Los Angeles Needs to Fireproof Communities, Not Just Houses
January 16th, 2025 Via Wired, a look at how – after the devastation of the Los Angeles fires – officials are ready to rebuild. But defending against future fires requires thinking about more than buildings. [...]
Financing Climate Adaptation and Resilience
January 15th, 2025 Via Impact Alpha, a look at one investor focused on financing climate adaptation and resilience: When Jay Koh cofounded The Lightsmith Group in 2016, few people were talking about the need to invest [...]
The Ordinary Ceiling Fan May Be an Extraordinary Cooling Solution
January 8th, 2025 As global temperatures rise, ceiling fans are essential for millions who lack access to air conditioning. In India, for example, nearly 90% of households use ceiling fans. By 2038, an estimated 950 [...]
Urban Forests: Planting The Wrong Trees In the Wrong Places Can Diminish Cooling Benefits
January 8th, 2025 Via Anthropocene Magazine, commentary on the first comprehensive global study of the effect of trees on urban temperature, in which researchers discovered that in hot, compact cities, narrow species [...]
The Business Case For Saving Coral Reefs
January 6th, 2025 Via Grist, an interesting look at a growing body of research shows the nation’s coral reefs protect $1.8 billion in economic assets each year and should be protected for our sake and their own: [...]
Insurers Are Deserting Homeowners as Climate Shocks Worsen
January 6th, 2025 Via the New York Times, a report on how climate shocks are impacting home ownership as – without insurance, it’s impossible to get a mortgage; without a mortgage, most Americans can’t buy a [...]

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.