#5SmartReads - September 8, 2022
Hitha on the electrical grid, the National Archives, and Witchcore
Coco Gauff, Frances Tiafoe, Carlos Alcaraz: Has the next generation of tennis stars finally arrived? (ESPN)
I think so. And to watch Frances Tiafoe win his quarterfinal match yesterday was AMAZING
And to watch this next generation of tennis stars, in this Slam and over the next few years.
While it’s natural to compare the next generation to the greats that are still playing or have recently retired, I’m doing my best to resist the comparison game and enjoy the rise of Coco and Frances - not as the next anyone else, but them as the firsts.
A massive thank you to my parents for being the most amazing parents every single day, and for inviting us to join them yesterday for the quarterfinal matches. I love you across space-time and in all the multiverses.
Heat wave in West breaks records, threatens California grid (Axios)
I’m very much here for a shift to renewable energy (and for bridging technologies like carbon sequestration and capture, nuclear power with strict safety protocols, and plug-in hybrid electric vehicles). And the need for these bridging technologies has never been higher, with climate change’s increasingly worse weather events putting our electric grid under even more strain.
Case in point - the current heat wave spreading across the Western region, which has also fanned the flames of wildfires in California, Washington, and Montana.
These heat waves and wildfire season are only getting worse, not better, and with rising costs at the individual and at the national level. So what’s being done about it?
Why the U.S. is struggling to modernize the electric grid (CNBC)
It’s not for a lack of effort at the federal level, both with the passage of the necessary and overdue bipartisan infrastructure bill or the administration’s executive orders.
It’s because it’s really hard. And, of course, politics. Especially the battle between federal and state jurisdictions, which the electrical grid (with the exception of Texas, which has its own grid) falls under.
And the increased stress that climate change has placed on the grid only makes things worse, not better.
Here are the numbers that help put things into context:
“There were a total of 549 policy and deployment actions on grid modernization during the second quarter of 2022, but of the $12.86 billion in investment under consideration, regulators only approved $478.7 million, according to the NC Clean Energy Technology Center.”
Want to do something about it? You can start with understand who makes the decisions on energy and electricity in your city and state (elected or appointed), and holding those who are elected accountable with calling their office and your state reps’ offices to voice your support on grid modernization projects.
What Is Witchcore? The Aesthetic Gaining Popularity on Social Media, Explained. (The Mary Sue)
Thank you, The Mary Sue, for introducing me to the vibe I’ve always felt inside but didn’t have a name for. WITCHCORE.
And just in time for spooky season (and for me to implore you to read Her Majesty’s Royal Coven, which I’m still obsessing over).
I really appreciate how respectfully Medlen unpacks the trend of Witchcore with being respectful and appreciative of traditions that have been exploited, and how to modify them for a more respectful and appreciative moment.
“A popular aspect of Witchcore is the act of sage burning or smudging. Many do not realize this is cultural appropriation. The use of white sage to smudge a person or an area is a tradition specifically from Native American cultures. Not only is it now trendy to do something indigenous people were once punished for practicing, but such mainstream use of the plant is causing over-harvesting, leaving those who use it for spiritual ceremonies with a dwindling supply. Instead of sage burning/smudging, do a smoke cleanse using homegrown sage, incense, or other herbs.”
How Archives went from ‘National Treasure’ to political prey (Associated Press)
When I worked on the Hill, visiting the National Archives to do some research was one of the high points of my day.
Granted, this was back in the time when many of the documents had yet to be digitized and computers were massive bricks that took over your entire desk.
I digress. The Archives is truly a national treasure (pun very much intended), and the archivists and historians who work there are literally preserving our country’s history.
So why are the National Archives under attack?
Well, it has something to do with the 45th President failing to send classified documents to the archive to preserve the record of the administration. Rather than share my thoughts on this unprecedented move, I’ll let the first director of Nixon’s presidential library share his thoughts:
“I don’t think Donald Trump has politicized the National Archives,” said Tim Naftali, the first director of the Richard Nixon Presidential Library and Museum. “I think what Donald Trump did was cross red lines that civil servants had to respond to.”