US Cities Are Suffocating In The Heat. Now They Want Retribution
August 2nd, 2023 Via The Guardian, an article on how Baltimore is suing major oil and gas companies for spurring the climate crisis and the rising temperatures that have an outsized impact on low-income, urban areas: [...]
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 [...]
Medellín’s Interconnected Green Corridors
August 2nd, 2023 Via C40, a look at Medellin’s green corridor initiative: Since 2016, Medellín has created 30 ‘Corredores Verdes,’ an interconnected network of greenery across the city. This ambitious [...]
San Francisco Greening its Streets
August 1st, 2023 Via Robert Brears, a report on one of the San Francisco Public Utilities Commission’s (SFPUC) flagship green street projects as part of its 2050 stormwater management goal: In most communities, [...]
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 [...]
World’s Tallest Wooden Wind Turbine is ‘Stronger than Steel’
July 31st, 2023 Via The Next Web, a look at an interesting innovation that uses the strength of wood to harness the power of the wind: There’s a wind turbine being built in the forests of Sweden — or should I [...]

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.