The Most Important Question

Latest Episodes:

#71: Why Raising the Status of Girls Can Change Everything Jun 18, 2019

Show notes

In Episode 71, Quinn & Brian discuss: Why raising the status of girls can help change everything.

Our guest is Dr. Katharine Wilkinson, a Vice President at Drawdown, an author, a public speaker, and an expert in just about everything. She’s made a very specific list of all the ways we can and should be fighting climate change and the climate crisis. She even put the list in order for us – and you won’t believe what number six is!

So, this episode is pretty much an audio version of a Buzzfeed listicle, except it could literally change everything and save the planet. But you should still share it to Facebook like you would any other Buzzfeed list. That’d be swell.

Want to send us feedback? Tweet us, email us, or leave us a voice message!

Trump’s Book Club:

Drawdown: The Most Comprehensive Plan Ever Proposed to Reverse Global Warming by Dr. Katharine Wilkinson: https://www.amazon.com/registry/wishlist/3R5XF4WMZE0TV/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_ep_ws_2Gr8Ab6RS5WF3

Links:

Have feedback or questions? Send a message to funtalk@importantnotimportant.com

Learn more at https://www.drawdown.org

Read “Drawdown: The Most Comprehensive Plan Ever Proposed to Reverse Global Warming” http://www.drawdown.org/the-book

Instagram: https://instagram.com/DrKWilkinson

Twitter: https://twitter.com/DrKWilkinson

Watch “How empowering women and girls can help stop global warming”: https://www.ted.com/talks/katharine_wilkinson_how_empowering_women_and_girls_can_help_stop_global_warming

Mothers of Invention: https://www.mothersofinvention.online

Malala Fund: https://www.malala.org

Girls Opportunity Alliance: https://www.obama.org/girlsopportunityalliance

Marie Stopes International: https://mariestopes.org

Pathfinder International: https://www.pathfinder.org

Planned Parenthood: https://www.plannedparenthood.org

Solar Sister: https://solarsister.org

We Do: http://wedo.org

Root Capital: https://rootcapital.org

Room to Read: https://www.roomtoread.org

Camfed: https://camfed.org

Study Hall Educational Foundation: https://www.studyhallfoundation.org

Komera: https://komera.org/

Akilah Institute: https://www.akilahinstitute.org

#70: Who’s Fixing the People Fixing Our Planet? Jun 11, 2019

Show notes

In Episode 70, Quinn & Brian discuss: When things are broken, when the people who are working on those things are also broken, and why we need to help them. Our guest is Nikki Silvestri, the founder and CEO of Soil and Shadow, a project development firm designing economic and environmental strategies with human left in.

As the Co-Founder of Live Real and former Executive Director of People's Grocery and Green for All, Nikki has built and strengthened social equity for underrepresented populations in food systems, social services, public health, climate solutions, and economic development. She is a nationally recognized thought leader and general good doer, including being named as one of The Root's 100 Most Influential African Americans and receiving ELLE Magazine's "Gold" Award and OxFam America's "Act Local, Think Global" Award.

We don’t hesitate or feel like we’re overselling things when we say that what Nikki has to say is something that most people need to hear, and this could be a truly transformative message if it falls on the right ears. Brian said it, Quinn took credit for it, and now we hope you take it to heart.

Want to send us feedback? Tweet us, email us, or leave us a voice message!

Trump’s Book Club: I Hate You - Don't Leave Me by Hal Straus and Jerold Jay Kreisman: https://www.amazon.com/registry/wishlist/3R5XF4WMZE0TV/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_ep_ws_2Gr8Ab6RS5WF3

Links: Have feedback or questions?

Send a message to funtalk@importantnotimportant.com

https://www.soilandshadow.com

https://www.nikkisilvestri.com

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/nikki_silvestri

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Intro/outro by Tim Blane: timblane.com

#69: Rebuilding Los Angeles & L.A.’s Green New Deal Jun 04, 2019

Show notes

In Episode 69, Quinn & Brian discuss: Rebuilding Los Angeles and L.A.’s Green New Deal.

Our guest is Jeanalee Obergfell, who works just down the street from Important, Not Important HQ as a City Planning Associate for Los Angeles. When it comes to making L.A. greener and more equitable, you know Jeanalee is either helping someone’s cause or leading the charge.

Really, if the Game of Thrones were the game of creating more equitable housing and transportation options in a less hot and more breathable city (as opposed to literally burning all of the infrastructure and citizens, like some people), Jeanalee would be sitting on the Iron Throne. But, will real life end better than the show? For our sake, we sure hope so.

Want to send us feedback? Tweet us, email us, or leave us a voice message!

Trump’s Book Club:

Laudato Si’—On Care For Our Common Home by Pope Francis: https://www.amazon.com/registry/wishlist/3R5XF4WMZE0TV/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_ep_ws_2Gr8Ab6RS5WF3

Links:

Have feedback or questions? Send a message to funtalk@importantnotimportant.com

L.A.’s Green New Deal: http://plan.lamayor.org/

Food Forward: https://foodforward.org/

SEE-LA: https://seela.org/

S T A N D - L.A.: https://www.stand.la/

Los Angeles Food Policy Council: https://www.goodfoodla.org

League of Conservation Voters: http://lalcv.org/

Sierra Club: https://angeles.sierraclub.org/

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jeanalee-obergfell/

Connect with us:

Subscribe to our newsletter at ImportantNotImportant.com!

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Intro/outro by Tim Blane: timblane.com

Important, Not Important is produced by Crate Media

#68: Let’s Send Our Homework into Space May 28, 2019

Show notes

In Episode 68, Quinn & Brian discuss: Sending our homework to space.

Our guest is Michelle Lucas, an actual rocket scientist and the founder of Higher Orbits. Michelle spent 10 years at NASA, where part of her role involved teaching astronauts how to... you know, do space stuff. And now, at Higher Orbits, she’s teaching young people who aren’t astronauts yet, but might be, some day, because of her!

Now, this isn’t an episode about how to get away with not doing your homework. On the contrary, this is an episode that might actually make a kid want to do their homework – because, this time, an actual astronaut in space might help them finish it.

Want to send us feedback? Tweet us, email us, or leave us a voice message!

Trump’s Book Club:

The Right Stuff by Tom Wolfe: https://www.amazon.com/registry/wishlist/3R5XF4WMZE0TV/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_ep_ws_2Gr8Ab6RS5WF3

Links:

Have feedback or questions? Send a message to funtalk@importantnotimportant.com

Learn more at https://higherorbits.org

Donate: https://higherorbits.org/donate/

Twitter: https://twitter.com/spacechelle

Failure Must Be An Option | Michelle Lucas | TEDxFargo: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2K_uEYVNHAc

Connect with us:

Subscribe to our newsletter at ImportantNotImportant.com!

Check out our Morning Show and other daily bite-size content on Instagram: instagram.com/ImportantNotImportant

Leave us a voice message: anchor.fm/important-not-important/message

Follow Quinn: twitter.com/quinnemmett

Follow Brian: twitter.com/briancolbertken

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Pin us on Pinterest: pinterest.com/ImportantNotImportant

Tumble us or whatever the hell you do on Tumblr: importantnotimportant.tumblr.com

Intro/outro by Tim Blane: timblane.com

Important, Not Important is produced by Crate Media

#67: Is Climate Change "Flippable"? May 21, 2019

Show notes

In Episode 67, Quinn & Brian ask: Is Climate Change "Flippable"?

Our guest is Catherine Vaughan, CEO and Co-Founder of Flippable, an organization dedicated to flipping state governments from red to blue. You may not be surprised that Catherine is, indeed, one of the people trying to make a positive change by getting states back on the light side of the Force.

So, when it comes to things like climate change, cancer, clean energy, (the Presidency,) artificial intelligence... are those things Flippable? The answer better be yes, or this is going to be a very depressing episode. So, pay attention today, because the answer just might help us get on the right track to an even better place – not to where we were or are, obviously, because that place was and is not great.

Want to send us feedback? Tweet us, email us, or leave us a voice message!

Trump’s Book Club:

Crime and Punishment by Fyodor Dostoyevsky: https://www.amazon.com/registry/wishlist/3R5XF4WMZE0TV/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_ep_ws_2Gr8Ab6RS5WF3

Links:

Learn more at https://flippable.org/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/flippableorg/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/flippableorg/

Twitter: https://twitter.com/cv0

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/catherine-vaughan-759a649/

One Person, No Vote: How Voter Suppression Is Destroying Our Democracy by Carol Anderson: https://www.amazon.com/One-Person-Vote-Suppression-Destroying/dp/1635571375

Connect with us:

Subscribe to our newsletter at ImportantNotImportant.com!

Check out our Morning Show and other daily bite-size content on Instagram: instagram.com/ImportantNotImportant

Follow Quinn: twitter.com/quinnemmett

Follow Brian: twitter.com/briancolbertken

Like and share us on Facebook: facebook.com/ImportantNotImportant

Pin us on Pinterest: pinterest.com/ImportantNotImportant

Tumble us or whatever the hell you do on Tumblr: importantnotimportant.tumblr.com

Intro/outro by Tim Blane: timblane.com

Important, Not Important is produced by Crate Media

#66: So We Can’t Just Blow Up Asteroids, Then? May 14, 2019

Show notes

In Episode 66, Quinn & Brian want to know why the hell we can't -- and further -- shouldn’t just blow up asteroids.

Our guest is the incredible Professor K.T. Ramesh, professor of mechanical engineering at John Hopkins, founding director of the Hopkins Extreme Materials Institute (HEMI), and our new hero.

You can think of HEMI as a real-life Avengers (no, we’re not just stuck on Endgame), except every member is like Bruce Banner without all the Hulk-iness or Tony Stark if he was never kidnapped by terrorists. Every day, they’re working to protect people, structures, and the planet, exploring a number of topics that are both critically important and impenetrably complicated.

One of their newest studies reveals that Hollywood and Atari may, in fact, have been incorrect when they repeatedly suggested that one viable way to defend the planet from an incoming asteroid would be blowing it up. We don’t know about you, but we certainly feel lied to – so it’s refreshing to have this conversation with Professor Ramesh to set the record straight.

Have feedback or questions? Tweet us, or send a message to questions@importantnotimportant.com

New here? Get started with our fan favorite episodes at podcast.importantnotimportant.com.

Important, Not Important Book Club: These Truths by Jill Lepore

Links:

Learn more about Professor Ramesh & HEMI
“If We Blow Up an Asteroid, It Might Put Itself Back Together”
Twitter
Facebook
Listen to Radiolab’s Dinopocalypse ep
Double Asteroid Redirection Test (DART) Mission

Connect with us:

Subscribe to our newsletter at newsletter.importantnotimportant.com
Follow us on Twitter: twitter.com/ImportantNotImp
Follow Quinn: twitter.com/quinnemmett
Follow Brian: twitter.com/beansaight
Like and share us on Facebook: facebook.com/ImportantNotImportant
Intro/outro by Tim Blane: timblane.com
Artwork by Amrit Pal

#65: Chernobyl: A Preventable and Rare Accident from the Past or a Vivid Picture of Our Hellish Nuclear Future? May 06, 2019

Show notes

In Episode 65, Quinn asks: Is Chernobyl a preventable and rare accident from the past or a vivid picture of our hellish nuclear future?

Our guest is Craig Mazin, a screenwriter, podcaster, and the creator of a new HBO mini-series called Chernobyl – which is debuting TODAY, May 6th. So, if you currently have an account just to watch Game of Thrones, you’re in luck!

We’ve had some accidents, but we’ve learned from them... right? We answer that question, talk about the how and why of nuclear power (and disaster), and take a gander into the future of energy.

Want to send us feedback? Tweet us, email us, or leave us a voice message!

Trump’s Book Club:

Final Exit by Derek Humphry

Links:

Watch Chernobyl (2019): https://www.hbo.com/chernobyl

Chernobyl companion podcast: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-chernobyl-podcast/id1459712981

Scriptnotes podcast: http://scriptnotes.net/

Ted Cruz’s Ex-Roommate (i.e. Craig) Shares ‘Misery’ Of Living With Him, After Porn Clip ‘Like’: https://www.huffpost.com/entry/ted-cruz-roommate-porn-craig-mazin_n_59b7cff4e4b031cc65cc995d

Connect with us:

Subscribe to our newsletter at ImportantNotImportant.com!

Check out our Morning Show and other daily bite-size content on Instagram: instagram.com/ImportantNotImportant

Follow Quinn: twitter.com/quinnemmett

Follow Brian: twitter.com/briancolbertken

Like and share us on Facebook: facebook.com/ImportantNotImportant

Pin us on Pinterest: pinterest.com/ImportantNotImportant

Tumble us or whatever the hell you do on Tumblr: importantnotimportant.tumblr.com

Intro/outro by Tim Blane: timblane.com

Important, Not Important is produced by Crate Media

#64: Sunrise Movement Tour - Live (ish) in LA! Apr 30, 2019

Show notes

In a very special Episode 64, Quinn & Brian discuss (live! Kind of): everything that’s good at the Sunrise Movement Tour (and everything that’s not-so-good in the local communities)! Our guests are politician and native Hawaiian Kaniela Ing, environmental activist Michelle Cerecerez, native activist Miguel Quimichipilli Bravo, and LA City Councilmember Nury Martinez. We make some new friends and have a lot of fun while we chat about the Green New Deal, supporting indigenous people, the scars of hyper gentrification, being surprised when you meet people with basic consideration for other human beings, environmental racism, and all of the important work that Sunrise Movement is doing here in California. Links: Join the Sunrise Movement Tour: https://www.sunrisemovement.org/tour Kaniela Ing: https://www.kanielaing.com/ Michelle Cerecerez: https://www.calfac.org/person/michelle-cerecerez Miguel Quimichipilli Bravo: https://twitter.com/ogBravo1 Nury Martinez: http://www.nury-martinez.com/ Connect with us: Subscribe to our newsletter at ImportantNotImportant.com! Check out our Morning Show and other daily bite-size content on Instagram: instagram.com/ImportantNotImportant Follow Quinn: twitter.com/quinnemmett Follow Brian: twitter.com/briancolbertken Follow us on Twitter: twitter.com/ImportantNotImp Like and share us on Facebook: facebook.com/ImportantNotImportant Pin us on Pinterest: pinterest.com/ImportantNotImportant Tumble us or whatever the hell you do on Tumblr: importantnotimportant.tumblr.com Intro/outro by Tim Blane: timblane.com Important, Not Important is produced by Crate Media

#63: Green Acres: Farming for Millennials and Other People Who Like Food Apr 23, 2019

Show notes

In Episode 63, Quinn & Brian discuss: Building a new pipeline of sustainable food growers.

Our guest is Dena Leibman, the Executive Director of the Future Harvest Chesapeake Alliance for Sustainable Agriculture (or Future Harvest for short), a non-profit that works to build a sustainable Chesapeake Foodshed from farm and fishery to table. But Dena is one to practice what she preaches – or a workaholic – so the Leibman family also started ZigBone Farm Retreat, a 100-acre sheep and goat farm in Maryland's Catoctin Mountains that they are slowly converting into a naturally built retreat center and event space.

And you know what’s really cool? Food without a bunch of shit in it, literally and figuratively; food that keeps us healthy instead of making us sick; food that makes us stronger, faster, and generally more like The Six Million Dollar Man. Today, we learn where our current food pipeline fails us – and what we can do to start supporting more sustainable farming and distribution practices today.

Trump’s Book Club:

He’s maybe not reachable by book, but we try: https://www.amazon.com/registry/wishlist/3R5XF4WMZE0TV/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_ep_ws_2Gr8Ab6RS5WF3

Links:

Future Harvest: https://www.futureharvestcasa.org/

Beginner Farmer Training Program: https://www.futureharvestcasa.org/new-farmers/how-apply

Foodshed Field School: https://www.futureharvestcasa.org/foodshed-field-school

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/FHCASA/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/fhcasa/

Twitter: https://twitter.com/

Find a local CSA: https://www.localharvest.org/csa/

Connect with us:

Subscribe to our newsletter at ImportantNotImportant.com!

Check out our Morning Show and other daily bite-size content on Instagram: instagram.com/ImportantNotImportant

Follow Quinn: twitter.com/quinnemmett

Follow Brian: twitter.com/briancolbertken

Like and share us on Facebook: facebook.com/ImportantNotImportant

Pin us on Pinterest: pinterest.com/ImportantNotImportant

Tumble us or whatever the hell you do on Tumblr: importantnotimportant.tumblr.com

Intro/outro by Tim Blane: timblane.com

Important, Not Important is produced by Crate Media

#62: Where Does Ebola Go From Here? Apr 16, 2019

Show notes

In Episode 62, Quinn & Brian ask: Where does Ebola go from here?

Our guest is Karin Huster, a Field Coordinator at Doctors Without Borders, where she is currently bouncing between the Democratic Republic of Congo and Mozambique. She spent a decade in the trauma ICU before flinging herself head first into humanitarian efforts across the globe. She’s sorta the Forest Gump of humanitarian field nurses; if there’s a health-related outbreak, or a storm-related outbreak that turns into a health-related outbreak, she’s there – and she’s inspiring as hell!

The latest Ebola outbreak started in the Democratic Republic of Congo in August 2018, which is the worst on record for the DRC and the second largest Ebola outbreak in recorded history. Ebola is a beast of a disease, the kind of thing Hollywood uses as a go-to when they need a horrible disease outbreak. However, we do actually have some experimental drugs for treatment and a promising vaccine, thanks to recent medical advancements, but they don’t seem to be doing a lot to slow the spread of this disease. But why? We get into it in this episode, and Karin explains in further detail in a beautifully written New York Times opinion piece, “Why Couldn’t My Ebola Treatment Center Save This Baby?”

Trump’s Book Club:

Long Walk to Freedom by Nelson Mandela: https://www.amazon.com/registry/wishlist/3R5XF4WMZE0TV/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_ep_ws_2Gr8Ab6RS5WF3

Links:

Support: http://doctorswithoutborders.org

“Why Couldn’t My Ebola Treatment Center Save This Baby?”: https://www.nytimes.com/2019/01/30/opinion/ebola-treatment-democratic-republic-of-congo.html

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/karin-huster-a225352/

Twitter: https://twitter.com/reunionislagirl

Read all of Karin’s articles: https://muckrack.com/karin-huster/articles

Connect with us:

Subscribe to our newsletter at ImportantNotImportant.com!

Check out our Morning Show and other daily bite-size content on Instagram: instagram.com/ImportantNotImportant

Follow Quinn: twitter.com/quinnemmett

Follow Brian: twitter.com/briancolbertken

Like and share us on Facebook: facebook.com/ImportantNotImportant

Pin us on Pinterest: pinterest.com/ImportantNotImportant

Tumble us or whatever the hell you do on Tumblr: importantnotimportant.tumblr.com

Intro/outro by Tim Blane: timblane.com