Before The Floods, Asheville Was Called A ‘Climate Haven.’ Is Anywhere Safe?
October 1st, 2024 Via The Washington Post, a look at how – as climate change leads to more severe hurricanes – mountain communities like Asheville, N.C., face growing flood danger: Asheville, N.C., seemed [...]
Cities: Unprepared For Impact of Climate Change
October 1st, 2024 Via Yale School of Public Health, a report on cities lack of readiness for climate change: Proactive action is needed to make cities more resilient to climate change and capable of protecting [...]
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 [...]
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 [...]
How a Children’s Playground Is Helping With Flood Mitigation in a Small, Historic New Jersey City
September 28th, 2024 Courtesy of Inside Climate News, a look at how flood-prone Hoboken, New Jersey, has opened a play area for its youngest residents that also doubles as storage for stormwater runoff. For a city [...]
Baltimore Is Investing in Wetlands Restoration, a Climate Line of Defense
September 28th, 2024 Via Inside Climate News, a report on wetlands restoration and shoreline rehabilitation efforts in South Baltimore which promise to make communities resilient against climate change and severe weather [...]

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.