The Future of Urban Housing Is Energy-Efficient Refrigerators
January 3rd, 2025 Via MIT Technology Review, a look at how adapting old, energy-inefficient buildings is less sexy but far greener than many high-tech solutions: The scars and pockmarks of the aging apartments and [...]
To Solve Climate Change, We Need To Restore Our Sponge Planet
January 3rd, 2025 An interesting comment in Nature Water on how to help stabilize the climate by moving towards a Sponge Planet. Humans have degraded 75 percent of Earth’s land, destabilizing the water cycle, [...]
Thermal Energy Networks: The Next Big Thing
January 1st, 2025 Via Volts, commentary on the potential of thermal energy networks: In this episode, I revisit thermal energy networks with HEET’s Zeyneb Magavi and Eversource’s Eric Bosworth. What was [...]
Healthier Cities Will Require a Strong Dose of Nature
December 29th, 2024 Via Wired, a report on the growing importance of designing cities around green spaces: If current global trends are correct, in 2025, around 41 million people will die from noncommunicable diseases [...]
The Sunbelt’s Growing Population Faces Increasing Climate Hazards
December 22nd, 2024 Via Inside Climate News, a report on new research identifying the counties in the U.S. with large and vulnerable populations exposed to heat stress, water shortages or wildfire, with most found in [...]
‘If 1.5m Germans Have Them There Must Be Something In It’: How Balcony Solar Is Taking Off
December 19th, 2024 Via The Guardian, a report on balcony solar panels which can save 30% on a typical household’s electricity bill and, with vertical surface area in cities larger than roof space, the appeal is [...]

ABOUT
BLACK SWANS GREEN SHOOTS
Black Swans / Green Shoots examines the collision between urbanization and resource scarcity in a world affected by climate change, identifying opportunities to build sustainable cities and resilient infrastructure through the use of revolutionary capital, increased awareness, innovative technologies, and smart design to make a difference in the face of global and local climate perils.

'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.