A C. T U. A L. L Y

Why is the US so politically dysfunctional, and what can be done to fix it?   Only half facetiously, I recommend, "If you love your country, move to a state or into a Congressional district controlled by the opposite party.  Make America purple again!" What's wrong?  Let’s start with the Senate.     The Constitution provides that each state shall elect two Senators to Congress, regardless of that state’s population.   This provision is inherently biased in favor of states with small populations; it codifies non-proportional representation. In the past three Senate elections, Democrats garnered more votes nation-wide than Republicans, but they failed to control the majority of Senate seats nonetheless.   Solution:   amend the Constitution to provide for proportional representation in the Senate.   Chance of success:   zero.   Amendment of the Constitution requires approval by 3/4 of all state legislatures.   Th...

As Australia burns and impeachment churns, Mr. Trump and Ms. Thunberg are avoiding each other at Davos.  Whether or not Mr. Trump is the world's "leading climate denier," as Australia's former prime minister called him, the president did tell business leaders gathered at the Swiss resort to stop listening to "prophets of doom," a thinly-veiled reference to Ms. Thunberg.  I'm not going to get into all that, but I just want to say one thing.  The day after the November 2020 election, should President Trump be re-elected, the US will officially withdraw from the Paris climate accord and there will be four more years of environmental regulation rollbacks.   So, when you read this Tick Tock post, please think about that.     And now, without further ado, here are some dispatches from the climate front. Build, Baby, Build!   Underscoring my plea above, this article from The New York Times at Times NEPA details the Trump Administration’s exist...