halfwit uninformed comment: the industry's interests might change after this last year showed hedging is an inadequate protection against the level of volatility that's really out there on a changing planet with tightening resource supplies. prevention has to take the front seat unless the industry is going to refuse to cover network effects, which would end business as we know it.

The insurance industry's track record on all kinds of disasters is horrible and their investments in hedges and weird financial instruments - without any (did I say any?) regard to the risks - were nothing short of a travesty. That's how we can explain that (a) insurance companies made more money after paying off Katrina than ever in history and (b) heck why not jack up the rates and double or triple them!

There is absolutely no science behind their disaster modeling, and an analysis on the insurance company's hurricane model showed it never worked. Now they claim to tout (or should I say toot) some mysterious mumbo-jumbo about Climate Change? With nice words, presentations, and really chesty looking blonds?

Aye, but the insurance companies aren't in the scam alone, since many of their baseline rates are regulated by state and federal agencies. Don't get me started on that! But even if unintended, possibly the only benefit is that insurers will stop writing policies in high risk areas such as along eroding and storm-prone coasts, possibly even a good thing ... for all the wrong reasons.  -sam

Onward through the fog