Since the mid 2000s, economists have spoken of Black Swans, disruptive financial events that embody three special characteristics: they are rare, wide-ranging and extreme, and they are explicable only after the fact. Now there are Green Swan events, a new scientific classification for climate catastrophes that can trigger systemic financial crisis unless authoritative action is taken. In this episode of World Ocean Radio, host Peter Neill argues that due to the global disruption caused by the Coronavirus outbreak, we may now be in the midst of our first major global Green Swan event.

World Ocean Radio: 5-minute weekly insights in ocean science, advocacy, education, global ocean issues, marine science, policy, challenges, and solutions. Hosted by Peter Neill, Founder of W2O. Learn more at worldoceanobservatory.org