From the Editorial Board’s exhortation that Interior Secretary Doug Burgum stand up for wind energy. The board says he could steer the wind conversation, blown off course (ha ha) by Trump, “back toward reason.” This country has so much long, blustery coastline, the board writes, and it would be a shame not to harness that resource when renewable energy is so desperately needed. To wit: Global emissions keep rising, and the world warmed well past the 1.5 degrees Celsius threshold scientists set as a climate change goal. Yet what percent of the world’s energy use today comes from burning fossil fuels, do you think? For context, it was 86 percent in 2000. The answer? About 82 percent — yikes. That’s one of the questions in another piece from the Editorial Board, quizzing readers on their energy transition knowledge. The quiz isn’t all gloom and doom, though; for a little hope, try answering the questions on per capita carbon emissions and the costs of solar energy. Chaser: As Trump tries to rid the country of wind turbines, columnist-and-hobby-farmer Dana Milbank is ready to ditch a much more primitive technology: the plow. More politics Mitch McConnell (R-Kentucky) announced this week that he will not seek reelection to the Senate, where he has held a seat since 1985. As his long, influential career comes to an end, Perry Bacon writes that no one should celebrate McConnell or his legacy. “The story of why American democracy is in trouble starts with Trump,” Perry writes, “but the person second-most at fault is McConnell.” This is because of, not despite, the fact that he “mastered the Senate and thereby mastered American politics.” Perry runs through the lowlights of the Senate leader’s career — and comes away thinking that Democrats could learn something from McConnell’s unbridled partisanship. Smartest, fastest It’s a goodbye. It’s a haiku. It’s … The Bye-Ku. Across untapped coast, Tailwinds whip to end up caught In Trump’s sails alone *** Have your own newsy haiku? Email it to me, along with any questions/comments/ambiguities. Have a great weekend! |