There is an ongoing discussion about the effects of rising temperatures around the globe. For instance, a report from NASA said that extreme levels of heat stress have more than doubled in the last forty years. This means dire consequences for public health. 

But there are other, less obvious costs of the increasing temperatures that are beginning to come into focus. 

What's happening?

The New York Times reported that homeowners in California had been struggling to find adequate insurance coverage even before the devastating fires earlier this year. Insurance companies began to stop writing policies for many California neighborhoods deemed fire risks by the authorities. 

The state government desperately tried to address the crisis. But a series of loopholes in the deal that was struck have kept homeowners in crisis. Meanwhile, insurance providers are stuck trying to meet the demands of homeowners while also encouraging a healthy insurance market. 

Basically, insurance companies have managed workarounds to meet the demands of the deal without having to insure the homes most at risk. 

"This isn't the balanced deal the insurance commissioner sold to Californians," Jamie Court, Consumer Watchdog's president, explained to The New York Times. "It's a giant giveaway to insurers."

Why is the lack of insurance important?

As temperatures around the globe continue to rise, more neighborhoods will be prone to devastating fires. A lack of insurance coverage makes the risks even greater. If a fire should occur, homeowners are unlikely to get fully reimbursed and could end up in financial ruin. 

What's being done about fires?

It's always imperative to understand and learn about the challenges facing our environment to better deal with them. Educating yourself about critical climate issues is the first step you can take to make choices that can help mitigate these risks. 

The best way to prevent warming temperatures around the globe is to decrease our reliance on dirty fuels like coal, oil, and gas. They release air pollution that harms our health and the health of all other living things. And they directly lead to extreme weather events that cause widespread destruction.

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