Minerva welcomed a diverse audience interested in resilience, green building and finance to learn about a holistic approach to building upgrades for both seismic safety and green performance, with a better return on investment and improved property values.

Did you know that the USGS predicts a 63% probability of a major (magnitude ≥6.7) earthquake in our area by 2036? In addition, storms, fires, droughts and rising sea level are risks to communities and to corporate real estate portfolios. 
Catastrophic but uncertain events cannot be avoided, but you can know and reduce your risks. Presenters explained how to protect your local and global buildings and campuses from threats, including earthquakes, flooding, sea level rise and extreme weather.
It took downtown Santa Cruz 3 years to recover from the 6.9 magnitude Loma Prieta quake in 1989. Christchurch, New Zealand was struck by a 6.3 magnitude quake in 2011. Recovery costs exceeded $40 billion. 185 people were killed. Rebuilding (and upgrading to code) has taken 6 years. When doing significant seismic retrofits, it makes financial sense to include renewable energy, and energy and water efficiency upgrades, as well.

Developers and property owners can increase profits and reduce risks by making improvements to their properties.