My octopus student

The world’s use of fossil fuels remains on track to peak before 2030, despite a recent surge in political support for coal, oil, and gas. / CarbonBrief

“You don’t necessarily have to mention climate change to start adapting to it”—as seen across the United States. / Grist

Thanks to climate change, France’s wine industry records its smallest harvest since 1957. / Reuters

It’s possible that China has already hit its target of peak carbon dioxide emissions ahead of schedule. / The Guardian 

See also: How are many countries going green fast? By taking advantage of China’s emergence as the renewable-energy superpower. / The New York Times [$]

A litany of notes on what it means when one of al-Qaeda’s former commanders is invited to the White House. / Forever Wars

A brief profile of Iryna Terekh, the “very artsy” architect who’s now designing Ukraine’s long-range cruise missiles. / The Wall Street Journal [$]

The BBC board meets in response to President Trump’s legal threats. / CNN

Tina Brown: “BBC director general Tim Davie referred to the difficulty of managing in ‘these febrile times.’ He should try living in the United States.” / Fresh Hell

Wellness and beauty influencers are said to be leading teenage girls down an alt-right pipeline. / Teen Vogue

A trend observer says we’re entering the twilight of “brand social,” i.e., the era of corporations acting like people online. / The Trend Report

A National Geographic photographer explains how to take pictures amid a “very real possibility of being incinerated.” / A Time of Gifts

Everything you need to know about the semi-mysterious hay-stacking device known as “the beaverslide.” / Offrange

A Swedish engineer buys an octopus at a seafood market and teaches it how to play piano. / Kottke

Thank you to yesterday’s anonymous new supporter!

In the members area, unlocked links from the New York Times and the Wall Street Journal ↓