USA TODAY 09/14/16 By Michael Shank The real threat to national security is our own egregious activities in war zones. The American Civil Liberties Union, Human Rights Watch, Amnesty International and others are launching a campaign this week to get President Obama to pardon Edward Snowden for his 2013 whistle-blowing […]
HUFFINGTON POST 09/12/16 By Michael Shank As a general rule, global goals are good. They focus the international community’s short-term attention, lock in preferred long-term targets and trajectories, and prioritize national governments’ policies and plans. This is a good strategy no matter how idealistic or optimistic any goal may appear […]
MSNBC 05/21/16 By Michael Shank and Maxine Bédat There are few industries fickler than fashion, changing annually and swapping seasonally. The good news is that fashion can, in theory, change more quickly than the energy or agricultural industries, for example. And when it comes to tackling climate change, agility and […]
FORTUNE 04/30/16 By Michael Shank and Carolyn Kissane There’s no more time for stalled sustainability measures. After 170-plus nations signed the Paris climate agreement last week and now with trans-Atlantic trade talks back on President Obama’s agenda, it’s clear that the international community’s trade rules will need to be rethought, […]
HUFFINGTON POST 04/22/16 By Michael Shank This was a big week for the United Nations, which came out strong on climate and the sustainable development goals and witnessed major milestones in recent months. First, on climate, post-Paris, there were over 160 countries signing the deal at UN headquarters on Earth […]
US NEWS & WORLD REPORT 04/18/16 By Michael Shank The press totally missed the point of Bernie Sanders’ trip to the Vatican. “Sen. Bernie Sanders gets invited to the Vatican.” “Sen. Bernie Sanders meets with the pope.” Meetings and invitations, with whom and by whom, is how much of the […]
HUFFINGTON POST 04/13/16 By Michael Shank and Bishop Marcelo Sanchez Sorondo In April, twenty five years ago, Pope John Paul II wrote “Centesimus Annus,” an encyclical very similar to Pope Francis’s much-heralded “Laudato Si’”. Both encyclicals addressed the rampant exploitation of people and the planet. Both called for justice. Both […]
MSNBC 04/02/16 By Michael Shank When it comes to foreign policy planning, Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump is right to introduce an era of unpredictability, which, according to Trump, will be his overarching modus operandi if elected. Just consider America’s security threats: Increased violence by non-state actors and heightened insecurity […]
FAST COMPANY 03/25/16 By Michael Shank and Johanna Partin Zero net emissions buildings are finding lots of support from city governments, who see them as ways to save costs—as well as the planet. There is a movement happening all across America that few people are talking about. And while it […]
HUFFINGTON POST 1/14/16 By Michael Shank The United Nations recently brokered two historic agreements, applicable to every person on this planet: In September, the UN launched the 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) to guide the UN’s work over the next 15 years, and, in December, the UN created a roadmap […]