Moira Birss
@moira.bsky.social
Climate, economic justice & human rights research, advocacy & policy visioning. Senior Fellow w/ @cplusc.bsky.social studying US disaster insurance & global policy. Board co-Chair of @lawgaction.bsky.social. Amo a 🇨🇴. Living on Ohlone land. she/ella/ela.
Reposted by Moira Birss
'Even the notion of “quality of life” as a measurable standard is based on assumptions that a “good” healthy life is one without disability, pain, and suffering. I live with all three intimately and I feel more vital than ever at this point in time, because of my experiences and relationships.'
“I’m disabled and need a ventilator to live. Am I expendable during this pandemic?”
As medical rationing becomes a reality, “quality of life” measures threaten disabled people like me.
www.vox.com
November 17, 2025 at 2:59 AM
'Even the notion of “quality of life” as a measurable standard is based on assumptions that a “good” healthy life is one without disability, pain, and suffering. I live with all three intimately and I feel more vital than ever at this point in time, because of my experiences and relationships.'
I agree that ending the fossil fuel era is essential. And, when it comes to the housing safety and affordability crisis being exacerbated by insurance market failures, ending fossil fuels is not sufficient. Neither is what @chrislhayes.bsky.social proposes. climateandcommunity.org/research/pro...
Protection or Profit? Transformative Solutions to the Home Insurance Crisis
CCI’s proposal to transform home insurance involves states creating entities, termed Housing Resilience Agencies (HRAs), to run the state’s housing risk-reduction work and home disaster insurance prov...
climateandcommunity.org
November 12, 2025 at 9:54 PM
I agree that ending the fossil fuel era is essential. And, when it comes to the housing safety and affordability crisis being exacerbated by insurance market failures, ending fossil fuels is not sufficient. Neither is what @chrislhayes.bsky.social proposes. climateandcommunity.org/research/pro...
See my response to this here: bsky.app/profile/moir...
The idea that insurance premiums are a good way to mitigate climate risk to housing is a common misconception that, unfortunately, can obscure real solutions to the risks of climate change and perpetuate existing inequities.
Why is that? Well...
1/8
Why is that? Well...
1/8
There is a VERY strong reason to think that moving from private to public insurance will lead to political pressure that keeps premiums artificially low and incentivizes building in the riskiest areas. (See federal flood insurance)
November 12, 2025 at 9:41 PM
See my response to this here: bsky.app/profile/moir...
It does. Though I’ll have to admit I’m skeptical since Adani has also long been a MAJOR coal producer and AFAIK has not drawn any of that down.
November 12, 2025 at 8:28 PM
It does. Though I’ll have to admit I’m skeptical since Adani has also long been a MAJOR coal producer and AFAIK has not drawn any of that down.
...
- build new housing in locations least at risk of disaster.
We lay this out in more detail here: climateandcommunity.org/research/pro...
- build new housing in locations least at risk of disaster.
We lay this out in more detail here: climateandcommunity.org/research/pro...
Protection or Profit? Transformative Solutions to the Home Insurance Crisis
CCI’s proposal to transform home insurance involves states creating entities, termed Housing Resilience Agencies (HRAs), to run the state’s housing risk-reduction work and home disaster insurance prov...
climateandcommunity.org
November 12, 2025 at 3:14 PM
...
- build new housing in locations least at risk of disaster.
We lay this out in more detail here: climateandcommunity.org/research/pro...
- build new housing in locations least at risk of disaster.
We lay this out in more detail here: climateandcommunity.org/research/pro...
Policymakers can fix this, though! At CCI we've laid out several pathways for this, and the state and/or federal levels. The basics of what's needed:
- prioritize comprehensive disaster risk reduction;
- ensure the availability of equitable, stable, and affordable insurance; and...
- prioritize comprehensive disaster risk reduction;
- ensure the availability of equitable, stable, and affordable insurance; and...
November 12, 2025 at 3:14 PM
Policymakers can fix this, though! At CCI we've laid out several pathways for this, and the state and/or federal levels. The basics of what's needed:
- prioritize comprehensive disaster risk reduction;
- ensure the availability of equitable, stable, and affordable insurance; and...
- prioritize comprehensive disaster risk reduction;
- ensure the availability of equitable, stable, and affordable insurance; and...
-recognize how much our fates are shared and thus invest in community-level risk reduction, and
-direct the essential tools of insurance to provide collective protection, rather than the status quo of socialized losses and privatized profits.
-direct the essential tools of insurance to provide collective protection, rather than the status quo of socialized losses and privatized profits.
November 12, 2025 at 2:09 PM
-recognize how much our fates are shared and thus invest in community-level risk reduction, and
-direct the essential tools of insurance to provide collective protection, rather than the status quo of socialized losses and privatized profits.
-direct the essential tools of insurance to provide collective protection, rather than the status quo of socialized losses and privatized profits.
It’s also a real bummer that the coverage of the home insurance crisis doesn’t talk about the failures of policymaking that got us here; failures to:
-end the fossil fuel era so climate change doesn’t worsen
-adjust land use policy such that housing isn’t sited in the riskiest places,
…
-end the fossil fuel era so climate change doesn’t worsen
-adjust land use policy such that housing isn’t sited in the riskiest places,
…
November 12, 2025 at 2:09 PM
It’s also a real bummer that the coverage of the home insurance crisis doesn’t talk about the failures of policymaking that got us here; failures to:
-end the fossil fuel era so climate change doesn’t worsen
-adjust land use policy such that housing isn’t sited in the riskiest places,
…
-end the fossil fuel era so climate change doesn’t worsen
-adjust land use policy such that housing isn’t sited in the riskiest places,
…
The last resort design isn’t good insurance design, however, particularly when it comes to big disasters. Colleagues I I wrote about that here: climateandcommunity.org/research/ins...
Insurers of Last Resort: Why Today’s FAIR Plans Need a Redesign to Address the Home Insurance Crisis
This report examines the history, structure, governance, and financial exposure of every state insurer of last resort program in the United States and offers recommendations for FAIR Plan reform.
climateandcommunity.org
November 12, 2025 at 1:28 PM
The last resort design isn’t good insurance design, however, particularly when it comes to big disasters. Colleagues I I wrote about that here: climateandcommunity.org/research/ins...