Author: Howard Creel

Actions Around the Home

The Frog will explore The Climate Action Handbook: A Visual Guide to 100 Climate Solutions by Heidi Roop in the first 100 days of 2024

If you are a gardener you know the climate is changing. The US Department of Agriculture knows it, and in response have highlighted the changing climate by revising the plant hardiness zones, which are based on average annual minimum temperatures in a region. You can explore your region in the interactive map.

My area has been revised from the Zone 4b (-25 to -20°F) in 2012 to Zone 5a (-20 to -15°F) today. As the world warms, the temperature is driving the changes in the types of plants that will thrive in your gardens. You may need to adapt and say goodbye to some of your favorites. While the changes might open up new opportunities for plant diversity, invasive species are taking hold in new areas.

When we first moved here in the early 90s, I wanted to plant boxwoods which are a fragrant memory from my time in Maryland and Virginia. We were told they would not grow here. Fast forward to a couple of years ago and our three boxwood shrubs are thriving in our front garden. Thank you climate change!

It is the trees that may suffer the most profound changes. A study by the USDA suggests that 70 percent of tree species studied are showing tree range migration. Do you like spruce and firs? They may disappear into the north. Economically important trees like sugar maples may be gone as well. Already under stress with drought and pests, whole forests may be lost.

“Although people’s worries about global climate change most often focus on things like summer heat, drought, flooding, rising sea levels, and polar bears, there’s another big worry that isn’t so well publicized – the effects of all these changes on plants, particularly trees. People and animals can walk, run, swim, or fly to a more suitable habitat, but trees can’t escape the heat.”

Dennis May, Program Director,
Forest Inventory and Analysis, St. Paul

This is nature responding to humans changing the planet. The study of the timing and cycles in the natural world is called phenology. This is an exciting and now critical area of study, data collection, and analysis that support natural resource management.

This warm winter has been weird in the upper Midwest. Has spring already started? What do you use as an indicator? In warm weather the temptation is to get out and do yardwork and prep gardens. When do you do that this year?

The USA National Phenology Network is tracking spring and you can help! They would like for you to become an observer. You can sign up for Nature’s Notebook, where you choose a location and the plants and/or animals you wish to observe, and then make weekly observations to record seasonal changes. You can be a solo observer or look for a local community to join.

And there are specific campaigns if you are passionate about certain plants or animals. You can participate in regional campaigns to answer specific questions and have a first glimpse at what is really going on. My favorite is Nectar Collectors. There are many others like Pollen Trackers, Desert Refuge, Flowers for Bats, and Mayfly Watch.

And as for your own lawn and gardens, please recognize that gasoline powered lawn mowers and leaf blowers are the dirtiest tools in the shed. Look closely. Is there a catalytic converter on the exhaust? Not likely. Not only are you subjecting yourself, family, and neighborhood to the health impacts of NOx and fine particulate pollution, but they are noisy! And tough on the climate: the unconstrained use of fossil fuel powered lawn equipment is estimated to have emitted more than 30 million tons of carbon dioxide in 2020.

So go electric. Model the action and become an advocate. Check in on your local parks department and other yard services providers and convince them to make the switch. And consider petitioning your elected officials to enact replacement incentives or phased ban on the use of the equipment. California is leading the way, with some locations requiring this type of equipment to be zero emission this year.

And while you are doing all that, join the new movement to Make America Rake Again! Or better yet enthusiastically embraced the approach of Leave the Leaves! Just leave all of it and let it be what it wants to be – habitat for invertebrates and pollinators over winter. And model the behavior for your neighborhood by proudly declaring your intention and displaying a sign like the one available from The Xerces Society for Invertebrate Conservation.

Next Up: Climate Action in 2024 – Day 62: Reduce Waste and Recycle

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Email: rescuethatfrog@gmail.com

Actions Around the Home

The Frog will explore The Climate Action Handbook: A Visual Guide to 100 Climate Solutions by Heidi Roop in the first 100 days of 2024

If you want to save energy when you do laundry take two actions: wash one load a week more in cold water and when it is time to replace your washer, choose a front-loading style.

When you choose your next washer, ENERGY STAR advises that front load washers use about 45% less energy and 50% less water than a top load agitator washer. Recent innovations in top loading dryers that have a low-profile cone or disc instead of an agitator are an advancement. However front load washers are still about 25% more energy and water efficient than the best top loading model.

You can compare models on the ENERGY STAR site. And get to know the ENERGY STAR Label and what it can tell you when you comparison shop.

You now have the right equipment. What is the right way to actually do a load of laundry? Wash your clothes less will have an immediate impact. As The Washington Post reported, washing your clothes less has a triple environmental impact: less water used, less energy used, and less microplastics released from synthetic fibers from your clothes.

The most effective action is to wash your clothes in cold water. The Cold Water Saves initiative suggests that all of your loads can be effectively cleaned in cold water. The majority of modern laundry detergents are formulated for cold water, even if they are not marked that way. If everyone in the US on average changed one load per week to cold water for year it would save 2.3 million metric tons CO2e. You can read more about the benefits of using cold water for everyday laundry.

Of course the drying process is also energy intensive. If using a dryer, regular maintenance can keep energy bills low – clean lint traps and ducts, If your model has it, the automatic cycle with moisture sensing is more efficient than a timed cycle. And if possible, dry loads back to back to utilize residual heat.

And of course, using wind and solar energy to dry your socks is the most efficient and renewable approach you can take! It makes sense to air dry at least a part of your laundry, if you have the space to do it. Experts recommend starting small, with items that are laundered frequently like workout clothing. And done right you do some interesting chemistry that leads to that fresh air smell in line-dried clothes, as long you dry them in direct sunlight.

Looking to organize a climate related event? Consider encouraging folks you know to participate in Hang Dry Week during the last week in August.

Next Up: Climate Action in 2024 – Day 61: Garden for a Greener Planet

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Email: rescuethatfrog@gmail.com

Actions Around the Home

The Frog will explore The Climate Action Handbook: A Visual Guide to 100 Climate Solutions by Heidi Roop in the first 100 days of 2024

The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change recognizes the critical importance of the changes underway in how humans interact with water in a changing climate. In the IPCC Sixth Assessment Report, the observe that in a changing climate, roughly half of worlds population will experience severe water scarcity for at least some part of the year due; that “since the 1970s, 44% of all disaster events have been flood-related”, and water-related hazards represents 60% of all adaptation interventions.

Floods, drought, and scarcity of drinking water – these are the existential impacts we are experiencing. In places on the planet, diminishing supplies of fresh water may cause turmoil, mass migration, and war. Water factors significantly into every future scenario as temperatures rise.

In the US, the agriculture is the largest water user in 50 percent of the counties in the US. To sustain our food production the agricultural sector will have to implement water control strategies including conservation, and utilization efficiency to have an impact.

In the Project Drawdown Solutions Library a widespread transition to low-flow water fixtures will have a surprising impact on climate mitigation. The main focus is on the energy savings related to wasted hot water, as residential hot water is responsible for a quarter of residential energy use.

The simple solution is to promote the adoption of low-flow taps and showerheads by over 80% of the worlds population by 2050. Drawdown estimates that with an investment of no more that $1.25 billion, there will be as high as $700 billion in net operational savings over the lifetime of the fixtures. More importantly, the move promises to avoid anywhere from 1 to 1.6 gigatons in emissions of greenhouse gases (CO2e).

“Cleaning, transporting, and heating water requires energy. More efficient fixtures and appliances can reduce home water use, thereby reducing emissions.”

Project Drawdown

Before you go and buy the fixtures, check with your local government to see if there are subsidized options. Your local utility may have a program. This may be an action that you can promote creatively in your communities and local organizations: imagine give-away campaigns at farmer’s markets and local charities. Seems like a simple solution that most can get behind!

Next Up: Climate Action in 2024 – Day 60: Clean Your Clothes Efficiently

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Email: rescuethatfrog@gmail.com

Actions Around the Home

The Frog will explore The Climate Action Handbook: A Visual Guide to 100 Climate Solutions by Heidi Roop in the first 100 days of 2024

You might be considering to Go Solar. If you are or if you are not, all of us should should first optimize our houses to be more energy efficient. You might want to consider monitoring your consumption using a home energy monitor. You might be able to spot those elusive phantom loads. You will be surprised how much electricity your appliances and devices use when they are “switched off”. Armed with data and understanding, you can make good choices on how to optimize your electricity usage.

Given that the US Department of Energy estimates that about 15 percent of a home’s electricity use is for lighting. it seems a logical place to take action. The good news is that through a concerted, focused effort (and facing backlash and disinformation) energy efficient light emitting diode (LED) lights are readily available for purchase.

You may take them for granted, but you should marvel at the technology built into an LED lightbulb. The electroluminescence process that is the basis for LEDs can be used to make the brilliant single wavelength lights that we see everywhere on indicators, displays, signs, and decorations.

Making a white light that is suitable for home décor is not trivial – see some of the strategies below. The US DOE is still funding research and development to help get it right. Meanwhile, you can find guidelines for choosing LED lights from the ENERGY STAR program at the US Environmental Protection Agency.

Replacing both incandescent and fluorescent fixtures in your home can mean a big savings “on a per-bulb basis, an LED bulb can save you anywhere from $50 to $100 over its lifetime”. And the cumulative impact of all of us making a concerted switch to LED lighting is significant. Using the EPA’s Carbon Footprint Calculator allows for some interesting math. A household that replaces five incandescent lightbulbs with ENERGY STAR approved LEDs will save 255 lbs of carbon dioxide emissions annually – the equivalent of the emissions from burning 13 gallons of gasoline in the average car.

Rolling that up globally, you can start to glimpse the potential impact. A wholesale global conversion in residences over the next 30 years could result in over 10 gigatons of GHG emissions avoided. Start in your own home and enjoy the savings (but beware the phantom loads!). And consider becoming an advocate: the simple action of us swapping incandescent lightbulbs for LEDs in our homes leads to a a large collective climate change impact.

And to see what you are up against in your advocacy, you should also read the opinions of those that do not (and likely will not ever) like LED lights.

Next Up: Climate Action in 2024 – Day 59: Go Low-Flow With Your Fixtures

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Email: rescuethatfrog@gmail.com

Actions Around the Home

The Frog will explore The Climate Action Handbook: A Visual Guide to 100 Climate Solutions by Heidi Roop in the first 100 days of 2024

A solar module converts solar radiation into DC voltage through the photovoltaic effect. The concept was developed by Einstein and published in a seminal paper in 1905. The first functioning solar cells were first fabricated in the fifties at Bell Labs and the assembly processes and design of the modern “terrestrial” solar module were developed in the seventies through considerable investment by the US Government.

The Chinese government decided to become the world leader in solar module manufacturing in the early 2000s. China deliberately stood up a massive manufacturing effort to install domestic solar capacity and become the dominant global supplier of solar modules. Largely because of this deliberate manufacturing at scale, solar PV has become the cheapest source of electricity in history since 2020.

The installation of solar PV grows annually. Today, 60 percent of new renewable energy capacity is solar PV installed by utilities at large scale. But we need much more if we want to achieve net-zero emissions globally by 2050. And at the same time other technologies for storage, transmission, and grid management will have to be deployed to make solar the reliably constant source of electricity we are used to.

You might consider installing panels on your house or buying into community solar projects – see Climate Action in 2024 – Day 8. These types are projects, called distributed solar, may be an option for you depending on where you live. There are a number of US Federal subsidies and rebates from utilities to provide you incentive to install systems on your house or property.

I am working on a stand-alone post outlining my experiences installing solar panels on my house. I would be happy to be a resource for you as you explore your options.

Become an advocate! The Solar Roadmap™ is a useful tool to use with communities or organizations seeking to increase the capacity of solar power in their region.

Deployment of solar energy at scale, coupled with smart grid technology and utility-scale storage, is a big swing that promises to allow us to avoid as much as 69 gigatons of greenhouse gas emissions in the next 30 years while saving over $13 trillion in operating costs. It is critical that we accelerate this massive conversion of our energy systems to displace fossil fuel sources with renewables in order to even have a chance to meet global emissions reduction goals.

Next Up: Climate Action in 2024 – Day 58: Light With LEDs

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Email: rescuethatfrog@gmail.com

Actions Around the Home

The Frog will explore The Climate Action Handbook: A Visual Guide to 100 Climate Solutions by Heidi Roop in the first 100 days of 2024

As the global temperature increases with a changing climate, global demand for air conditioning systems will soar. To put the current global demand for cooling systems in perspective, in 2019 the annual GHG emissions from air conditioning was equivalent to that produced by 215 million internal combustion vehicles.

The demand for air-conditioning globally is expected to triple by 2050. Developing nations will expect to address heat issues with their populations and those that can afford it will expect to install and use these systems. The International Energy Agency highlighted the need for action to maximize the energy efficiency of newly installed systems in their report The Future of Cooling: Opportunities for Energy-Efficient Air Conditioning.

We recently replaced our 20 year old air conditioning unit with an energy efficient heat pump and are seeing the benefits and savings of an investment in updated equipment. In your home, consider upgrading your equipment to maximize energy efficiency if it is out of date, add a programmable thermostat, and optimize a cooling cycle to minimize your energy usage.

Humidity is increasing and makes the the technology solutions more challenging. High heat and humidity is the greatest risk to health, significantly increasing the likelihood of heat stroke. We all need to become aware of the wet bulb temperature, because it is an indicator the human body’s ability to be cooled by evaporation from sweating. High wet bulb globe temperature is another measurement that takes solar radiation and wind speed into account. It is important because combined effects can be dangerous to outdoor workers and others that have to do anything strenuous outside.

In areas where humidity is not usually bad (and increasing with climate change), we may unconsciously tend to use our air conditioning system because we get uncomfortable at lower temperatures when the humidity is high. Indeed it’s not the heat, it’s the humidity.

Some newer systems have a dehumidification cycle that you can use allowing you to keep the temperature higher to meet your expected level of comfort. If you have a “tight house” with appropriate moisture barriers and weather-stripping, utilizing a dehumidifier in your HVAC system, especially at the fresh air intake, can be part of a strategy to manage your home environment with maximized energy efficiency.

Keep in mind that in regions of high heat and humidity, both air conditioners and dehumidifiers have to work harder because they rely on the air absorbing excess moisture. This is a technology challenge that may be a barrier in addressing a changing climate.

The health implications of an hotter world make access to cooling an energy equity issues that must be addressed at the local levels. If your region is prone to unexpected and prolonged periods of increased heat, you should ensure that there is access to cool public spaces. An while you are at, consider making your voice heard advocating for an equitable and energy efficient future on a warming planet.

Next Up: Climate Action in 2024 – Day 57: Go Solar

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Email: rescuethatfrog@gmail.com

Actions Around the Home

The Frog will explore The Climate Action Handbook: A Visual Guide to 100 Climate Solutions by Heidi Roop in the first 100 days of 2024

Watch out! The Democrats are coming for your gas stoves!

No. Not really. But wherever you see open combustion, it should cause you to stop and think. As a chemist, when I see the flame on a gas stove I see a combustion reaction where atmospheric oxygen reacts with methane (natural gas) to liberate the heat we use to cook food and boil water. If this was my chemistry class, the correct answer for “provide the balanced chemical equation for the complete combustion of methane” is this:

So we focus on the fact that every time you turn on your gas stove, you are doing kitchen chemistry with implications for the climate and your indoor air quality.

If it was indeed complete combustion as shown, for every kilogram of methane you burn, you produce 2.7 kg of carbon dioxide emissions. Too bad carbon dioxide is odorless and colorless or it would be easier to visualize the greenhouse gases you produce while you wait for the tea kettle to boil. In addition to carbon dioxide pollution, you also emit unreacted methane, which is a more powerful greenhouse gas.

The real issue for indoor combustion on gas stoves, however, is the side reaction that takes place in the open flame. The nitrogen in Earth’s atmosphere nitrogen also reacts in the flame on your stovetop and produces the reaction products NO and NO₂, collectively referred to as NOx. It is this NOx pollution inside your home that is the key concern you should have when you use your gas stove.

The same sort of reactions (hydrocarbons reacting with oxygen and nitrogen) take place in the engine of your car. Before the mandated use of three-way catalytic converters in cars starting in 1981, our cities looked like the picture below, mainly from the NOx pollution. NOx is also the main precursor to “acid rain”.

Three-way catalytic converters make sure that the only emissions from your exhaust are “clean” carbon dioxide, nitrogen gas. and water. Through the actions taken based on the Clean Air Act we have come to expect that we will not see billowing clouds of brown NOx pollution emanating from our cars and accumulating in skies. We have learned to enjoy breathing clean air.

Notice that your gas stove does not have a catalytic converter. There is nothing at all you can do to prevent the production of NOx when you use your gas stove. If ventilation is poor, indoor NOx pollution can build up to unhealthy levels, even if the air outside it clean and clear. In this study, the “data suggest that families who don’t use their range hoods or who have poor ventilation can surpass the 1-h national standard of NO₂ (100 ppb) within a few minutes of stove usage, particularly in smaller kitchens”.

Note that in houses that are up to code, this is only a problem with gas ranges. For gas dryers, furnaces, and water heaters the combustion products are vented to the outside. Including the carbon dioxide pollution.

NOx can cause respiratory issues, especially asthma. Children in homes with gas stoves show as high as a 42 percent higher risk for asthma compared to homes with an electric stove. The majority (66%) of homes in the US have electric stoves.

It is an attractive notion to live in a house that does not emit any carbon dioxide directly during normal operations (part of your personal Scope 1 emissions). Converting to all electricity may seem attractive, but first attend to your Scope 2 emissions – if your utility is not substantially renewable, then you have to account for that in your carbon footprint calculation.

Converting your whole house to electric may be a daunting and expensive undertaking, especially for older homes that may need upgraded electrical service. There resources to help you explore your options. And remember the Federal tax incentives for energy efficiency when you calculate the cost. These upgrades have the biggest overall impact on climate change mitigation.

If you have a gas stove and are concerned about indoor air quality, you can can take some steps to make sure you use it with proper ventilation. Don’t rely on your hood exhaust unless it is actually vented to the outside – if you have a ductless hood, it is merely circulating the kitchen air through a carbon filter that is unlikely to help much with the NOx pollution.

If you are considering switching from gas to electric stoves, you should follow a checklist before you commit. You are likely going to require an electrician to install the required higher voltage service in your kitchen.

If you do commit, you should definitely consider an induction unit. The ceramic cooktop uses electromagnetic coils to induce metal pans to warm and cook food. They are more expensive, and you may have to change your cookware and cooking techniques, but induction units do not degrade indoor air quality, and are inherently safer and much more energy efficient than gas stoves in terms of GHG emissions.

Given the expense of these type of home improvements, indoor air quality is definitely an energy equity issue. Low-income families may be forced to endure lower indoor air quality if they are not able to make the investments. If you are able to, contact your state and federal official and keep pressure on them to support subsidizing upgrades for those less fortunate and adopt uniform codes for new homes and rental properties to ensure safety indoors.

As Heidi says, “healthy air at home (and outside) shouldn’t be a privilege but a right”.

Keep in mind that 40 percent of the global population are at even greater risk for health impacts from cooking because they use wood, charcoal, dung, and coal to cook their food. Solar ovens are a potential solution in some places.

Next Up: Climate Action in 2024 – Day 56: Be Thoughtful About Air-Conditioning

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Email: rescuethatfrog@gmail.com

Actions Around the Home

The Frog will explore The Climate Action Handbook: A Visual Guide to 100 Climate Solutions by Heidi Roop in the first 100 days of 2024

The GHG emissions from heating and cooling our houses in the US is equivalent to the total emissions from all of Brazil. This represents 20 percent of all the emissions from the US. Tackling energy efficiency in our homes can have a major impact on climate change mitigation.

Your utility may have a service to analyze the current energy state of your home and recommend an upgrades that could save energy and money. For instance, Xcel Energy’s Home Energy Squad are energy experts that can inspect and assess “how your home uses energy and offer ways to create a more energy efficient home”. They will also, for a small fee, install energy-saving solutions including LED lightbulbs, weather stripping and a programmable thermostat.

Energy efficiency equates to emissions reductions. We recently swapped out a 20+ year old air conditioner and gas furnace for an integrated heat pump and furnace system. For cooling in the summer, simply replacing the old equipment with a more energy efficient model represents a savings. And more importantly, we now heat our home with electricity on most days (especially during this mild winter we are having). Given that more and more of Xcel Energy’s electricity is from renewable sources, this represents a significant reduction in emissions from managing the temperature in our home.

As always it pays to do research. The Inflation Reduction Act of 2022 provided for federal tax credits and deductions that will help reduce energy costs. This includes the $2000 tax rebate on my heat pump system that will be applied to my 2023 taxes. These rebates are funded through 2032, and include federal income tax credits that will allow up to $3,200 annually to lower the cost of energy efficient home upgrades by up to 30 percent. Check your state government sites to see what incentives are available: for instance, at some point Minnesota will implement a residential heat pump rebate program.

It is a compelling action to take – reduce overall energy use, lower your emissions and save money. And yes, heat pumps make sense for Minnesota!

Next Up: Climate Action in 2024 – Day 55: Electrify Your Home, From Cooktop to Rooftop

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Email: rescuethatfrog@gmail.com

Actions Around the Home

The Frog will explore The Climate Action Handbook: A Visual Guide to 100 Climate Solutions by Heidi Roop in the first 100 days of 2024

My father and mother lived through the Great Depression and World War II, a long and profound period of uncertainty and fear. Growing up, my father would manifest this experience in subtle ways that could be interpreted as that of a rational survivalist. This included prudent preparations for periods of unrest and destruction, either manmade or from natural disasters. This included preparing what he referred to as bug out gear and wallets. “Bugging out”, as in “leave in a hurry”. Check out the Bug Out episodes of M*A*S*H.

The good news is that in over fifty years in Northern Virginia, the closest we came to a natural disaster requiring bugging out was Hurricane Camille in 1969.

Given the increasing ferocity of weather on a warming planet, being prepared to protect yourself and your family is prudent and advisable. In addition to a Bug Out Bag for a quick evacuation (Heidi refers to it as a Go Bag. Same thing), you should also prepare a Stay Bin as experts suggest you also prepare to survive (i.e. “shelter in place”) without leaving your house for two weeks.

You can find recommendations for each online (but be prepared to sift through survivalist and doomsday prepper marketing as you do so). In essence, visualize your needs and prepare a readily accessible source of supplies for your survival for a short period of time. If you don’t do this, you will put yourself and others in danger as you seek the supplies outside your home or in the middle of an evacuation.

A Bug Out Bag should include important documents like passports and birth certificates, cash (my father included gold coins), phone charges and accessories, snacks (i.e. energy bars), water, medications etc. Also make provisions for your pets if you know you will take them with you. Consider adding spare clothing for everyone, toys for the kids, and diapers, wipes, etc. for infants. [It is a called a Bug Out Bag, but more likely a plastic tub would be more handy in an emergency].

Go down the Reddit Rabbit Hole on Bug Out Bags

A Stay Bin is the same concept if you have to “shelter in place” in your home. Assume you will not have electricity. What’s the plan? You need at least two-week supplies of food, knowing your refrigerators and freezers won’t be running, and a water supply if your utility is disrupted. A water filter/treatment system might come in handy, as well as staple foods like rice, beans, and/or dehydrated meals.

First aid supplies, medicines, battery operated radios, solar powered chargers. The list may be long – envision living in your house for two weeks without any support and make a plan to do it. You might want to have a backup battery source to run your electronics to stay in touch. A multi-fuel (i.e. gasoline and propane) generator or some solar panels with a battery charger or inverter can keep batteries charged and run small appliances, electronics, fans and the like for short periods of time.

The Center for Disease Control on sheltering in place

“There’s no harm in hoping for the best as long as you’re prepared for the worst”

Stephen King

Next Up: Climate Action in 2024 – Day 54: Create a More Energy-Efficient Home

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Email: rescuethatfrog@gmail.com

Actions Around the Home

The Frog will explore The Climate Action Handbook: A Visual Guide to 100 Climate Solutions by Heidi Roop in the first 100 days of 2024

In 2021, uninsured losses from natural catastrophes were estimated at $105 billion. Deep freeze. Prolonged floods. Deluges. Wildfires. Heat waves. And a major hurricane.

More and more people are accepting that the weather is different. Insurance companies are certainly accepting the changing normal for natural disasters and adjusting to it. Home and rental insurance premiums are going up everywhere and in some areas insurance companies are refusing coverage because of the risks of a changing climate. Without scrutiny, changing terms and coverage levels may leave us without the protection we expect.

Hurricanes are not an issue in Minnesota, but increasingly the risk of floods are. The Federal Emergency Management Agency is updating flood insurance policies to reflect the emerging patterns. The Association of State Floodplain Managers is tracking an upward trend in flood insurance premiums and given the number and demographics of people at risk for losing coverage, local governments are stepping in to ensure equitable response when disaster strikes.

It is unclear how sustainable all of this is.

Carefully consider your own situation and the risks that you face. In most places there is increased risk of flooding and wildfires. Examine your policies and consider the health and actions of your insurance provider. Expect that premiums will continue to rise overall, and in some locations may become unaffordable. These are the costs of climate change that we all face.

Next Up: Climate Action in 2024 – Day 53: Prepare a Go Bag and a Stay Bin

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Email: rescuethatfrog@gmail.com