FAST COMPANY 07/14/23 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, […]
Fast Company
How San Francisco Translated Its 300-Page Climate Plan Into Tangible Actions for Residents
FAST COMPANY 06/12/23 By Michael Shank Most climate action plans are long, dry documents that few people understand. San Francisco decided to change that. Most cities that consider themselves environmental leaders have developed climate action plans that articulate how they’re reducing emissions, adapting to climate impacts, and promoting circularity and […]
3 Tangible Ways to Engage Your Community and Tackle Big Problems
FAST COMPANY 12/20/22 By Michael Shank From Amsterdam to Cleveland, cities are experimenting with tactics that bring community members into the conversation and empower them to make positive change. As more people migrate to urban areas at risk of climate disaster, cities are increasingly thinking and working outside the traditional […]
The Cash Incentives in the Climate Bill Are Only Good if People Actually Use Them
FAST COMPANY 08/24/22 BY Michael Shank Now that Congress has passed generous tax rebates for decarbonizing and buying EVs, the next step is getting people to decide to make the switch and take advantage of the money. The environmental community scored a much-needed win recently in the Inflation Reduction Act, […]
It’s Time to Reshape the Food Pyramid to Save the Climate
FAST COMPANY 03/09/21 By Michael Shank Now that Tom Vilsack is back at the helm at the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) for his second stint as secretary, receiving Senate confirmation last month, he’s been promoting conservation and a new bank to convince farmers to support climate action by paying […]
Businesses Know They’re Under Threat from Climate Change, so Why Won’t They Invest in Solutions?
FAST COMPANY 11/27/19 By Michael Shank The latest financial assessment of climate change’s costly impacts, this time by the Economist Intelligence Unit, shows a nearly $8 trillion hit to the global economy in the next 30 years. The EIU’s Climate Change Resilience Index examined 82 of the world’s largest economies […]
The Trump EPA’s Watered-Down Emissions Standards Will Make Us Less Healthy and Less Wealthy
FAST COMPANY 10/11/18 By Michael Shank and US Congressman Lloyd Doggett When it comes to choosing the right energy to power America’s communities and economies, it’s safe to say that most Americans, if given the option, would choose an energy source much like they might choose a neighborhood in which […]
More Recycling Can’t Fix The Fundamental Flaws With Fast Fashion
FAST COMPANY 04/24/18 By Michael Shank and Maxine Bedat Everyone in fashion is talking about “circularity,” but just focusing on reuse isn’t enough to lower the industry’s massive carbon footprint. Imagine if every piece of clothing you own could be recycled into fully new garments when they were worn out, […]
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 […]
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 […]