Pasadena, Calif. (June 25, 2013) — A public forum on June 28 will examine how climate change is fueling wildfires in California and threatening the insurability of California homeowners. Participants will explore how insurers, policymakers, and consumers can work together to strengthen the state’s resilience to the impacts of climate change.
The “Insurance in an Era of Climate Change” forum featuring climate scientists, insurance experts and first-responders will take place at the Pasadena Central Library. It is presented by the Union of Concerned Scientists (UCS) and hosted by California state Sen. Carol Liu with a keynote address by California Insurance Commissioner Dave Jones.
“I am pleased to partner with the Union of Concerned Scientists to bring this important information to my constituents and to welcome Commissioner Jones to the 25th Senate District,” said Sen. Liu (D-La Canada Flintridge). “We need to deal with climate change on many levels; reducing, preparing for, and responding to impacts.”
The forum will explore the latest climate information about what Southern California can expect in the coming years and how climate change is affecting the insurance industry due to impacts such as extreme heat and wildfires.
“There is an intrinsic connection between climate change and insurance, and I am very concerned about the impact climate change will have on the future availability and affordability of insurance coverage,” said Commissioner Jones. “I look forward to being part of the discussion on how insurance companies, regulators and public policymakers can come together to better prepare, adapt and mitigate the impacts of climate change on the insurance market in California.”
Forum speakers will include:
- Cal Fire Chief Ken Pimlott, director of the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection
- Susanne Moser, Ph.D., director and principal researcher of Susanne Moser Research & Consulting in Santa Cruz, California. She is also a social science research fellow at the Woods Institute for the Environment at Stanford University and a research associate at the University of California at Santa Cruz, Institute for Marine Sciences.
- Anthony L. Westerling, associate professor in the School of Engineering at the University of California, Merced.
- Stephen Bushnell, product director at Fireman’s Fund Insurance Company.
- Andrew Logan, director of Ceres' Oil & Gas and Insurance Programs.
The forum will take place on Friday, June 28, from 10:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. at the Pasadena Central Library, Donald R. Wright Auditorium, 285 E. Walnut St., Pasadena, CA 91101
“Wildfires cost California hundreds of millions of dollars each year in firefighting efforts and property damage,” said Adrienne Alvord, UCS California and western states director. “With climate change fueling the frequency of wildfires, Californians who live in high-risk areas are facing an additional threat to the availability and affordability of their homeowners insurance.”
Media contact: Debra Holtz, ucscamedia@ucsusa.org, 510-409-7936