By Laura Shierholz Laura Shiersdorf Laura Shieriholz is a journalist and environmental writer living in the Bronx.

She is the author of two books, the bestseller How to Get a Whale, and the New York Times bestseller, The Art of War.

She’s also an award-winning journalist and former national correspondent for The Associated Press, and is the recipient of the 2011 Martha Graham award for investigative journalism.

She lives in the heart of New York City.

The views expressed in this article are the author’s own and do not necessarily reflect Al Jazeera’s editorial stance.