THE HILL 08/07/18 By Michael Shank and US Congressman Raul Grijalva When it comes to tackling climate change, one of the greatest challenges we face is understanding the myriad factors that influence our warming planet. Addressing some while ignoring others will only allow the mercury to continue to rise. And […]
Congressional Coauthors
The Water Crisis
VTDIGGER 07/14/18 By Michael Shank and US Congressman Matt Cartwright Editor’s note: This commentary is by Michael Shank and U.S. Rep. Matt Cartwright. Shank, of Brandon, is the communications director for the Carbon Neutral Cities Alliance and the Urban Sustainability Directors Network. Cartwright represents Pennsylvania’s 17th congressional district and serves […]
We Must Take Action on the Nation’s Coming Water Supply Crisis
THE HILL 07/17/18 By Michael Shank and US Congressman Matt Cartwright Most Americans take water for granted. It’s a resource that people assume will always be accessible, available, and consumable. For most people in this country, whether they’re at a public drinking fountain, a restaurant or at home, water is […]
Goal-Setting Necessary to Save Our Environment
VTDIGGER 06/25/18 By Michael Shank and US Congresswoman Yvette Clarke This country desperately needs a positive vision, some goals for where we’re going. Instead, it’s all negative all the time, a daily slashing-and-burning of hard-fought protections. Take the environment, for example. The offensive has been non-stop. Thanks to months of […]
Toward Sustainable Diets and Food Security
VTDIGGER 05/08/18 By Michael Shank and US Congressman Matt Cartwright Editor’s note: This commentary is by Michael Shank and Matt Cartwright. Shank, of Brandon, teaches at NYU’s Center for Global Affairs and is the communications director for the Carbon Neutral Cities Alliance and the Urban Sustainability Directors Network. Cartwright represents […]
The Government Knows A Plant-Based Diet Is Best–It Should Make It Official
FAST COMPANY 03/23/18 By Michael Shank and US Congressman Matt Cartwright The USDA is formulating its next set of dietary guidelines. An advisory panel has already recommended an increase in plant-based diets, and the USDA should listen to them. The latest developments in the food industry show how fast the […]
Building Political Will for a More Sustainable America
THE HILL 08/21/17 By Michael Shank and US Congresswoman Yvette Clarke This country desperately needs a positive vision, some goals for where we’re going. Instead, it’s all negative all the time; a daily slashing and burning of hard-fought protections. Take the environment, for example. In this month, the Trump administration […]
By Pulling Out Of The Paris Agreement, Trump Just Threw Away America’s Biggest Business Opportunity
FAST COMPANY 06/01/17 By Michael Shank and US Congressman Steve Cohen This is the opposite of winning. Forget, for a moment, the environmental implications that come with undercutting an unprecedented climate commitment by the international community, such as beach erosion, the loss of coastal cities, famine-causing droughts, and more severe […]
Bailing On the Paris Climate Deal Would Be a Huge Security Risk
TIME MAGAZINE 06/01/17 By Michael Shank and U.S. Congressman Raul Grijalva U.S. Representative Grijalva (D-AZ) is a ranking member on the House Natural Resources Committee. Shank is an adjunct assistant professor at New York University’s Center for Global Affairs. The Trump Administration is poised to isolate itself from reality once […]
Dumping Military Kit on Cops Makes Main Street a War Zone
NEWSWEEK 03/17/17 By Michael Shank and U.S. Congressman Hank Johnson As thousands of Native Americans protested across the country this weekend, led in part by the Standing Rock Sioux, taking the protest to the White House and to Trump Tower, it’s important to remember that Standing Rock was recently a […]