From PRI, Public Radio International and KCRW Santa Monica, this is To the Point.

Will insurance premiums be pegged to climate change?

Hello again, I'm Arminolny, and this is To the Point from Public Radio International,

a daily look at the issues, Americans care about most.

Hurricanes in the Gulf states, forest fires in the west, and rising sea levels are turning insurance companies into believers in global warming. The world's largest industry could be in for

catastrophic losses, so it's looking not just at past weather patterns, but also at what might be next.

On to the point, insurers are

beginning to use their clout to support hybrid cars, green buildings, and other strategies

to reduce greenhouse emissions. They could also have a lot to say about where Americans

locate their homes and businesses. Are they also using climate change as a way to jack up

their rates and dump their riskier customers.

First, here's the news.

Support for To the Point comes from subscribers of KCRW Santa Monica and from the Public Radio International Program Fund,

whose contributors include the Ford Foundation and the John D. and Catherine T. McArthur Foundation.

Hello again, Mormon-Aulney. Back with To the Point. Travelers and Fireman's Fund are among the insurance companies

joining the fight against global warming. The result could be a difference in what you pay

for premiums, what you drive, and where you live. On To the Point, can the world's biggest

industry help reduce greenhouse gases, or is global warming just a good excuse to raise

premiums while reducing risk? First, this news update. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice is on her

way to Asia to push full implementation of the UN sanctions that North Korea calls a declaration

of war. Meantime, there are reports that North Korea may be preparing a second nuclear test.

Paul Richter reports from the State Department for the Los Angeles Times. Paul, good to have you back with us.

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