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 […]
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 […]
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 […]
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 […]
NEWSWEEK 11/28/23 By Michael Shank Few recent events have so dramatically undermined a sense of global unity and inflamed world opinion as the Gaza war, which saw a much-needed break in the fighting this week with the temporary, and now extended, truce.These fissures are lasting and could destabilize a solidarity […]
THE HILL 10/04/23 By Michael Shank and US Congressman Lloyd Doggett The accelerating climate emergency demands that we seek progress wherever and whenever possible. Understanding this, the leaders of 50 Ukrainian cities and territories sent a letter to Energy Secretary Jennifer Granholm (copied to Secretary of State Antony Blinken, US […]
RICHMOND TIMES-DISPATCH 09/17/23 By Michael Shank and Kate Lee There’s a new movement cropping up in city governments across America. It’s apolitical enough that it can avoid the polarization that comes with other climate initiatives. And it’s easy to incorporate because it spans many aspects of city governance and life, […]
SHARED FUTURE 08/07/2023 By Jack Farrar This is the first in a series of articles about peacebuilding and the arts, exploring how creative practices help us revisit our past and reimagine our futures. Introduction “Art is a great matter. Art is an organ of human life, transmitting man’s reasonable perception […]
EURACTIV 08/30/23 By Michael Shank In 2016, Oslo became the world’s first city to adopt a climate budget. In an update due in September, the Norwegian capital is expected to expand the concept to include indirect greenhouse gas emissions, which would be another major first, writes Michael Shank. Michael Shank […]
UNITED NATIONS 07/28/23 Today’s youth population (nearly 1.9 billion) bear the brunt of complex global crises such as the recent COVID-19 pandemic and the impact of climate change. But far from being passive victims, young women and men continue to emerge as catalysts of change, spearheading innovative solutions and leading […]