat which is driving temperatures in Phoenix and Las Vegas to record triple-digit highs.
Read more »The Heat Is On: The Chilling Reality of Baking Cities
July 30th, 2023
Courtesy of The Financial Times, an article on how the heat is on for urban areas to adapt as the threat grows that some may become unliveable in the not too distant future: Much of the world is sweltering under near record-breaking temperatures. Future heatwaves are set to be more frequent, intense and prolonged. The […]
Read more »As Heat Waves Intensify, Europe’s Cities Rely on Age-Old Ways to Stay Cool
July 30th, 2023
Courtesy of the New York Times, a look at how architectural styles and construction materials can significantly reduce the need for air-conditioning during heat waves, according to sustainable architecture experts: There is no single architectural technique that can solve the problem of sweltering heat, which has gripped large parts of Europe this summer. But on […]
Read more »The Economic Cost of Houston’s Heat
July 30th, 2023
Courtesy of The Wall Street Journal, a report on how – if the current weather patterns continue through August – Texas’ gross state product will be reduced by roughly $9.5 billion, according to an economist: Houstonians pride themselves on how they tolerate heat. This summer, the heat has become intolerable. Businesses and residents in America’s […]
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.