Fast Company

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 […]

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 […]

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 […]

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, […]

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 […]

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 […]

FAST COMPANY 04/05/17 By Michael Shank and Maxine Bédat  You may not realize it, but you have a lot of political power–not at the voting booth, but in the checkout line. In this new age of consumer activism, buyers are sending strong signals to American companies–with impressive results. No longer […]

FAST COMPANY 11/11/16 By Michael Shank and Maxine Bedat Disposable clothes, often made from oil, in factories powered by coal, and shipped around the world, mean that the apparel industry contributes 10% of global emissions. This month as world leaders meet in Morocco to discuss implementation of the Paris climate […]

FAST COMPANY 09/15/16 By Michael Shank and US Congressman Mike Honda With the federal National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s announcement this month that, in no uncertain terms, climate change played a pivotal role in Louisiana’s unprecedented rainfall and catastrophic flooding, it’s clear that, as a nation, we must take notice. […]

FAST COMPANY 6/21/16 By Michael Shank A historic deal to replace the Diablo Canyon nuclear plant with renewable energy could be a model for the rest of the country. There are few fuels that are causing more consternation in the environmental community than nuclear power. It’s seen by some as […]