Our Wednesday Environment Focus We have intentionally created some of the sounds that our technology makes. Take the beep… You know that beep..beep..beep sound of a truck in reverse. It all began during the 1960s in Boise, Idaho when Ed Peterson, an auto parts…
Economic History
US economic history starts with the 13 colonies and the transition from communal to individual land ownership, continues with 19th century economic growth and takes us to the role of services during the 20th century. Involving government, consumers and businesses, at econlife, economic history provides more understanding of today’s economy.
The Income Inequality That Doesn't Bother Us
When people talk about the top 1%, they are probably not thinking about NY Yankees shortstop Derek Jeter or Seattle’s MLS forward, Clint Dempsey. For 2014, Jeter signed a $12 million contract and Dempsey makes close to $5 million. However, they all take us to income inequality. Using…
An Unexpected Cost of Climate Change?
Our Wednesday Environment Focus By Madeleine Vance, guest blogger and student at Kent Place School; edited by Elaine Schwartz Global Warming has become more than just a threat to the environment. In the movie “Carbon Nation,” former army colonel Dan Nolan…
Production Possibility Frontiers: Entering (and Exiting) a Discovery Void
After technological innovation multiplies, might the pace of discovery slow down? Think of the history of antibiotics. Starting with the Sulfa drugs that were first discovered during the 1930s, the new antibiotic timeline is congested until 1962. Yes, recently, new antibiotics classes were introduced.…
Energy Efficiency Surprises
Our Wednesday Environmental Issue: Trying to optimize energy efficiency, we might have unexpected results. First, where we live… Referring to an environmentally friendly community where he once lived, New Yorker writer David Owen described his 750 square foot dwelling. 77% of the households in his community did…
Surprising Hand-To-Mouth Households
Close to one third of all households (38 million) in the US live hand-to-mouth. Like me, perhaps you have always assumed that a hand-to-mouth (HtM) household is low income. Spending all disposable income each week, the hand-to-mouth household is unable…
Why Do We Need More King Peggys?
Our Monday Gender Issue: Having a woman as the king of an African fishing village can make a big difference. During 2008, a secretary who works at Ghana’s Washington DC embassy got a middle of the night call at her…
When Did We Get “Tough Love” From the Federal Reserve?
Demonstrating Russia’s current plight, this graph so perfectly illustrates stagflation: When GDP sinks and inflation increases, the stagflation that results is tough to cure. If monetary authorities target inflation with tight monetary policy, then interest rates go up and further…
The Reason For An Income Tax Default (Form)
In Denmark, the government automatically prepares people’s taxes. Because they already have the data they need, the tax authority calculates everyone’s income taxes and sends them notice of how much they owe or will receive as a refund. With 80%…
Which Countries Want You to Have a Baby?
It is a recipe for demographic disaster when you have too many old people and not enough babies. The problem is the size of the working age population. When countries like the US are affluent enough to provide support to…