I rose early this morning to planetary alignment in the southeastern sky and stayed out to watch a solstice sun rise out of Lake Michigan to brighten our world. It gave me pause; time for reflection on the sustenance Earth affords us and all of life, and to recommit to stewardship of those resources. Greenleaf […]
Continue readingAuthor Archive: John A. Andersen, Jr.
IPCC and Climate Crisis Advisory Group underscore urgency that can be addressed at COP26
The existential threat of climate change has become increasingly evident as we experience its devastating impacts: wildfires burning in the Pacific Northwest, California, and Greece; torrential rains flooding China and Western Europe; droughts and storms damaging America’s food belt. The new IPCC report makes climate risks starkly clear: “human influence has warmed the climate at […]
Continue readingCelebrating the Summer Solstice
The Summer solstice is the longest day of the year – a time when people celebrate journeying from darkness to light. It is the Midsummer national holiday in my ancestors’ home of Finland where I’ve joined family dances circling around bonfires that lit up the night skies and bathed in saunas that purified the body and soul. We […]
Continue readingHonoring Kurt Little’s life of service and dedication to land
Yesterday, OYL North Shore Cycling celebrated its founder Kurt Little who passed away from ALS. Throughout his life Kurt brought people together, building a national land practice (Sub Omnibus Terra) at JLL and growing its Public Institutions Group to serve the world. As a founding board member of Greenleaf Communities, he helped us advance applied […]
Continue readingIt’s a New Dawn – Collective Intelligence for our Common Good
I am comforted by President Biden’s call for unity and the pursuit of common objects that we love, including truth. Scientific Truth must guide decisions and actions across human endeavor if we are to move toward a sustainable future. Today I wish to reiterate my appreciation for those who seek to understand nature’s reality and […]
Continue readingReport – Managing Climate Risk in The U.S. Financial System
Every investor and investment manager who recognizes the importance of managing risk should read the U.S. Commodity Futures Trading Commission report – Managing Climate Risk in The U.S. Financial System. It concludes that climate change poses a severe threat to financial systems and that financial regulators must address these risks immediately. The number #1 priority […]
Continue readingHarvard Business School Event: Risks, Opportunities, and Investment in the Era of Climate Change
Risks, Opportunities, and Investment in the Era of Climate Change On March 4, I joined alumni at Harvard Business School’s Program on Business and The Environment to discuss climate risk to investment value and consider what can be done about it. Speakers came from as far away as Japan (Hiro Mizuno, CIO of Japan Government’s $1.6 trillion […]
Continue readingCorporations critical in mitigating climate change and influencing policy – Chicago Corporate Sustainability Meeting
Yesterday, I joined Ceres President Mindy Lubber in addressing a gathering of Chicago sustainability leaders led by Adele Simmons and hosted at the Chicago Community Trust. Mindy emphasized the need for effective policy to achieve the scale, scope, and pace required to mitigate climate risk to businesses, investment markets, and human communities. She argued for […]
Continue readingAn Assessment of the Impacts of Climate Change on the Great Lakes released today
Today Greenleaf Board member, Dr. Don Wuebbles, released “An Assessment of the Impacts of Climate Change on the Great Lakes,” which he led with many Scientists and Experts from Universities and Institutions in the Great Lakes Region, sponsored by the Environmental Law & Policy Center and the Chicago Council on Global Affairs. The report brings […]
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