Writing Assignment 3
Geology 112 Sedlock

Due May 16 (final class meeting)

Assignment
Write a 1.5-page, double-spaced paper (see Green Sheet for format) on the topic describe below.
Submit the paper to turnitin.com. Bring two (2) copies of the paper.

Everyone will write on the same topic.
In class, you will have 15 minutes to share, review, and revise your findings in a small group.

Topic: Residential earthquake insurance in California
Research the recent and current status of residential earthquake insurance in the state of California. The following questions should serve as starting points for your investigation, but shouldn’t limit you. This topic affects all of us, and you should be conversant with the issues when you leave this course.

What’s the California “linkage law” (NOT a formal name; mid-1980s), and why did it contribute to the earthquake insurance crisis in the mid-1990s?
What kind of coverage is available? Premiums? Deductibles? Special conditions? Who qualifies?
What is the California Earthquake Authority (CEA)?
How do Chuck Quackenbush and John Garamendi fit into this picture?
What happens if a major earthquake (or earthquakes) causes $100 billion in losses to properties insured by the CEA?

Sources:
An excellent (though lengthy, and now several years old) article by Professor Thomas Russell (Santa Clara University) on the Geol 112 Web site (click on Other Readings, then on Insurance)
Other links via Web search engines
Newspaper, magazine, and journal articles
Interviews with employees of insurance companies

Look for sources NO OLDER than 1994; much new stuff has happened since 1999.

Suggestion: Avoid a lengthy introductory paragraph. Perhaps use an introductory sentence or two, but then get on with the paper.