Author: Michael Shank

Proof Nuclear Energy Is a Huge Security Risk

FORTUNE 03/08/16 By Michael Shank It’s time to rethink what constitutes “clean energy” Nuclear energy is not the answer to America’s necessary clean energy transition. It’s an expensive, dirty, and dangerous fuel, which is why seven electrical engineers at the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) noted, last week, significant safety […]

Indian Point: Past Its Expiration Date

NEW YORK TIMES 03/07/16 By Michael Shank and Paul Gallay Ossining, N.Y. — LAST month, samples showed a spike in the amount of radioactive tritium being discharged from Indian Point Energy Center into the groundwater near our homes along the Hudson River. Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo ordered several state agencies […]

Analysis: Progressive Policies Provide Answer for Sanders’ Foreign Policy Gap

MSNBC 2/10/16 By Michael Shank Bernie Sanders’ foreign policy — or apparent lack thereof — is not an oversight that’s unique to the presidential candidate. It’s representative of a pervasive problem within the progressive movement. Progressive elected officials in America are more often raised on domestic issues: lobbying on healthcare, […]

What the Flint Crisis Reveals About Inequality in the U.S.

TIME MAGAZINE 02/09/15 By Michael Shank and Justin Talbot-Zorn It isn’t just how much money people are making—it’s also what people are breathing, drinking and eating On Sunday, Hillary Clinton took leave from the New Hampshire campaign trail to address to a local church in Flint, Mich. Just a few […]

The NYC Security Risk That Candidates Aren’t Discussing

HUFFINGTON POST 1/29/16 By Michael Shank Americans are slowly, but surely, becoming more familiar with, and fearful of, acts of terror. “Terrorism” dominates the presidential campaign debates with few other policy topics getting such prominence. Yet with all of the front runners’ hometown familiarity with one of America’s most frequent […]

Redefining “Pro-Life”: The Importance of Family Planning

MEDIUM 1/14/16 By Michael Shank This week, I became an “end-of-the-liner”. It’s a term I’m using to refer to my newly vasectomied self. I haven’t yet had kids of my own but I’ve decided to preemptively put an end to my branch of the Shank ancestral line. While perhaps appearing […]

The Missing Ingredient in UN’s 2030 Global Goals

HUFFINGTON POST 1/14/16 By Michael Shank The United Nations recently brokered two historic agreements, applicable to every person on this planet: In September, the UN launched the 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) to guide the UN’s work over the next 15 years, and, in December, the UN created a roadmap […]

The Noxious Origins of NYC Gentrification: Cooking Gas

HUFFINGTON POST 12/18/15 By Michael Shank Keeping landlords honest in New York City – or New York State, for that matter – is not an enviable task, given how common the less-than-honest ones are, but it’s a job that nonetheless falls squarely in the laps of city and state officials. […]

Catch Up With One of Tucson’s Congressmen, Raul Grijalva

ARIZONA DAILY WILDCAT 11/05/15 By Sebastian Laguna Democratic Rep. Raúl Grijalva, Arizona’s representative from its 3rd Congressional District, has been working on several issues in Congress over the past weeks and has been outspoken on current events happening in Arizona. One of the main areas where Grijalva has focused his […]

How Sustainability Should Shape the American Diet

MSNBC 10/27/15 By Michael Shank and US Congressman Matt Cartwright The World Health Organization’s somewhat startling finding this week, that processed meats can be carcinogenic, has suddenly brought national dietary policy into sharp focus.  Although the headline is an unsettling one, it is nonetheless altogether timely because of what is […]