I Don’t Know How To Deny The Obvious


hiding from the reality of climate crisis impact on your investments
These were headlines from this last week:

“‘I’m Standing here in the middle of climate change’ How the USDA is failing farmers”

“Radical warming in Siberia leaves millions on unstable ground”

“How Will Climate Change Alter Agriculture? Winemakers Are Finding Out”

“‘Firms ignoring climate crisis will go bankrupt’ says Mark Carney, Bank of England Governor”

“Climate Change Impacts Monsoon Flooding in India”

“Council Recommends $4B Plan to Safeguard Oregon from Wildfires”

“Warming to drive ‘robust increase’ UK flooding”

“Japan’s Wake-Up Call on Climate Change: Flooded Bullet Trains”

I could go on and on.

But you’re smart. You get it.

These are not casual or incidental topics. These are relevant and immediate examples of how climate change is changing life worldwide. Every one of these headlines intersects with global real estate.

To believe that the economies of the entire world could by impacted but somehow real estate would be unaffected is, well, honestly, ludicrous.

It flies in the face of logic.       

When the changes to the climate are altering so many various actualities of life it is nonsensical to paint yourself into a corner of poorly managed risk by choosing to be ignorant of how those changes can and will affect your real estate investments.

My advocacy for real estate investors, and related and ancillary professional fields, to educate themselves as quickly and diligently as possible is grounded in the reality that “Time and tide wait for no man”.

The continuous changing of the climate will advance, whether we pay attention to it, ignore it, deny it. The climate doesn’t care if you deny it’s changing. It will simply run over you and your investments. Be it aggressive storm surges, ongoing land erosion, extreme wildfires, destructive hurricanes, prolonged droughts, catastrophic flooding, bomb cyclones, abundant rainfall, multiple-vortex tornadoes, supercell thunderstorms, rising sea levels, let’s be honest, hands down the climate wins.

But that does not mean you are helpless.

But you MUST begin paying attention.

Educate yourself.

Learn all you can.

Open your eyes and your intellect.

Recognize the facts.

Look fear in the eye and then brush it away.

You have a job to do.

You have the power to become the most visionary investor you know, an expert in what terrifies others.

Study everything you can get your hands on about the area you are investing. Comprehend the valid known risks. Begin researching the anticipated shifts in the those risks. Then expand your vision and start opening your awareness to what changes in climate and weather will bring to bear on the area you are investing in.

This is a huge and quickly advancing emergency.

Fear can make us look away, close our eyes, pretend it isn’t happening.

But I implore you for the security and safety of your money and your family’s resources do not close your eyes and look away.

Fear causes us to make foolish choices.

I am not telling you that the climate change of the future is not frightening. Believe me, it is.

But stay focused. Look ahead. This is your real estate.

This is your livelihood.

This is your family’s endowment.

This is your money.

This is your financial future.

Remember, you CAN thrive in this era of climate change by understanding your real estate, being educated on the threats it will face and having the knowledge to mitigate your impending risks.

I will tell you, courage means meeting fear on the road and not allowing it to pass until it bows before you and not the other way around.

I trust you.

B.L. Sheldon

B. L. Sheldon is an author, speaker, social entrepreneur, researcher, active real estate investor and a psychotherapist. In her groundbreaking book, Fearless: Real Estate Investing In The Era Of Climate Change, she tackles the intersection of real estate and climate change. In a calm, clear, accessible style, Sheldon provides real estate investors and business owners with actionable steps to climate-proof their investment portfolio.

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