Author: Michael Shank
Climate Budgeting and the Art of De-siloing City Governance
APOLITICAL 03/10/24 By Michael Shank Environmental budgeting processes in Oslo are introducing a new form of city governance featuring fewer silos, greater collaboration and more efficiencies and benefits across government. This article is written by Dr. Michael Shank, Director of Engagement at the Carbon Neutral Cities Alliance. The problem: There […]
Want to Accelerate Climate Action? Show People Real-Life Benefits
POLITICO 03/07/24 By Michael Shank Rather than leading with data and promoting health, safety and economic “co-benefits” as bonus add-ons, climate advocates need to flip the script. For years, the priority of many environmentalists has been to get the public to care about climate change via data and science — […]
Violent Crime Is Rising in Washington, D.C. But the City Is Blatantly Ignoring the Root Cause
FAST COMPANY 02/29/24 By Michael Shank Michael Shank argues that the clear ties between inequality and crime should push D.C. to invest in housing and socioeconomic programs—not double down on policing. Studies have long shown that the more inequality that exists in a society, the more violence there is. The […]
Change Strategies or Break New Crime Records
HILLRAG 02/21/24 By Michael Shank The District of Columbia had their deadliest year in two decades – 2023 – but is bound to break new records this year, irrespective of the Secure DC crime bill getting final approval from the City Council this month. The bill does little to make […]
Westchester Can’t Tolerate Its Largest Polluter — The Peekskill Incinerator — Any Longer
USATODAY/LOHUD 02/15/24 By Michael Shank and Courtney Williams At the end of January, one of New York State’s dirtiest trash incinerators owned by WIN Waste marked 40 years of operation and trash burning. No one who lives near it, however, is celebrating. The local community of Peekskill, New York, which […]
How New York City is Getting Plant-Based Meals into Schools, Hospitals, and Jails
FAST COMPANY 01/16/24 By Michael Shank Mayor Eric Adams has been a huge proponent of plant-based diets as a way to both boost health and reduce the city’s carbon emissions. Food is finally front and center when it comes to climate action and policy. Or at least it’s on the […]
Power to the People: Rethinking City Governance
APOLITICAL 01/07/24 By Michael Shank How cities in Europe are retrofitting to reflect new climate realities and community needs The problem: People are disengaged on climate and distrustful of government. Why it matters: We need everyone on board with no-one left behind. The solution: Embedding city staff within the community […]
Stop the Finger-Pointing, Democrats. You’re in the Grip of Big Oil
NEWSWEEK 01/10/24 By Michael Shank With 2023 ranking as the hottest year on record and 2024 estimated to break last year’s record, one would expect the world’s biggest economies—like the United States, which is the world’s largest producer of oil and gas—to take climate change more seriously. Especially given the […]
Biden Must Provide Bold Leadership on Climate Change. The World is Watching
THE HILL 11/30/23 By Michael Shank This year is set to be the hottest year on record, and yet for all of U.S. President Joe Biden’s talk about the urgency of tackling climate change, his administration’s approach to the United Nations climate conference in Dubai this week is problematic. And […]