Insurance for damages caused by calamitous weather will increasingly hit the wallet | Opinion

Climate and the wallet

Note: The writer is chapter leader of the Citizens’ Climate Lobby.

My homeowners association got a rude awakening recently. Our property insurance increased by 200%! Yes, really.

Record breaking increases in reinsurance rates are occurring worldwide.

As you may know, all insurance companies buy reinsurance to cover really big claims.

Big floods, bad storms and wildfires hit reinsurance. With little ability to predict the cost of these disasters, reinsurance companies have lost money for the last five years. Thus the increases.

The scientific consensus is that climate change, accelerated by greenhouse gas emissions, is a major contributor to the above calamities.

The raid on my wallet is a stark reminder that we must reduce emissions.

We can do this – especially now with the immediate financial incentives offered to governments and households by the Inflation Reduction Act.

We can all do our part but leadership will be needed.

Please urge your leaders at every level to do everything possible to achieve a clean electric world. Get informed. Write, call, meet. That’s what we at Citizens’ Climate Lobby are doing.

Tim Joy, Beaufort

Ballot or bullet?

One candidate for president retweeted a message that indicated tens of thousands of people behind him were “locked and loaded.”

I would much rather support a candidate whose following tweeted, “I voted.”

It is unfortunate and disturbing that endorsing and promoting violence is a key message in a political campaign.

The sanctity of using votes versus violence is what distinguishes a democracy from a dictatorship.

Our election process is designed to honor and allow differences to be heard.

“We the People” have an imperfect Union. And, after ratification of the Constitution, Benjamin Franklin was quoted as saying it’s fragile and we would be fortunate if we could keep it.

Listen to the message from elected officials and candidates. Does their message cast the other party, your neighbor, your sibling as an enemy? If so, they are a combatant, not a congressman; a soldier, not a statesman.

Attacking differences is the enemy.

Write your elected officials and remind them they work for all of us, not some of us.

Ask them to stop fighting and start fixing.

“We the People” must hold true to the ballot, not the bullet.

Joseph P. Murphy, HHI

An American crisis

What is it about school shootings that divides people rather than brings them together?

Keeping students safe and allowing teachers to do their jobs educating and developing future leaders of our communities should be something that everyone can agree on, not argue about.

Another tragic and senseless loss of life has taken place at The Covenant School in Nashville. There have been 376 school shootings in the 24 years since Columbine – and more school shootings occurred during 2022 than any other year before.

This hit very close to home recently with threats of violence targeting S.C. schools multiple days in a row in the last two months alone.

During those times, I observed reactions of parents and youth ranging from shoulder shrugs and eye rolls to real fear and emotional breakdowns.

School administrators are hyper vigilant to such threats and have well-oiled response and communication systems in place, but one crucial piece seems to be missing. What is being done to prevent real or threatened school violence?

We are at a crossroads in this country in our need to address this uniquely American public health epidemic that is negatively impacting and threatening the lives of one of our most vulnerable populations.

Lana Cook, Lexington

Allow needed care

Sometimes I really wonder about our state legislators.

Now I read that “SC senators consider ban on transgender care for children.”

Do they think a ban will make this situation disappear? If it is that simple, I urge them to ban poverty, contaminated drinking water, etc.

But I doubt a ban will prevent children from needing care. The kids will still need help through a very confusing time in their lives.

If a child of a state senator were to find himself or herself in need of transgender care, would that senator be so heartless as to refuse the assistance? Should our state senators refuse other people’s children this care?

I urge our legislators to be kind and not try to make these children suffer for their sexuality.

Please, allow them to receive the services they need.

Elizabeth A. Russell, Columbia