According to a new joint report released by Allianz and the World Wildlife Federation, climate changes all over the world is leading to numerous “tipping points” that could lead to dangerous weather if drastic action is not taken.

“Changes related to global warming are likely to be much more abrupt and unpredictable, and they could create huge social and environmental problems and cost the world hundreds of billions of dollars,” Allianz and the WWF said in a statement released last week, according to Bloomberg.

Kim Carstensen, the head of the WWF Global Climate Initiative, added that if no immediate action was taken to help combat climate change that there was “grave danger of disruptive and devastating changes.”

Following a 0.7 degrees Celsius rise in worldwide temperatures that has already been documented, the report predicted that global warming of up to 3 degrees was expected in the second half of the century unless “strong extremely radical and determined efforts towards deep cuts in emissions” were enacted before 2015.

The report found that, if current trends continue and no action is taken to slow them, sea levels on the East Coast would rise as California becomes more arid as well.

If these predictions become a reality, residents on both coasts may have to deal with increased costs to repair their homes after flood and fire risks. If these costs become a reality for consumers who are already struggling to make their payments may consider a short-term loan to pay for the extra costs.

With the economy continuing to sputter, homeowners who have made the decision to move to a new house or apartment may be dependant on money received through the sale of their old property in order to purchase their new residence.

However, if the homeowners have already moved from their old property, they may be forced to incur sudden construction costs as they attempt to sell it on the market, as many insurance companies may not keep it insured after its residents move.

According to Insurance Information Institute vice president Loretta Worters, because of the increased possibility that something could happen to an unoccupied property, many insurers did not grant coverage to them.

“Such occurrences such as theft, vandalism, fire, or water damage are far more likely to happen in vacant houses than in occupied ones and the resulting damage is likely to be worse because no one is around to report it or stop it,” she added.

A report released by the Department of Commerce’s Census Bureau last month, national vacancy rates in the third quarter 2009 were 11.1 percent for rental housing and 2.6 percent for homeowner housing.

If you own an empty house that an insurer will not cover that sustains serious damage that could complicate its process of being sold to a new owner, taking out a payday loan to cover the one-time emergency housing repair costs may be a viable financial solution.

More and more people facing financial crises are being forced to give up their pets to already over-crowded animal shelters in an attempt to save money and reduce debt.

As the economy has worsened, workers at the Elkhart County Humane Society have been inundated by up to 30 pets a day being dropped off at their building’s “drop box” and then left at their front door once the box is filled up, MSNBC reported.

For the facility, which only houses a maximum of 266 animals, the only recourse other than trying to get the pet owners to rethink their decision is to euphanize the extra animals.

Anne Reel, the executive director of the facility, added that the reasoning behind the increase in abandoned animals was largely economic as more people run out of money to properly care for a pet while consolidating their debt.

“Since the economy has been like this, even rescuers have been down,” Reel told MSNBC. “[Now] we’re in the unsavory position of having to euphanize because we just can’t turn animals around fast enough.”

Pet owners who find themselves on the verge of running out of funding to properly care for their cat or dog may be able to stave off the use of such a drastic measure through a payday loan that may be able to cover a pet’s medical expense or food cost.

Housing utility bills are among one of the most important – and also most predictable – expenses that residents face on a monthly basis, allowing even those who are on a tight budget to plan accordingly.

However, if one finds themselves stuck with an unusually high utility bill that is in the process of being contested and must be paid to keep essential services on, but do not have the available savings to cover the extra costs, a short term loanmay be able to cover the difference until the next payday.

California resident April Ashford is one homeowner who found herself with an unusually high utility bill that needed to be paid for. According to the Fresno Fox television affiliate WKMP-TV, Ashford was surprised when her Pacific Gas and Electric Bill for June 2009 came in totaling $838.

“I’ve never had a bill that high, never,” Ashford told WKMP of the bill, which she said had totaled $276 one year prior in June 2008.

The problem, she alleged, came from PG&E’s Smart Meters, which were installed in her home just prior to the unexpectedly high bill.

Following numerous other complaints and a test by PG&E that confirmed the devices were working properly, KMPH reported that the state Public Utilities Commission had stepped in to further investigate the meter readings.

While the investigation is still underway, Ashford still hasn’t been repaid for her larger-than-usual bill.
“I paid $838, it’s just not right,” Ashford said.

Houses built in 2006 and 2007 may contain drywall produced in China that has been linked to increased corrosion of metallic components that gives off toxic fumes as a result.

Homeowners who find themselves dealing with emergency health or eventual construction costs due to harmful materials resulting from the drywall may need a payday loan to cover appropriate costs.

According to a study of 51 homes containing Chinese drywall from the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission released Monday, hydrogen sulfide and formaldehyde was detected inside the homes. While the concentration of the chemicals found was reported to be “below irritant levels,” the study maintained that additive or synergistic effects could still cause irritant effects.

With the problem not confirmed, the CPSC said it would be moving forward with protocols to identify homes with the dangerous drywall before remediation plans were created.

“We now have the science that enables the Task Force to move ahead to the next phase – to develop both a screening process and effective remediation methods. Ongoing studies will examine health and safety effects, but we are now ready to get to work fixing this problem,” said CPSC Chairman Inez Tenenbaum.

The CPSC has received more than 2000 reports from 32 states, the District of Columbia and Puerto Rico from homeowners concerned their homes may contain Chinese drywall.

While a majority of home repairs consist of repairs that homeowners can plan and save money for over a long period of time, other emergency repairs that result from unexpected “acts of God” can prove to be difficult to fix for families who are tight on cash.

On these unlikely, yet expensive, occasions, short-term loans may provide temporary financial help for families who need it.

One example of a surprise expense that caught a homeowner off guard recently occurred in Brush, Colorado. According to the Huffington Post, a basketball-sized piece of ice that may have dislodged from a passing airplane crashed through the roof of a home and ruined the kitchen while dislodging some asbestos as well.
“I hear a huge, what sounded like an explosion. And I look over and my kitchen is basically in shambles,” Danelle Hagan, the owner of the house, told Denver affiliate KMGH-TV. “It was very terrifying.”

The Federal Aviation Administration was brought in to inspect the scene and the ice, a piece of which was stored by the family in the freezer. While FAA spokesman Mike Fergus later said the ice did not appear to be “blue ice” which can originate from a airplane bathroom, it could have been “rime ice,” which builds up on the outside of an aircraft and can sometimes become dislodged.

Fergus added that the chances of being harmed from ice falling off a plane was “on the magnitude of a lightning strike.”

As the remnants of Tropical Storm Ida bears down on an eastern seaboard unaccustomed to seeing heavy rain and surf so late in the season, many coastal residents are preparing for severe flooding conditions that could threaten their homes.

According to various reports, coastal areas from Maryland to Buffalo are bracing for possible flooding conditions as the storm’s remains – which is now classified as a nor”easter – churns up waters as it sits off the coast.

In New Jersey, forecasters are warning that tidal flooding could be at its worst since March 1994 in some counties.

The situation affecting the east coast is an example of how families often find themselves faced with sudden costs to repair their homes following an unexpected flood. For those who may not have the finances available to immediately fix structural damages to their home caused by flooding, taking out a payday loan may be a reasonable way to fund such sudden costs.

According to the Insurance Information Institute, homeowners cannot expect for flood damages to be covered under most conventional homeowners or renters insurance plans. Instead, coverage is available through the National Flood Insurance Program or certain private insurers as an additional option.

As the winter season approaches, so do the chances of blizzards and ice storms that can wreak havoc on houses without much warning.

In the event that one’s house does incur serious unexpected damage in which the costs ultimately fall to the homeowner, a payday loan may be a quick financial fix for repairs that are desperately needed to keep the structure safe.

According to the Insurance Information Institute, homeowners with home insurance generally have a straightforward policy in which anything that is insured would be covered by unexpected damage caused by a storm.

“If a tree hits a home or other insured structure, such as a detached garage, standard homeowners insurance policies provide coverage for the damage the tree does to the structure and the contents within it,” said Jeanne M. Salvatore, senior vice president for the Institute.

Things become more complicated when it comes to the removal of objects such as a tree that has fallen during a storm. The Institute reported that while the removal of trees that have hit insured structures are almost always covered by insurance, ones that fall but do not hit anything are usually the owner’s responsibility.

Similarly, cars damaged by bushes or trees during a storm are sometimes covered by a provider depending on the type of coverage taken out, as is the removal of a tree that is blocking a driveway.

Families struggling financially will now have a chance to buy food economically and in bulk, as Costco has announced it will accept food stamps at all of its locations nationwide.

According to the Seattle Times, half of the stores will likely have the means to accept food stamps by Thanksgiving. The stores will only offer their food products as eligible to be purchased by food stamps, other items such as diapers or pre-made hot food would not be.

Costco had toyed with the idea of accepting food stamps earlier this year, albeit in a much smaller scope. In June two New York City-area stores in Astoria, Queens and Sunset Park, Brooklyn began accepting food stamps on trial basis. Months later, Costco CEO Jim Sinegal said that the economic situation had dictated that the program become more widespread.

“The rules are different today,” he said, according to the Times. “People who were in good shape financially all of the sudden are needing some assistance.”

With many struggling to purchase essential items for their household such as food – food-stamp users recently hit 36 million in the U.S., according to the Associated Press – taking out a payday loan may be another solution for immediate money needs for one’s family.

Homeowners who are in a tight financial situation may run into trouble when making essential home improvements or repairs while preparing for the winter.

A payday loan may enable homeowners to complete home repairs, such as replacing broken windows and tending to pipes so they don’t freeze, and may be able to help save some money to lower their energy bills as well.

An easy way for one to save on heating bills, which can sometime account for up to half of a family’s monthly expenses, is to search a house for leaks in walls and windows in order to keep heated air from escaping.

Replacing so-called “traditional” lightbulbs with compact fluorescent bulbs may also be an initially higher cost (they cost $10 each) but use only one quarter of the energy and last for an average of 10,000 hours, netting an average savings of $30-per-bulb, according to CNN.

“The reality of the new economy is that homeowners want to save money while maintaining the value and comfort of their homes,” said Mike Lawrence, vice president of Insulation Systems for Johns Manville. “There are economical and smart steps homeowners can take that will positively impact their monthly energy bills today and their home’s value tomorrow.”