by Daniel Brouse Introduction Climate change is no longer simply a future environmental threat. It is increasingly affecting American households through higher costs, declining air quality, extreme heat, infrastructure disruptions, property damage, and changing patterns of disease. Although catastrophic floods, hurricanes, wildfires, and other disasters dominate the headlines, the most widespread climate impact may be […]
Category Archives: taxes
Climate Change Impacts and You: The Rising Cost of a Changing Climate
The Two Sides of the Climate Crisis: Consumption and Production
by Daniel Brouse Climate change is often discussed as a problem of emissions, but emissions are the result of two interconnected forces: consumption and production. Q: What are the greatest drivers of climate change?A: Consumption and production. At present, I would rank our addiction to consumption and ecofascism as the two most significant drivers of […]
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 […]
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 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 […]
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 […]
The Big Beautiful (Ugly) Bill: Tax Cuts, Inflation, Debt, and the Hidden Cost to Households
Introduction A tax cut that appeared to provide the average household with $1,600–$2,900 in annual savings was more than offset by the broader economic effects of inflation, higher borrowing costs, and increased federal debt. After accounting for these costs, the average household experienced an estimated net loss of approximately $3,000 per year, along with an […]
The Optimal Wealth-Building Strategy for Children: Combining Trump Accounts, 529 Plans, and Roth IRAs
A child’s financial future can be strengthened by using multiple savings vehicles, each designed for a different purpose. Rather than choosing only one account, families can combine them strategically to maximize government benefits, tax advantages, and long-term wealth creation. Step 1: Capture the Free Government Contribution For children born between 2025 and 2028, families should […]
Tariff Refunds Arrive Faster Than Expected, Fueling Sharp Surge in U.S. Trade Deficit
The unexpectedly rapid release of more than $100 billion in tariff refunds is likely amplifying an already sharp increase in U.S. imports, contributing to a much wider trade deficit reported today by the Bureau of Economic Analysis. According to the U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis (BEA), the international trade deficit jumped 42.2% to $77.6 billion […]
Labor Force Participation Declines Mask Modest Job Growth in Latest BLS Report
Labor Exit Distorts Picture of Employment Gains The U.S. labor force participation rate now stands at 61.5%, according to the latest Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) June 2026 report. This metric measures the share of the civilian population aged 16 and older that is either employed or actively seeking work, and it declined from 61.8% […]