Sustainable Arlington

As Wildfires Get Worse, Insurers Pull Back from Riskiest Areas

Insurers are quietly reducing their exposure to fire-prone regions across the Western United States, putting new pressure on homeowners and raising concerns that climate change could eventually make insurance unaffordable in some areas. Officials in California, Washington, Montana, and Colorado are getting more complaints from people whose insurance companies have refused to renew their coverage.  The complaints follow years of record-setting wildfires in both size and cost, a trend that scientists expect to continue as global warming accelerates. “I think that we are not far away from a lot of weather-related events being too expensive for most people to purchase comprehensive coverage,” said Carolyn Kousky, executive director of the Wharton Risk Center at the University of Pennsylvania.  “What happens then is the big question.” On Tuesday California’s Department of Insurance issued a report quantifying that pullback.  For the ZIP codes most affected by the wildfires in 2015 and 2017, the number of homeowners dropped by their insurance companies jumped 10 percent between 2017 and 2018. In the 10 California counties with the most homes in high-risk areas, the number of homeowners’ policies written by major insurers, whose rate increases must be approved by state regulators, fell by 5 percent between 2015 and 2018, the department said. Another way of measuring the growing reluctance of insurers is the increase in demand for the state’s FAIR plan, which is effectively prohibited from turning away customers but typically charges higher premiums as a result.  In those same 10 highest-risk counties, the number of[…]

Poster of the Week - 'You Don't Have to Be Directly Affected by Climate Change ....'

2019 SkS Weekly Climate Change & Global Warming Digest #33

Chile to Account for Costs of Climate Change in Budget

Chile will begin budgeting for the costs of fighting climate change,  Finance Minister Felipe Larraín announced on Tuesday, as receding glaciers and drought put a squeeze on water and natural resources in the world’s top copper producer. The South American nation, which is due to host the COP25 global conference on climate change in December, said it would include a new line item for “climate expenditures” in its government budgets beginning in 2020. “Currently, we don’t know how much we’re spending in the financing of climate action.  The lack of information makes it difficult to make good decisions,” Larraín told reporters. Read more at Chile to Account for Costs of Climate Change in Budget

Sunday 18

Architectural History Offers Clues to Low-Carbon Relief from the Heat

As demand for air conditioning grows in the developing world, nature-based design could provide climate-friendly alternatives. The Hawa Mahal, a striking five-story palace in Jaipur, India, dates back to 1799, long before the invention of air conditioning.  Built for use during the hot summer months, when local temperatures can climb well over 100 degrees Fahrenheit, it features dozens of enclosed balconies whose diminutive window openings direct a cooling breeze into the building’s interiors – hence the building’s translated name, “Palace of the Winds.”   The balconies also minimize the amount of surface area directly exposed to the sun, preventing heat from building up indoors. The Hawa Mahal is one of countless examples of naturally cooled spaces found in traditional Indian architecture.  Throughout history, buildings in India, as around the world, evolved to provide comfortable environments by harnessing forces like sunlight and wind – a strategy now referred to as passive design. The invention of “active” building systems (e.g., air conditioning, artificial lighting) fundamentally changed the way buildings and neighborhoods are constructed.  Instead of prioritizing appropriateness for the local climate, builders began to rely on active systems to keep occupants comfortable.  Because these systems run mainly on fossil fuels, building operations became a major source of emissions. This transition has happened faster in some parts of the world than in others.  Over the past century, climate-controlled buildings became the norm in wealthy nations.  In other regions, they remain largely aspirational:  In India, for example, fewer than 10% of households have air conditioning. […]