Candles Are Now Controversial

Plus, Harvard calls Congress “unreasonable”

War on Chanukah? Anti-carbon activists are targeting candle emissions.

The latest support for the rule that it’s always better to read more than just one newspaper comes on an issue that I didn’t realize was particularly controversial, or even an “issue”: candles.

The Wall Street Journal’s news section publishes an interview with Karen Pflug, who is chief sustainability officer of IKEA’s main store operator. The Journal interviewer, Perry Cleveland-Peck, asks, “Last year, the burning of candles in customers’ homes accounted for tens of thousands of tons of CO2 equivalent emissions in your end of life Scope 3 emissions reporting. Why does IKEA still continue to sell candles?”

Maybe I’m missing something, but it seemed like a loaded question. What’s next, the Journal sending reporters out to interview McDonald’s executives about why they still continue to sell french fries?

Meanwhile, the print New York Times carried an advice column provided by the Times-owned Wirecutter. Under the headline, “Daylight Saving Time is Ending. Here’s How to Adjust to the Dark,” Caira Blackwell advises, “Whether you like it or not, winter is coming. If all else fails, get comfy: Grab a weighted blanket (we love the Nest Bedding Luxury Weighted Blanket), light a candle (I religiously buy the simple, inexpensive P.F. Candle Co. Amber & Moss Soy Candle, which permeates a room with a light scent), snuggle up on the couch with friends and family for a movie, or play a low-stakes board game…”

Maybe the Journal should send Perry Cleveland-Peck over to interrogate New York Times publisher A.G. Sulzberger about how Sulzberger can in good conscience advise Times readers to “light a candle” given the CO2 equivalent emissions.