DAILY BEAST 09/21/15 By Michael Shank and US Congressman Lloyd Doggett Pope Francis is not just pontificating. His urgent message is about preserving human life. One might imagine, or hope, that Congress would experience the historic address of Pope Francis to a joint session later this week as something beyond […]
MEDIUM 09/08/15 By Michael Shank With the word out that GOP Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell is trying to scuttle the Paris climate talks in December, one wonders whether or not the Senator is sensitive to the direction his party, and his people, are headed. Kentucky, the state the Senator […]
THE HILL 08/31/15 By Michael Shank Announced in the quiet of Congressional recess, new data published this week by Consumer Reports indicates that ground beef often contains bacteria that causes sickness in humans and resists drug treatment. Congress should take note. Fortunately, the United States Department of Agriculture already rolled […]
HUFFINGTON POST 07/17/15 By Michael Shank When most people think about Kentucky, clean tech and climate change aren’t the first words that come to mind. Most of the chatter about this coal state is that it’s recalcitrant when it comes to acting on climate change. And while some of that […]
HUFFINGTON POST 07/07/15 By Michael Shank With the United States Department of Agriculture announcing meat substitutes in school lunches nationwide, replacing meat with equally protein-rich alternatives, we’re starting to witness a sea change in national dietary guidelines. And it’s about time. Our current approach to diets is unsustainable. Federally appointed […]
THE HILL 06/17/15 By Michael Shank and US Congressman Hank Johnson It is time to talk honestly about science. Americans are busy working, taking care of their kids and loved ones and trying to save for the future. It is understandable that many do not have time to read academic […]
USA TODAY 05/27/15 By Michael Shank The state is actually leading the nation in green energy. From devastating droughts to flash floods, it seems that Texas can’t get a break from extreme weather associated with climate change. Emerging recently from a multiyear record-breaking drought, with reservoirs at near record lows, […]
HUFFINGTON POST 05/21/15 By Michael Shank It’s official. The Department of Homeland Security has placed me on a travel watch list. Every time I travel abroad, I now have “SSSS”, which stands for Secondary Security Screen Selection, on my boarding documents. That means I get an extra rigorous full-body screening, […]
PROVIDENCE JOURNAL 05/01/15 By Michael Shank and US Congressman David Cicilline Global warming is happening, here and now. Its impact is already being felt in coastal states like Rhode Island, and greenhouse gas emissions are undeniably responsible. The evidence is all around us. Alarmingly, 2014 was the hottest year ever […]
ROLL CALL 04/15/15 By Michael Shank and US Congressman Mike Honda Most Americans know, in general, about climate change. Even those who dispute it have read or heard about rising tides, melting ice caps and superstorms. However, the American people remain largely unaware of how climate change will potentially affect […]