Last-ditch idea?
<p><span word="Reader">Reader</span> <span word="question">question</span>:</p><p><span word="Please">Please</span> <span word="explain">explain</span> <span word="this">this</span> <span word="headline">headline</span>: “<span word="A">A</span> <span word="Last">Last</span>-<span word="Ditch">Ditch</span> <span word="Idea">Idea</span> <span word="to">to</span> <span word="Fight">Fight</span> <span word="Climate">Climate</span> <span word="Change">Change</span>”. <span word="What">What</span> <span word="does">does</span> <span word="last">last</span>-<span word="ditch">ditch</span> <span word="mean">mean</span> <span word="here">here</span>?</p><p><span word="My">My</span> <span word="comments">comments</span>:</p><p><span word="It">It</span> <span word="means">means</span>, <span word="among">among</span> <span word="other">other</span> <span word="things">things</span>, <span word="that">that</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="author">author</span> (<span word="say">say</span>, <span word="a">a</span> <span word="scientist">scientist</span>) <span word="of">of</span> <span word="this">this</span> <span word="particular">particular</span> “<span word="Idea">Idea</span>” <span word="is">is</span> <span word="running">running</span> <span word="out">out</span> <span word="of">of</span> <span word="ideas">ideas</span> (<span word="solutions">solutions</span>).</p><p><span word="Last">Last</span>-<span word="ditch">ditch</span> <span word="means">means</span> <span word="simply">simply</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="last">last</span>. <span word="This">This</span> <span word="is">is</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="final">final</span> <span word="proposal">proposal</span>, <span word="after">after</span> <span word="which">which</span> <span word="there">there</span>’<span word="ll">ll</span> <span word="be">be</span> <span word="no">no</span> <span word="more">more</span>. <span word="In">In</span> <span word="other">other</span> <span word="words">words</span>, <span word="the">the</span> <span word="world">world</span> <span word="is">is</span> <span word="doomed">doomed</span> <span word="if">if</span> <span word="this">this</span> <span word="proposal">proposal</span> <span word="is">is</span> <span word="not">not</span> <span word="taken">taken</span> <span word="seriously">seriously</span>.</p><p><span word="In">In</span> <span word="short">short</span>, <span word="it">it</span> <span word="is">is</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="final">final</span> <span word="proposal">proposal</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="scientist">scientist</span> <span word="has">has</span> <span word="for">for</span> <span word="saving">saving</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="planet">planet</span>. <span word="After">After</span> <span word="that">that</span>, <span word="well">well</span>, <span word="heaven">heaven</span> <span word="knows">knows</span> <span word="what">what</span>. <span word="It">It</span> <span word="is">is</span> <span word="beyond">beyond</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="author">author</span> <span word="of">of</span> <span word="this">this</span> “<span word="last">last</span>-<span word="ditch">ditch</span> <span word="idea">idea</span>” – <span word="he">he</span>’<span word="s">s</span> <span word="giving">giving</span> <span word="up">up</span> <span word="after">after</span> <span word="a">a</span> <span word="series">series</span> <span word="of">of</span> <span word="similar">similar</span> <span word="proposals">proposals</span> <span word="and">and</span> <span word="efforts">efforts</span> <span word="have">have</span> <span word="all">all</span> <span word="come">come</span> <span word="to">to</span> <span word="naught">naught</span>.</p><p><span word="Anyways">Anyways</span>, <span word="last">last</span>-<span word="ditch">ditch</span> <span word="is">is</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="question">question</span> <span word="for">for</span> <span word="us">us</span> <span word="to">to</span> <span word="dwell">dwell</span> <span word="on">on</span> <span word="here">here</span> <span word="and">and</span> <span word="here">here</span> <span word="we">we</span>’<span word="re">re</span> <span word="talking">talking</span> <span word="about">about</span> <span word="an">an</span> <span word="idiom">idiom</span> <span word="with">with</span> <span word="a">a</span> <span word="military">military</span> <span word="origin">origin</span>. “<span word="Ditch">Ditch</span>” <span word="refers">refers</span> <span word="to">to</span> <span word="one">one</span> <span word="of">of</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="trenches">trenches</span> – <span word="long">long</span> <span word="narrow">narrow</span> <span word="open">open</span> <span word="holes">holes</span> – <span word="soldiers">soldiers</span> <span word="dig">dig</span> <span word="out">out</span> <span word="of">of</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="ground">ground</span> <span word="to">to</span> <span word="shelter">shelter</span> <span word="them">them</span> <span word="from">from</span> <span word="enemy">enemy</span> <span word="gunfire">gunfire</span>. <span word="This">This</span> <span word="term">term</span> <span word="dates">dates</span> <span word="to">to</span> 1905 (<span word="Dictionary">Dictionary</span>.<span word="com">com</span>), <span word="or">or</span> <span word="prior">prior</span> <span word="to">to</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="First">First</span> <span word="World">World</span> <span word="War">War</span> <span word="when">when</span> <span word="trench">trench</span> <span word="warfare">warfare</span> <span word="was">was</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="order">order</span> <span word="of">of</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="day">day</span>. <span word="And">And</span> <span word="soldiers">soldiers</span> <span word="dig">dig</span> <span word="many">many</span> <span word="of">of</span> <span word="them">them</span>, <span word="each">each</span> <span word="lining">lining</span> 50 <span word="meters">meters</span> <span word="or">or</span> <span word="more">more</span> (<span word="or">or</span> <span word="less">less</span> <span word="according">according</span> <span word="to">to</span> <span word="local">local</span> <span word="geography">geography</span>) <span word="behind">behind</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="other">other</span>. <span word="These">These</span> <span word="ditches">ditches</span> <span word="serve">serve</span> <span word="as">as</span> <span word="defense">defense</span> <span word="lines">lines</span>. <span word="When">When</span> <span word="one">one</span> <span word="ditch">ditch</span> <span word="is">is</span> <span word="lost">lost</span>, <span word="soldiers">soldiers</span> <span word="retreat">retreat</span> <span word="to">to</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="next">next</span> <span word="line">line</span> <span word="of">of</span> <span word="defense">defense</span>.</p><p><span word="Last">Last</span> <span word="ditch">ditch</span>?</p><p><span word="Yes">Yes</span>, <span word="that">that</span> <span word="means">means</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="last">last</span> <span word="line">line</span> <span word="of">of</span> <span word="defense">defense</span>. <span word="If">If</span> <span word="this">this</span> <span word="is">is</span> <span word="lost">lost</span>, <span word="there">there</span>’<span word="ll">ll</span> <span word="be">be</span> <span word="no">no</span> <span word="more">more</span> <span word="ditches">ditches</span> <span word="to">to</span> <span word="retreat">retreat</span> <span word="to">to</span>. <span word="In">In</span> <span word="other">other</span> <span word="words">words</span>, <span word="you">you</span>’<span word="ve">ve</span> <span word="got">got</span> <span word="your">your</span> <span word="back">back</span> <span word="against">against</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="wall">wall</span>. <span word="Either">Either</span> <span word="fight">fight</span> (<span word="to">to</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="last">last</span> <span word="man">man</span>) <span word="or">or</span> <span word="give">give</span> <span word="up">up</span> (<span word="surrender">surrender</span>) <span word="or">or</span>, <span word="if">if</span> <span word="that">that</span>’<span word="s">s</span> <span word="too">too</span> <span word="much">much</span> <span word="for">for</span> <span word="you">you</span>, <span word="flee">flee</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="field">field</span>. <span word="Fight">Fight</span> <span word="or">or</span> <span word="flight">flight</span>, <span word="as">as</span> <span word="it">it</span> <span word="were">were</span>.</p>
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