CALEDONIAN RECORD 04/14/23 BENNINGTON BANNER 04/14/23 TIMES ARGUS 04/20/23 RUTLAND HERALD 04/20/23 VTDIGGER 05/16/23 By Michael Shank Cities around the world are increasingly investing in new approaches to engage communities in the co-creation of climate action and policymaking. There are several remarkable shifts happening across city ecosystems at the Carbon […]
Times Argus
Key posts in local government can help to tackle climate change
BRATTLEBORO REFORMER 02/23/23 VTDIGGER 02/28/23 TIMES ARGUS 02/17/23 RUTLAND HERALD 02/17/23 BENNINGTON BANNER 02/23/23 By Michael Shank and Julia Peek When tackling climate change, one may think of the usual suite of approaches in policymaking: regulation and incentives to ramp up renewables, electrify our buildings and transportation, weatherize our homes, […]
Municipal Approach to Climate Action
VTDIGGER 01/16/23 RUTLAND HERALD 01/21/23 TIMES ARGUS 01/21/23 BRATTLEBORO REFORMER 01/23/23 MANCHESTER JOURNAL 01/23/23 By Michael Shank This commentary is by Michael Shank, a resident of Montpelier, who is director of engagement at the Carbon Neutral Cities Alliance and teaches sustainable development at New York University. As more people migrate […]
Behavior Change is Critical to Reap Climate Benefits of Inflation Reduction Act
BENNINGTON BANNER 09/15/22 BRATTLEBORO REFORMER 09/15/22 RUTLAND HERALD 09/17/22 TIMES ARGUS 09/17/22 By Michael Shank The environmental community scored a much-needed win recently in the Inflation Reduction Act, which became law last month. And, taken in context, much of that fanfare is warranted given the U.S. Congress was at a […]
Examining the Environmental Impacts of Buildings in Vermont
BRATTLEBORO REFORMER 08/10/22 TIMES ARGUS 08/13/22 RUTLAND HERALD 08/13/22 By Michael Shank With Indonesian islanders suing cement producers for climate damages recently, buildings are getting much-needed attention for their carbon-heavy footprint. The built environment generates nearly 50 percent of annual global emissions, which is why efforts in Vermont to weatherize […]
Phil Scott, Dems and Bipartisanship
Rutland Herald 07/09/2022 Times Argus 07/09/2022 By Michael Shank Over the Fourth of July weekend, a resident of a town in Vermont posted a picture on social media of Gov. Phil Scott walking in a parade and said Vermont has a great governor, Scott is one of the good Republicans […]
Russian and U.S. War Crimes
RUTLAND HERALD 03/22/22 TIMES ARGUS 03/22/22 By Michael Shank President Joe Biden has become the latest leader to call Russian President Vladimir Putin a war criminal when asked by reporters Wednesday to weigh in on the subject. In so doing, he joins a growing list of international leaders to condemn […]
Ukraine/Russia/U.S. War
RUTLAND HERALD 03/08/22 TIMES ARGUS 03/08/22 By Michael Shank Citizens around the world are setting a new and impressive precedent in engaging in international affairs. Russia’s invasion of Ukraine has raised a level of interest that dwarfs that of other recent conflicts or wars. This is undoubtedly a good thing: […]
Defense Resources and Climate Impact
TIMES ARGUS 12/24/21 RUTLAND HERALD 12/24/21 By Michael Shank and US Congresswoman Yvette D. Clarke This past month, rich countries made it very clear that least-developed and under-resourced nations — the ones most vulnerable to extreme climate impacts but the least responsible for the global warming that generated them — […]
Climate Culpability
RUTLAND HERALD 09/28/21 TIMES ARGUS 09/28/21 By Michael Shank and US Congressman Raul Grijalva No matter your politics, you’re seeing the harmful impacts of climate change and continued reliance on fossil fuels all around you. Just this summer, we’ve seen the surface of the ocean on fire in the Gulf […]