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Designing for Climate Change

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The Green Bond Pledge – Building Sustainable Infrastructure for Everyone

Bob Leonard - Climate Risk Manager 03.30.2018

 

Now that renewable energy technology is maturing, the low carbon economy of the future is in sight. The main challenge is how to focus global financial firepower on the kind of civic infrastructure needed for a sustainable future. That’s a formidable task, but a new “Green Bond Pledge” could provide corporations, as well as government […]

 

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Tesla Installing World’s Largest Solar Rooftop on Nevada Gigafactory

Bob Leonard - Climate Risk Manager 03.12.2018

 

Tesla is building a massive rooftop solar array on top of its Gigafactory 1 (GF1) outside Sparks, Nevada. Once finished, the 70-megawatt system will be the largest in the world by far. The current record-holder is the comparatively shrimpy 11.5-megawatt array in India that can power 8,000 homes.   Read the entire article at EcoWatch.   The […]

 

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DFA’s flood-proof towers could survive six feet of sea level rise in Manhattan

Bob Leonard - Climate Risk Manager 02.28.2018

 

New York-based architecture firm DFA just unveiled plans for 19 cylindrical apartment towers that can survive six feet of sea level rise at Manhattan’s Pier 40. The towers are wrapped in lattice facades with lots of vegetation, and they’re designed to address the city’s lack of affordable housing and flood-resistant buildings.     Read the […]

 

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Tech Startup Helps Businesses Mitigate Vulnerability to Increasingly Severe Weather

Bob Leonard - Climate Risk Manager 02.26.2018

 

The climate is changing, storms are becoming more intense, and more people and property than ever are in harm’s way. Three of the costliest five hurricanes on record, Harvey, Irma, and Maria, struck U.S. shores in 2017 at a price tag of over $200 billion.   Read the entire article at The Washington Post.   The […]

 

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Food Industry Change-Makers Take the Lead on Climate

Bob Leonard - Climate Risk Manager 02.23.2018

 

In the absence of policy action, natural products businesses step up by investing in renewable energy, food waste reduction, more efficient transportation and more.   Read the entire article at New Hope.   The natural products industry is stepping in to lead the way on reversing climate change, just as the industry has pioneered in other […]

 

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Resilient Design Saves $6 for Every $1 Spent

Bob Leonard - Climate Risk Manager 02.12.2018

 

A National Institute of Building Sciences (NIBS) study determined that every federal dollar spent on disaster resiliency and mitigation can save the U.S. an average of six dollars on disaster recovery.   Read the entire article at CITYLAB.    NIBS studied mitigation measures such as demolishing flood-prone homes; using hurricane shutters and other wind-resistant strategies; shoring up building […]

 

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Sustainable “Sand Dune” Emerges from the Desert

Bob Leonard - Climate Risk Manager 02.09.2018

 

Located in Sharjah, United Arab Emirates, Bee’ah headquarters’ dune-like design is both inspired by, and intended to blend in with, the local desert landscape. It will serve a Middle East environmental waste management company and is slated for LEED Platinum (a green building standard) certification.   Read the entire article at New Atlas.    Recycled building […]

 

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Stockholm Pursues Climate Holy Grail: a Fossil Fuel-Free Future

Bob Leonard - Climate Risk Manager 01.03.2018

 

Stockholm’s clean energy and sustainability measures have been deployed to create two of the city’s most remarkable eco-districts.   Read the entire article at The Huffington Post.   Stockholm Royal Seaport is known in the city as a “second-generation sustainable city district.” The 650-acre area was the focus of a comprehensive 20-year sustainability program for the area […]

 

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Urban Design Must Address Both Climate Adaptation and Mitigation

Bob Leonard - Climate Risk Manager 12.18.2017

 

  The only way to ensure that cities remain livable is for mayors, urban planners and designers to simultaneously cut emissions and help residents adapt to a warming planet.   Read the entire article at Forbes Magazine.   Consider the push to boost the number of energy-efficient buildings, whether through new construction or the renovation of […]

 

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We Need Designers to Change Our World

Bob Leonard - Climate Risk Manager 11.29.2017

 

  Designers have the power to solve the world’s problems, but it means creating more systems and less stuff, says Dutch designer and environmentalist Babette Porcelijn.   Read the entire article at Dezeen.      According to Porcelijn, designers are better equipped than any other profession to offer solutions to issues such as pollution, climate change […]

 

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