THE HILL 09/27/24 By Michael Shank There’s not a lot that Robert F Kennedy, Jr., is getting right at the moment. Not only is the former presidential candidate asking the Supreme Court to keep his name on the ballot, the federal government is investigating him for allegedly driving a dead […]
The Hill
Instead of Running From Climate, Politicians Should Highlight Its Importance
THE HILL 07/08/24 By Michael Shank and Eve Karoubi In a critical election year for both the United States and Europe, climate policies are conspicuously absent from campaigns on both sides of the Atlantic. This omission is particularly stark considering the undeniable and mounting evidence of climate change’s impacts, and […]
Using Renewable Energy to Help Rebuild in Ukraine
THE HILL 10/04/23 By Michael Shank and US Congressman Lloyd Doggett The accelerating climate emergency demands that we seek progress wherever and whenever possible. Understanding this, the leaders of 50 Ukrainian cities and territories sent a letter to Energy Secretary Jennifer Granholm (copied to Secretary of State Antony Blinken, US […]
Climate Activism Can’t Leave Out the Built Environment — It Generates Half of Emissions
THE HILL 08/05/22 By Michael Shank With Indonesian islanders suing cement producers for climate damages recently, buildings are getting much-needed attention for their carbon-heavy footprint. The built environment generates nearly 50 percent of annual global emissions. Yet, buildings hardly receive the climate activism commensurate with their impact – despite concrete […]
Climate Change Requires a Global Security Rethink
THE HILL 12/31/21 By Michael Shank and US Congresswoman Yvette D. Clarke This past month, rich countries made it very clear that least developed and under-resourced nations — the ones most vulnerable to extreme climate impacts but the least responsible for the global warming that generated them — are on […]
The Developed World Should Help Countries on the Frontlines of the Climate Crisis
THE HILL 10/21/21 By Michael Shank and US Congresswoman Yvette Clarke In preparation for the international climate talks next month in Glasgow, Scotland, delegates have again pledged $100 billion annually in climate finance to help less developed countries respond to increasing climate disasters. But this is an old, unfulfilled pledge […]
Holding the Federal Government Accountable for the Harmful Impacts of Climate Change
THE HILL 09/29/21 By Michael Shank and US Congressman Raul Grijalva No matter your politics, you’re seeing the harmful impacts of climate change and continued reliance on fossil fuels all around you. Just this summer, we’ve seen the surface of the ocean on fire in the Gulf of Mexico, record-setting […]
Political Disenfranchisement is Fueling Environmental Injustice
THE HILL 04/09/21 By Michael Shank Everyone in America deserves the right to clean air, clean water and clean environments in which to live. Achieving these basic human rights for all of us would be a major milestone in building an environmentally just and equitable society — and unfortunately, we’re […]
Protecting Federal Lands Should be a No-Brainer
THE HILL 03/19/21 By Michael Shank Undoing former President Donald Trump’s legacy of environmental damage and degradation — and his administration’s many regulatory rollbacks — has been high on President Joe Biden’s 100 days to-do list. The impressive lineup of environmental leaders appointed across energy, transportation, environment and interior departments […]
The US is Ripe for Climate-Friendly Diets
THE HILL 02/23/21 By Michael Shank Since receiving President Biden’s nomination for secretary of the Department of Agriculture, Tom Vilsack is indicating that he’s newly committed to a United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) that prioritizes sustainability, regenerative and climate resilient agriculture. It’s a welcomed shift from previous stints as […]