Insurance! The Shape Of Things To Come?

[kenneal - lagger]

The insurance industry could just as easily sort the problem out by refusing to insure any new houses on flood plains which is a quite likely outcome. All flood prone land is mapped into three zones and the maps are available online here.

[biffvernon]

Turning over 10-20% of the nations golf courses for housing would be a good idea in my opinion.

It would dramatically improve the ecological value of the land.

...if the other 80-90% were converted to nature reserves.

(I've never understood the purpose of golf.)

[emordnilap]

There may be a point here about state insurance. In British Columbia, Canada, it was found that the car insurance market was dysfunctional, so it was taken over by the provincial government. General consensus is that it works just fine now.

The only reason it might not work elsewhere is because of incompetence and corruption, things common in private and public life. Otherwise, why shouldn't it?

And don't forget, the Brits have been insured, on and off, by the state for decades - health, public transport, sewage, water, power, postal services, the list could go on. Insurance isn't a utopian idea.

[mikepepler]

Tarrel, who's your insurance with? We've used Gary at http://www.thebeechtree.com/ for a few years now (I know it looks unlikely from the website, but he spotted a niche with small woodland owners that isn't covered by the big insurers).

We pay about £300/year and that covers all third part risks, risks from us working with chainsaws (up to the level of work for which we have been trained and examined), and even for 'volunteers' working with handtools alongside us.

[kenneal - lagger]

Don't forget that National Insurance is coming up against the bumpers now that the population is getting older and the sad lack of foresight of the bureaucrats who set it up in not fully or even partly funding it is coming home to roost. The lack of continuing growth is making the system unaffordable. Not a success story, or it won't be in a few years time.

[emordnilap]

Interesting. The insurance business seems to be becoming more and more vocal on the climate change issue.

Earth set a new record for billion-dollar weather disasters in 2013 with 41, said insurance broker Aon Benfield in their Annual Global Climate and Catastrophe Report

Source

[Tarrel]

Tarrel, who's your insurance with? We've used Gary at http://www.thebeechtree.com/ for a few years now (I know it looks unlikely from the website, but he spotted a niche with small woodland owners that isn't covered by the big insurers).

We pay about £300/year and that covers all third part risks, risks from us working with chainsaws (up to the level of work for which we have been trained and examined), and even for 'volunteers' working with handtools alongside us.

Thanks Mike, I'll take a look. The sort of cover you describe is just what we're looking for.

We've used a specialist broker in Dundee called Willis. Their insurance was with Aviva, who are no longer providing the fire/storm cover. We also had public liability with them, which was a separate policy and hasn't gone up. Annoyingly, I discovered today that they won't let us have the PL without the fire cover. So, I'm really starting from scratch again.

Cheers

Tarrel

[biffvernon]

The scrolling captions on the Swiss Re website header picture are quite telling: http://www.swissre.com/

[Tarrel]

The scrolling captions on the Swiss Re website header picture are quite telling: http://www.swissre.com/

Yes. The chatter is building. Interesting to note some of the people in the audience during Christine Lagard's lecture the other night. Vince Cable for one.

If there were any lingering doubts about whether the Powers That Be "get" what is going on, they are fading fast. One wonders what they have in mind for us all.

[emordnilap]

The scrolling captions on the Swiss Re website header picture are quite telling: http://www.swissre.com/

It all makes good sense for the bottom line. If that makes good sense for the biosphere, fair enough.

[biffvernon]

Swiss Re are paying for a good deal of climate science research.