Adapting Buildings to Climate Change 101
Adapt: Climate Change and the Built Environment
Release Date: 01/31/2024
Home Insurance: Will it Weather the Storm?
Adapt: Climate Change and the Built Environment
Carolyn Kousky, Acting Chief Economist at Environmental Defense Fund and founder of joins Jessica Mederson and Monika Serrano, to discuss the current and future status of home insurance, the relationship between insurance at the individual level vs. community, what home owners can do today and much more. Dr. Kousky’s research examines multiple aspects of climate risk management and policy approaches for increasing resilience. She is the author of and an editor of . She has published numerous articles, reports, and book chapters on the economics and policy of climate risk...
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Three Solutions for Climate Ready Construction
Adapt: Climate Change and the Built Environment
Mónika Serrano and Jessica Mederson talk to three entrepreneurs about their solutions to problems the construction industry faces on the job site, particurarly in the face of extreme heat, poor air conditions, and lack of water. They first talk to Zachary Kiehl, CEO and principal engineer of VigiLife, a connected health and safety technology company dedicated to protecting and enriching the lives of individuals at risk through innovative solutions. Then Mónika and Jessica speak with Tracie Wagman, CEO of ColdVest, a company dedicated to expanding its life-saving cooling technology...
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Hot Lessons, Cool Solutions: The Miami-Dade Story
Adapt: Climate Change and the Built Environment
Jessica Mederson and Mónika Serrano sit down with Jane Gilbert, Miami-Dade County's Chief Heat Officer. Together, they dive into the growing threat of extreme heat for cities, its disproportionate impact on vulnerable communities, and how communities leaders can respond through thoughtful design and policy. Jane shares how her groundbreaking role has shaping heat mitigation strategies—from education strategies to tree canopy initiatives—and what is next. Links:
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Are Real Estate Investors Addressing Climate Risk?
Adapt: Climate Change and the Built Environment
Jessica Mederson and Mónika Serrano speak with , Global Head of Climate and Carbon Strategy at La Salle Investments. This conversation explores if real estate investors are factoring climate risk into their decision-making, what resilience actions are taking place, the challenges of evaluating climate risk across portfolios while considering the unique characteristics of buildings and surrounding communities, and more. Links:
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Beavers: Nature's Climate Resilience Engineers
Adapt: Climate Change and the Built Environment
Drought. Flooding. Wildfires. These are all risks our communities and built environment face and these risks are increasing as our planet warms. Beavers, nature's engineers and a keystone species, can help us fight all of these risks. Beavers are central to water management (reducing flooding and droughts and mitigating wildfires) because of how they handle water: they slow it, spread it, store it, and sink it. Mónika and Jessica interview Ben Goldfarb, author of Eager: The Surprising, Secret Life of Beavers and Why They Matter. They discuss beavers' past, present, and future -...
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From The Ground Up: Local Efforts to Create Resilient Cities
Adapt: Climate Change and the Built Environment
Jessica Mederson and Mónika Serrano speak with Alison Sant, author of the book From the Ground Up: Local Efforts to Create Resilient Cities. They discuss how empowered local communities have created and led valuable efforts towards climate adaptation. From small, actionable steps to large-scale collective efforts, our conversation with Alison highlights stories of communities overcoming challenges, building strength, and fostering hope. From New Orleans to Minnesota and across the United States, this episode emphasizes the importance of collaboration, grassroots initiatives, and...
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The Money Will Follow: Investors on Climate Risk and Migration
Adapt: Climate Change and the Built Environment
Mónika Serrano and Jessica Mederson talk to Greg Lindsey of Alpha Geo to explore how investors evaluate risks and opportunities in the face of climate change and climate migration. We also discuss public versus private investments, what the money follows, and the challenges individuals and communities face when considering climate migration. Topics and resources discussed include:
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A New Standard For Property Resilience
Adapt: Climate Change and the Built Environment
Mónika Serrano and Jessica Mederson talk to Holly Neber, CEO of AEI Consultants, and chair of the development of the recently approved ASTM International Standard Guide for the assessment of physical climate risk and resilience for commercial properties known as the Property Resilience Assessment (PRA). We talk about the development of this new resilience standard, Holly's work as an emissary from commercial real estate finance to the resilience/adaptation community, and the processes of identifying and managing risk during purchase, development or financing of a commercial real estate...
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Concrete Conversations: Resiliency, Sustainability, & Innovation
Adapt: Climate Change and the Built Environment
Mónika Serrano and Jessica Mederson talk to Jim Schneider, Executive Director of PCI Mountain States, a chapter of the Precast/Prestressed Concrete Institute (PCI) covering Colorado, Idaho, Montana, Utah, and Wyoming. They discuss concrete's role in increasing the built environment's resiliency to climate change as well as the greenhouse gases that are emitted in manufacturing concrete. They also cover some of the innovations being made in how concrete is manufactured and used. Links and resources discussed on this episode include: Jim's LInkedIn page: PCI Precast Concrete and...
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Working with Resiliency Consultants to Adapt the Built Environment
Adapt: Climate Change and the Built Environment
Mónika and Jessica talk to Amy Macdonald, Founder & Principal of Ripple Resilience. Formerly a principal and founder of Thornton Tomasetti's Resilience Practice, her career spans four continents, with leadership roles responding to catastrophes including Sandy, Hurricanes Harvey, Irma, and Maria, and earthquakes in New Zealand and Nepal. Amy discusses how her experience in disaster recovery has led to her career working with clients to incorporate resilient design, nature-based solutions, and emergency preparations in order to be resilient in the face of climate change and extreme weather...
info_outlineMónika and Jessica talk to Dr. Klaus Jacob, geophysicist and Emeritus Research Professor at Columbia University’s Lamont-Doherty Earth Observatory. Dr. Jacob takes us back to basics, defining climate mitigation and adaptation, discussing synergies between sustainability and resilience (renewable energy!) and some of the challenges of adapting to climate change (can flood walls have unintended consequences?). Also, can building retrofits incorporate climate resilience? How urgent is adapting buildings and infrastructure to a changing climate?
Dr. Jacob’s has taught graduate courses in Disaster Risk Management and Sustainable Urban Resilience at Columbia’s Earth Institute, and the School of International and Public Affairs (SIPA). He served on NYC Mayor’s New York City Panel on Climate Change (NPCC, 2008- 2019), and U.S. HUD’s post-Sandy Competition “Rebuild by Design” (RBD); prepared climate change adaptation plans for the New York MTA; and coauthored the U.S. National Academy’s report on “Impacts of Climate Change on U.S. Transportation”. TIME magazine named him one of globally 50 “people who mattered in 2012” for forecasting the impacts of a SANDY-like coastal storm on New York City, just one year before hurricane SANDY eerily verified his forecasts. More recently he has consulted with non-profit organizations and helps local governments and communities to address their climate change adaptation challenges.