The Most Important Question

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**The Most Important Question**

The most important question in today’s world of climate chaos, AI psychosis, and crumbling democracy is: what can I do? Your host, Quinn Emmett is completely unqualified to answer it, so he’s calling the people that already are.

If you’ve got the news, the analysis, the outrage, but still no plan — join us as we figure it out together with long-form conversations with amazing people working on the frontlines, and quick updates responding to today’s most important headlines, and what you can do about it, tonight.

220+ episodes. 110+ countries. A bunch of Webby and Signal Award nominations. Zero hot takes.

Latest Episodes:

#28: Why the Hell is Space Exploration Important When the Planet is Literally on Fire? Jul 31, 2018

Show notes

In Episode 28, Quinn & Brian ask: why the hell is space exploration important when the planet is literally on fire?

To answer that, they’ve brought on The Space Gal, Emily Calandrelli. And boy does she set the record straight.

Emily is an MIT-engineer turned Emmy-nominated science host on TV and online, and she’s also a children’s book author.

Join us as we discuss the history of space exploration, what she’d do as NASA administrator/dictator, and her own upbringing in West Virginia.

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Links:

Emily Calandrelli “The Space Gal” on Twitter

NASA Space Grant

Ada Lace

Bill Nye Saves The World

Trump’s Book Club: How to Win Friends and Influence People by Dale Carnegie

Quinn Emmett on Twitter

Brian Colbert Kennedy on Twitter

Intro/outro by Tim Blane

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Ok that’s enough good lord

#27: What Happens When the Atlantic Ocean Invades the Arctic Ocean? Jul 24, 2018

Show notes

In Episode 27, Quinn & Brian ask: what happens when the Atlantic Ocean invades the Arctic Ocean?

Our guest: Julia Roberson, vice president of relations for the Ocean Conservancy in Washington D.C. Julia takes complex issues, like one ocean invading another, and makes them real and relevant to human beings, and finally (and most specific for us) helps us act on them. She’s damn funny and way smarter than us, but once again, a gentle reminder: it’s a low, low bar.

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Links:

Julia Roberson on Twitter

Ocean Conservancy on Twitter

Tuskfish use TOOLS

Bye, lobsters!

The Atlantic Ocean is Invading the Arctic Ocean

Ocean acidification

The great Pacific garbage patch

Straws are no bueno

Trump Book Club: The Bluest Eye, by Toni Morrison

Quinn Emmett on Twitter

Brian Colbert Kennedy on Twitter

Intro/outro by Tim Blane

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Ok that’s enough good lord

#26: He's Given 200 Climate Speeches to Congress. What's Next? Jul 17, 2018

Show notes

In Episode 26, Quinn & Brian ask: what drives a man to give 200 climate speeches to Congress? That's once a week since 2007.

Our guest today: Senator Sheldon Whitehouse, the junior senator from Rhode Island. We discuss his speeches, his future carbon bill, bi-partisanship, calling bullshit when we see it, Rhode Island’s fossil-fuel lawsuit, and so much more.

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Links:

Senator Sheldon Whitehouse on Twitter

Sandra Thornton Whitehouse

Republicans for Carbon Tax

Resilient Rhody

Trump’s Book Club: Silent Spring by Rachel Carson

Quinn Emmett on Twitter

Brian Colbert Kennedy on Twitter

Intro/outro by Tim Blane

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#25: Middle School Physics: Lame, or the First Step to Being an Superhero? Jul 10, 2018

Show notes

In Episode 25, Quinn & Brian ask: “Middle school physics: Lame, or the first step to being a SUPERHERO?”

Our guest today is “The Physics Girl”, Dianna Cowern. She’s hunted for dark matter with MIT and Harvard, worked at GE, and is now one of the world’s most popular science communicators. And holy hell is her enthusiasm contagious.

We talk her incredible YouTube channel, being frustrated and Hulking out, Shuri, Wonder Woman, Magic Hour, and more!

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Links:

The Physics Girl on YouTube

The Scully Effect

Simone Giertz

Tiny Bop

Donors Choose

Girls Who Code

Black Girls Code

Geek Dad

Trump’s Book Club: Harry Potter

Fun Experiments for Kids, from Mommy Poppins (a seriously great parenting resource)

Quinn Emmett on Twitter

Brian Colbert Kennedy on Twitter

Intro/outro by Tim Blane

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#24: When Will San Francisco Be Underwater? Jul 03, 2018

Show notes

In Episode 24, Quinn & Brian ask: when will San Francisco be underwater?

On the mic today is the ever-intrepid Molly Peterson, a renowned reporter focusing on the environment and climate change.

Molly’s worked at Southern California Public Radio, ISeeChange, funded by NASA, she's traveled to and reported from Rwanda and the Democratic Republic of the Congo as a fellow for the International Women’s Media Foundation, and is now at Pactio, a super-cool new organization supporting independent journalists.

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Links:

Molly Peterson on Twitter

Like It or Not: The Water is Coming. Will the Bay Area defend against rising seas or embrace them?

Pactio

I See Change

SF Bay Conservation and Development Commission

Pacific Institute

Resilient By Design

Quinn Emmett on Twitter

Brian Colbert Kennedy on Twitter

Intro/outro by Tim Blane

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Ok that’s enough good lord

#23: Can We Predict the Next Big Earthquake? Jun 26, 2018

Show notes

In Episode 23, Quinn & Brian ask: can we predict the next big earthquake? Pretty please?

Joining us is Josh Bashioum, founder of Early Warning Labs, an earthquake early warning technology developer, whose mission is to improve, expand, and lower the costs of existing earthquake early warning systems.

Listen in as we discuss San Francisco, the northwest, San Andreas, The Rock, other dreamy action stars, and how LA is (shockingly) more prepared than you think.

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Links:

Early Warning Labs on Twitter

Early Warning Labs

Gordon and Betty Moore Foundation

The MMI Scale

The USGS

UN Office for Disaster Risk Reduction

Dr. Lucy “The Earthquake Lady” Jones

ABC story on Early Warning Labs

CBS story on Early Warning Labs

Trump’s Book Club: The Big Ones: How Natural Disasters Have Shaped Us (and What We Can Do About Them), by Lucy Jones

Quinn Emmett on Twitter

Brian Colbert Kennedy on Twitter

Intro/outro by Tim Blane

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Ok that’s enough good lord

#22: How Does Your Phone Call Become Law? Jun 19, 2018

Show notes

In Episode 22, Quinn & Brian ask: how does your phone call become law? To help answer that question, they’ve got Andres Jimenez on the line. Andres is the Senior Director of Government Affairs for the Citizens Climate Lobby, working with both the House and Senate to expand the voice of citizens, as well as push relevant legislation through. He’s also a leading member of GreenLatinos. Andres has worked with the Ocean Conservancy and in Mayor Michael Bloomberg’s office in New York. Want to send us feedback? Tweet us, email us, or leave us a voice message! Links: Andres Jimenez on Twitter Citizens Climate Lobby Green Latinos League of Conservation Voters Schoolhouse Rock: I’m Just A Bill A More Beautiful Question by Warren Berger Trump’s Book Club: The Giving Tree Quinn Emmett on Twitter Brian Colbert Kennedy on Twitter Intro/outro by Tim Blane Subscribe to our newsletter at ImportantNotImportant.com! Like and share us on Facebook! Check us on Instagram! Follow us on Twitter! Pin us on Pinterest! Tumble us or whatever the hell you do on Tumblr! Ok that’s enough good lord

#21: The #1 thing you can do to fight climate change Jun 12, 2018

Show notes

In Episode 21, Quinn & Brian finally get to the heart of it: What’s the #1 thing YOU can do to affect climate change?

On the mic and down the street, Peter Kalmus, an atmospheric scientist at the Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Pasadena, California.

Peter wrote a book called “Being the Change: Live Well and Spark a Climate Revolution” and also he’s got chickens and no longer a motorcycle (BRIAN).

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Links:

Peter Kalmus on Twitter

Becycling.life

Trump’s Book Club: Being the Change: Live Well and Spark a Climate Revolution by Peter Kalmus

Carbon footprint calculator

Citizens Climate Lobby

Vipassana Meditation

Headspace

How to compost

Wirecutter’s Best Composter for Kitchen Scraps

Quinn Emmett on Twitter

Brian Colbert Kennedy on Twitter

Intro/outro by Tim Blane

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Ok that’s enough good lord

#20: How the hell are we gonna feed 10 billion people? Jun 05, 2018

Show notes

In Episode 20, Quinn and Brian wonder: How the hell are we gonna feed 10 billion people?

Enter Fred Iutzi of the Land Institute, where they’re focused on the incredibly modest goal of working to displace the predominant industrial, disruptive system of agriculture by providing staple foods without destroying or compromising the cultural and ecological systems upon which we so very much depend.

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Links:

Fred Iutzi on Twitter

The Land Institute

Long Root Ale by Patagonia

“The Importance of Soil”, NY Times

“Why the paleo diet is half-baked”, Scientific American

Motorcycle death data

Trump’s Book Club: Becoming Native to This Place by Wes Jackson

Quinn Emmett on Twitter

Brian Colbert Kennedy on Twitter

Intro/outro by Tim Blane

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Ok that’s enough good lord

#19: What’s the future of antibiotics? May 29, 2018

Show notes

In Episode 19, Quinn & Brian asks: What’s the future of antibiotics?

To answer: the irrepressible Dr. Gautam Dantas, the professor of pathology and immunology and biomedical engineering at the Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis. He leads the Dantas Lab, where they work at the interface of microbial genomics, ecology, synthetic biology, and systems biology, to understand, harness, and engineer the biochemical processing potential of microbial communities.

We have a lovely, not terrifying chat about designing new antibiotics in the post-antibiotic area. Topics covered include bacteria as the O.G., Thanos, precision medicine, cows, horror shows from the ancient past buried in ice cores, and your vote and where it should go.

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Links:

Dr. Gautam Dantas on Twitter

Dantas Lab

“Why Some Bacteria Eat Antibiotics”, NBC News

“Antibiotic Resistance is Ancient”, Science Daily

Trump’s Book Club: Doomsday Book, by Connie Willis

Quinn Emmett on Twitter

Brian Colbert Kennedy on Twitter

Intro/outro by Tim Blane

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