Author: Michael Shank

United States Faces Uncertain Water Future as Drought Expands

ABC NEWS 03/30/15 By Nikolai Beilharz Drought in California in the United States is now in its fourth year, and some environmental groups say there is not enough political momentum and interest to address the problem. The water shortage has organisations like Climate Nexus, a not-for-profit group focusing on climate […]

NYC Housing: A Clear and Present Danger

HUFFINGTON POST 03/28/15 By Michael Shank In the wake of New York City’s devastating gas explosion and fire in the East Village, which destroyed residential buildings and injured dozens of New Yorkers, there couldn’t be a more critical time to take a serious look at New York’s housing situation. In […]

Cyclone Pam is Just the Start

NEWSWEEK 03/19/15 By Michael Shank and US Congresswoman Yvette Clarke In the wake of island nation Vanuatu’s devastation by Cyclone Pam, in which 320 mile-per-hour winds killed dozens of people and destroyed 90 percent of the buildings in the capital city of Port Vila, public health experts fear that the […]

UN and Climate Change: A New Kind of Challenge

THE UNITED NATIONS AND THE NEW WORLD DISORDER 3/1/15 By Michael Shank and Julia Trezona Peek Download PDF INTRODUCTION Climate change is the most complex challenge the United Nations has faced since its founding 70 years ago in 1945. It is the ultimate transnational, trans-boundary threat, more pervasive and destructive […]

How to Fix Our Police Departments

CNN 03/12/15 By Michael Shank and US Congressman Hank Johnson Editor’s Note: “Hank Johnson represents Georgia’s 4th Congressional District and serves on the House Judiciary and Armed Services committees. Michael Shank, a former congressional staffer, is adjunct faculty at George Mason University’s School for Conflict Analysis and Resolution. The views […]

How to Fix Turkey’s Fall From International Favor

HUFFINGTON POST 03/12/15 By Michael Shank Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s recent attack on the West for “hate speech” and misattributing terrorism during the Paris attacks is ironic. Erdogan is erroneously doing both already: labeling the Gulen movement a terrorist organization and using hate speech to characterize it. In fact, […]

Water Shortages are Coming. It’s Time for Us to Act

THE GUARDIAN 03/12/15 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 […]

Death to America in Yemen? No.

HUFFINGTON POST  03/03/15 By Michael Shank With Yemen politics in perpetual disarray – as President Abd-Rabbu Mansour Hadi escapes house arrest, rescinds his resignation, seeks refuge in the south, and a transitional council commences in the capital – the country’s economy and currency remain on the brink of collapse, water […]

Congressional Briefing Looks at Water on Tap

UUSC 02/27/15 On Thursday, February 26, UUSC joined with a group of concerned lawmakers to sponsor a congressional briefing about water affordability and accessibility in the United States, where average water prices have risen some 33% since 2010. Panelists offered a pointed, concerned, and still hopeful look at the trouble […]

Partnerships Vital for New Development Scheme

UNITED NATIONS 02/27/15 Expanding the United Nations’ partnerships — with Governments, business, the philanthropic community, civil society and academia — would be central to effectively implement the new development agenda, Martin Sajdik, President of the Economic and Social Council, told the 54-member body today, as delegates evaluated how to harness […]