By Brouse and Mukherjee
Solutions to the Fossil Fuel Economy and the Myths Accelerating Climate and Economic Collapse offers a direct path forward. Below, you'll find in-depth analyses and research papers documenting how climate instability and systemic economic failure are converging.
Foreword by Daniel Brouse, April 2025
Decades of scientific observation and economic modeling lead to a stark conclusion: the United States is caught in a high-stakes convergence of climate chaos and systemic financial collapse. This paper outlines the pathways that brought us here—and explores what future remains possible if we act immediately.
Abstract
The accelerating pace of climate change now threatens to surpass the limits of both natural and human systems. Without urgent action, it could precipitate the collapse of global capitalism as early as 2050. Trump-era trade and environmental deregulation have only hastened this timeline. The urgent question: will economic collapse arrive before climate-induced systems failure—or are both now locked into a mutual downward spiral?
David:
"Fascinating—this raises so many urgent questions."Me:
"It’s like watching two chaotic systems collide—less like cause and effect, more like gravitational collapse."David:
"At least black holes are natural. These are human-made."Me:
"Yes—and now, they’re being steered by leaders driven by ignorance and hubris."
I. From Hypothesis to Catastrophe
In the 1990s, we hypothesized that climate change would not proceed linearly. Instead, feedback loops—from permafrost thaw and polar ice loss to ocean acidification and soil carbon release—would create a rapidly accelerating crisis. That hypothesis is now scientific consensus.
Our updated models show that the "doubling time" for climate impacts has collapsed from 100 years to just 2. That means the damage ten years from now could be 64 times worse than it is today, even with no additional acceleration.
Our latest models now integrate physical, economic, and social feedback loops. They suggest a potential 9°C (16.2°F) rise in global temperatures by 2100—a scenario in which much of Earth would be uninhabitable.
II. Infrastructure Meltdown: Cooling the Heat We Create
One of the most dangerous feedback loops is our growing dependence on fossil-fueled cooling systems to survive climate extremes. As global temperatures rise, air conditioning use surges—putting unsustainable stress on power grids, most of which still run on fossil fuels. The hotter it gets, the more we cool, and the more carbon we emit—fueling the very crisis we're trying to adapt to.
This loop is particularly devastating during heatwaves. Grid failures have already occurred during major U.S. heat events, leaving millions without power. In those moments, air conditioning becomes a mirage—dangerously unavailable to the most vulnerable.
Globally, the spread of air conditioning is one of the fastest-growing contributors to greenhouse gas emissions. Unless it is paired with a rapid transition to renewables, manmade cooling will become one of the deadliest drivers of manmade heating. Climate resilience cannot be fossil-powered.
III. Trumpenomics and the Economic Spiral
The Trump administration’s tariffs, credit dislocations, and deregulations have done lasting damage. These measures triggered trade wars and reduced global confidence in U.S. markets, undercutting the flow of capital that supports everything from consumer credit to Treasury bonds.
Without capital inflow, U.S. borrowing costs spike. As yields rise and liquidity dries up, even small market shocks can spiral into systemic collapse. The risk of the U.S. dollar losing its reserve currency status is no longer theoretical—it is now plausible within a decade.
IV. Which Collapse Comes First?
The central race is no longer just between political parties or ideologies. It is between two existential threats: climate collapse and economic implosion. Each makes the other more likely. We are facing dual crises with interlocking triggers, and the clock is running out on both fronts.
The collapse of the U.S. dollar, public trust, and international credibility—once unthinkable—now loom large. Ironically, this economic breakdown may slow emissions in the short term by reducing consumption and industrial activity. But the social cost of such a contraction would be devastating unless preemptively managed through radical, cooperative policy shifts.
Conclusion: A Shrinking Window of Choice
Whether climate breakdown or economic collapse strikes first, both now seem inevitable without bold intervention. The American standard of living will fall. Whether what follows can still be just, livable, and sustainable depends on decisions made now—not in theory, but in policy, practice, and priorities.
URGENT CLIMATE WARNING
Our most recent climate model -- now incorporating economic and social feedback loops -- projects up to 9°C global warming by 2100. This far exceeds prior estimates and indicates we are entering a phase of compound, cascading collapse.
At this level of heating, many regions will become uninhabitable due to heat stress, sea-level rise, food system failure, and forced migration. Wet-bulb temperatures in the U.S. are already nearing 31°C (87.8°F) -- a physiological limit beyond which human life cannot be sustained outdoors for long, even with water and shade.
This is not hypothetical. The climate system is tipping now.
Immediate mitigation and adaptation are essential to preserve habitable zones and public health—and to avoid collapse on both ecological and economic fronts.
Read: Solutions to the Fossil Fuel Economy and the Myths Accelerating Climate and Economic Collapse