Author: Michael Shank

Point-Counter Point: Pipeline Plan Near Indian Point

JOURNAL NEWS 04/22/16 By Nancy Cutler Spectra Energy’s Algonquin pipeline expansion, which passes through Buchanan and near the nuclear power plant there, has raised concerns and won support The Algonquin natural gas pipeline expansion project that passes through four states — and right by Indian Point nuclear power plant in […]

We’re Fiddling as the Climate Burns

USA TODAY 04/19/16 By Michael Shank and US Congressman Michael Honda The elites are aflutter about the climate crisis. Here’s how to get more people alarmed and engaged. The latest frightening climate study, predicting a devastating rise in sea levels in the lifetimes of babies born today, isn’t generating the […]

Unholy Media Malpractice

US NEWS & WORLD REPORT 04/18/16 By Michael Shank The press totally missed the point of Bernie Sanders’ trip to the Vatican. “Sen. Bernie Sanders gets invited to the Vatican.” “Sen. Bernie Sanders meets with the pope.” Meetings and invitations, with whom and by whom, is how much of the […]

Ending the Exploitation of People and the Planet

HUFFINGTON POST 04/13/16 By Michael Shank and Bishop Marcelo Sanchez Sorondo In April, twenty five years ago, Pope John Paul II wrote “Centesimus Annus,” an encyclical very similar to Pope Francis’s much-heralded “Laudato Si’”. Both encyclicals addressed the rampant exploitation of people and the planet. Both called for justice. Both […]

What Do We Mean When We Say “Clean Energy”?

FAST COMPANY 04/08/16 By Michael Shank and Leilani Munter We need to stop using natural gas and nuclear on our way to truly clean power. We now know how extensively and dangerously oil industry giants, such as ExxonMobil, sowed doubt in the American mind regarding the existence of global warming, […]

No Longer a Need for Nuclear Plant

TIMES UNION 04/10/16 By Michael Shank and Paul Gallay Gov. Andrew Cuomo’s concerns about Indian Point are centered solely on providing public safety and sustainable energy. This is not about politics; it’s about admitting that the risk of an accident at the nuclear power plant is simply too grave. Damage […]

Food, Fashion, and Family Planning: The Final Carbon Frontier?

HUFFINGTON POST 04/05/16 By Michael Shank Cutting greenhouse gas emissions from our personal carbon footprint will put all of us in some new, and potentially uncomfortable, situations as we move to more sustainable lifestyles. While it’s culturally acceptable to go green in the lightbulb and light transit categories, other conversations […]

Why Trump’s Foreign Policy Won’t Make America Great Again

MSNBC 04/02/16 By Michael Shank When it comes to foreign policy planning, Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump is right to introduce an era of unpredictability, which, according to Trump, will be his overarching modus operandi if elected. Just consider America’s security threats: Increased violence by non-state actors and heightened insecurity […]