Breaking Wind
Donald Trump has always been pro climate change. But in his first term, his hot-headed support for heat was limited mostly to American policy. He withdrew from the Paris agreement. He obsessed about the dangers of wind-power. He pushed for more drilling and fossil fuel use. This time around, the administration’s pro climate change strategy had gone global. We want the whole world to have the hots for heat, thus we’re actually working to prevent other countries from addressing climate change and pursuing effective alternatives. This lede from the NYT (Gift Article) almost reads like the opening to a piece on a satirical site like The Onion or McSweeney’s. I guess that can be said about a lot of real news ledes these days. President Trump is not only working to stop a transition away from fossil fuels in the United States, he is pressuring other countries to relax their pledges to fight climate change and instead burn more oil, gas and coal. Trump, With Tariffs and Threats, Tries to Strong-Arm Nations to Retreat on Climate Goals. “His animus is particularly focused on the wind industry, which is a well-established and growing source of electricity in several European countries as well as in China and Brazil. During a cabinet meeting on Tuesday, Mr. Trump said he was trying to educate other nations. ‘I’m trying to have people learn about wind real fast, and I think I’ve done a good job, but not good enough because some countries are still trying,’ Mr. Trump said. He said countries were ‘destroying themselves’ with wind energy and said, ‘I hope they get back to fossil fuels.'” (Someone should put a windmill in front of the Oval Office desk. The hot air could probably power half the country.)
+ Luckily, at least for now, not everyone is willing to leave future generations twisting in the wind. And it’s not just about the environment. It’s about the bottom line in a massive and growing industry; one that is starting to leave America behind. Bloomberg (Gift Article): The Green Revolution Is Alive and Well — Just Not in the US. “Trump’s shortsighted assault on these emerging technologies at a time of booming electricity demand not only threatens to raise electric bills for Americans, it’s also handing geopolitical rival China the keys to the energy future … But the real story here might be the European Union, where investment jumped 63% from the second half of 2024 to nearly $76 billion, double the paltry $37 billion in the US. In fact, the EU and the US swapped places as the world’s second-biggest destination for green capital after China.”
+ Meanwhile, Glen Kenny is taking one for the team. Scientist Shuts Himself in 104F Chamber in Quest to Study Heat Stress. “Kenny is among a global group of scientists simulating heat waves in sealed environmental chambers to improve our understanding of how high temperatures can damage the human body and how to keep people safe.” (If he really wants to test how much the human body and mind can endure, he should try being a news curator.)
