We can assume that the insurance companies know the truth about climate change, because their business requires them to understand that properties they insure can fall victim to rising seas, that more intense hurricanes can cause great damage to insured properties, and that an increase in extreme weather — including massive rainfall — can mean rivers flooding higher than in the past.
(And indeed, insurance companies have been raising rates in many areas because of just such calculations.)
Not only must they know the truth about climate change, it would seem that it would be in their own corporate interest to minimize the disruption of the climate, in order to minimize the amount of damage they’ll have to cover. I.e. to have American policy engage seriously with climate change.
Given both of those things, it would seem to be in the interests of the insurance industry to raise the hue and cry to the American public to try to move public policy in directions that will minimize their future losses.
But they don’t. The lies of climate-denialism that the fossil fuel industry has been putting out for years is not being countered by the voice of the insurance industry trying to reduce the level of disaster that we’re heading into.
Why is that? Why are they silent, instead of sounding the alarm?
(Do they figure that they’ll be able to keep raising rates and maintain their income? Is there some other reason for their not waging a vigorous campaign that would counter the lies of the fossil fuel industry?)