To rank states by their total contribution to climate change, it’s useful to separate the problem into four categories because they measure different parts of the carbon economy: Combining these provides a much better picture of responsibility than emissions alone. Rank State Overall Climate Contribution Primary Drivers 1 Texas ★★★★★ Oil, gas, refining, petrochemicals, methane, […]
Tag Archives: economy
The Composite Climate Responsibility Index (CCRI): A Lifecycle, Population-Normalized Framework for Measuring State-Level Climate Responsibility
by Daniel Brouse The Composite Climate Responsibility Index (CCRI): A Lifecycle, Population-Normalized Framework for Measuring State-Level Climate Responsibility Abstract Greenhouse gas accounting has traditionally relied on territorial emissions—the greenhouse gases emitted within a political boundary. While this approach provides a standardized framework for national and subnational reporting, it systematically underestimates the climate responsibility of fossil […]
America’s New Tariff Landscape: Who Gets Taxed—and Who Really Pays?
Introduction The latest U.S. tariff framework is now in place, and while tariffs are collected at the border, it’s American families who ultimately pay most of the bill. 📊 Highlights:• Average household: +$2,000–$2,700 per year• Buying a new home and a new car? The added cost from tariffs on steel, aluminum, lumber, vehicles, appliances, and […]
Oil: A Slippery Slope (Literally and Figuratively)
Oil is one of those subjects that’s surprisingly slippery—both physically and economically. Most people know prices go up and down, but few realize that even storing oil comes with limits. Take the U.S. Strategic Petroleum Reserve (SPR). It’s often treated like a giant underground gas tank that can be drained and refilled at will. Not […]
Accounting for Climate Responsibility
by Daniel Brouse Comparing Two Approaches to Measuring Humanity’s Climate Footprint Climate responsibility depends on how emissions are assigned. Traditional territorial accounting attributes emissions to the country where they occur, but globalization has made that approach increasingly incomplete. Modern supply chains, international trade, and service-based economies often separate where emissions are produced from who ultimately […]
The Carbon We Own: Why Consumption Matters More
by Daniel Brouse For decades, climate responsibility has often been measured by where fossil fuels are extracted or where products are manufactured. While useful for tracking national emissions, this production-based approach can misrepresent who ultimately drives demand. A consumption-based accounting approach shifts the focus to the end user. Instead of assigning emissions to the country […]
What Are the Odds? An Estate Plan for the Next Seven Generations
by Daniel Brouse and Sidd Mukherjee When I began this journey more than three decades ago, I wasn’t a climate researcher. I was a financial planner specializing in business, economics, estate planning, and risk management. My academic background included economics, philosophy, and extensive study in physics, calculus, statistics, and systems analysis. My career focused on […]
The Evolution of the American Economy: Capitalism, State Capitalism, and Socialism
Introduction For much of its history, the United States has been portrayed as the world’s leading example of free-market capitalism, while socialism and communism have often been presented as fundamentally incompatible with American economic principles. In reality, no modern economy operates as a pure ideological model. Instead, governments continually adapt their economic policies in response […]
Living Shades: Nature’s Window Insulation
DIY Climate Control: Save Money, Reduce Waste, and Cut Greenhouse Gas Emissions by Daniel Brouse One of the simplest and most affordable ways to improve your home’s energy efficiency is to create living shades. Instead of installing traditional curtains or blinds, mount a sturdy black iron pipe above each window and suspend a collection of […]
Climate Change as a Macroeconomic Threat Multiplier: Rising Healthcare Costs, Cost-of-Living Pressures, and Declining Human Longevity
by Daniel Brouse Introduction: Climate Change as an Economic and Human Security Crisis Climate change is no longer only an environmental challenge; it has become a powerful macroeconomic threat multiplier that amplifies existing social, economic, and public health vulnerabilities. Rising temperatures, increasingly extreme weather events, deteriorating air quality, and destabilized ecosystems are creating cascading financial […]