The Most Important Question

In Episode 96, Quinn & Brian ask: How do we orchestrate a just energy transition for frontline low- and middle-income communities — from the inside out?Our guest is: Daphany Rose Sanchez, Executive Director of Kinetic Communities Consulting and fourth generation Brooklynite. Daphany advocates for energy equity and efficiency access in housing for New York City's low-income and immigrant communities. By working with energy and affordable housing industry partners, she helps New Yorkers save money, feel safe, and live in a cleaner environment.Time and time again, Black and Brown communities in the U.S. have been forced to bear the brunt of inequity. Now that politicians are putting some lip service to solving some of the environmental problems that disproportionately affect these communities, Daphany and other advocates are making sure that their voices are heard and included as part of the solution. If the goal is reaching net zero carbon emissions by 2050, but the solution is going to once again let these communities down — then Daphany is on team Let The Planet Go To Shit. The environment is great and all, but “it’s not worth living on a planet where people aren't cared for.” And we 100% agree.Have feedback or questions? Tweet us, or send a message to questions@importantnotimportant.comNew here? Get started with our fan favorite episodes at podcast.importantnotimportant.com.INI Book Club: "Bargaining for Brooklyn: Community Organizations in the Entrepreneurial City" by Marwell NicoleLinks:Twitter: @Daph_NYC_Instagram: @daph_nyc_Kinetic Communities ConsultingUHAB (Urban Homesteading Assistance Board)Climate Works for All CoalitionWOCCS (Women of Color Collective of Sustainability)Connect with us:Subscribe to our newsletter at newsletter.importantnotimportant.comFollow us on Twitter: twitter.com/ImportantNotImpFollow Quinn: twitter.com/quinnemmettFollow Brian: twitter.com/beansaightLike and share us on Facebook: facebook.com/ImportantNotImportantIntro/outro by Tim Blane: timblane.comImportant, Not Important is produced by Crate Media

In Episode 95, Quinn & Brian ask: how can we upgrade our microbiome (also, what’s a microbiome (also, why does it need upgrading))?Our guest is: Raja Dhir, Co-Founder of Seed Health a microbiome company pioneering the application of bacteria for both human and planetary health. He leverages years of expertise translating scientific research for product development to lead Seed’s R&D, academic collaborations, technology development, clinical trial design, supply chain, and intellectual property strategy.So, what is a microbiome? Overly simply put, it’s the 38,000,000,000,000 little guys in and on your body that help you do stuff; the bacteria, fungi, protozoa, and viruses that work symbiotically and allow us to function. Interest in the field grew rapidly around 2015, but Raja thought the rate of innovation and commercial response was lacking, not to mention the science behind many of the products that were being created. So Seed leveraged the “foundry model” to support many startups in the field, driving innovations in everything from immunology to hygiene to cancer treatments while performing trials that were scientifically sound and blind as hell. They’re trying to learn all they can about the superorganism that is a human being and then make it better so that we can both live better lives and stop creating so many things that harm the planet.Have feedback or questions? Tweet us, or send a message to questions@importantnotimportant.comNew here? Get started with our fan favorite episodes at podcast.importantnotimportant.com.INI Book Club: "The Lessons of History" by Ariel Durant and Will Durant"Deep Work" by Cal NewportLinks:Seed.comSeed on IG: @seedRaja on IG: @wildrajaLinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/rajadhirLUCA Biologics: luca.bioConnect with us:Subscribe to our newsletter at newsletter.importantnotimportant.comFollow us on Twitter: twitter.com/ImportantNotImpFollow Quinn: twitter.com/quinnemmettFollow Brian: twitter.com/beansaightLike and share us on Facebook: facebook.com/ImportantNotImportantIntro/outro by Tim Blane: timblane.com

In Episode 94, Quinn & Brian discuss: the most comfortable and sustainable shoes on the planet.Our guest is: Hana Kajimura, who leads the development and execution of the Allbirds sustainability program and strategy and is on a personal mission to make climate science fashionable. Allbrids was founded as a B-corp back in 2016, launching the world’s first wool shoes, which have been on Quinn’s feet pretty much the entire time since then. So are we shilling? A little bit. But we’re shilling *sustainably* — for the environment, if not our wallets — and that’s important.Hana has some fascinating insight into why the best sustainability happens when you build it into a product from the very beginning, how sustainability can be used as a competitive advantage, and how we can use storytelling to reduce fashion’s carbon footprint. And if the clothes you wear aren’t telling a story, then you’re probably just Quinn.Have feedback or questions? Tweet us, or send a message to questions@importantnotimportant.comNew here? Get started with our fan favorite episodes at podcast.importantnotimportant.com.INI Book Club: "Dirt to Soil: One Family’s Journey Into Regenerative Agriculture" by Gabe BrownLinks:AllbirdsProject DrawdownDance ChurchConnect with us:Subscribe to our newsletter at newsletter.importantnotimportant.comFollow us on Twitter: twitter.com/ImportantNotImpFollow Quinn: twitter.com/quinnemmettFollow Brian: twitter.com/beansaightLike and share us on Facebook: facebook.com/ImportantNotImportantIntro/outro by Tim Blane: timblane.comArtwork by Amrit PalImportant, Not Important is produced by Crate Media

 In Episode 93, Quinn & Brian ask: What can we do about all of this not-water in our water?Our guest is: Imari Walker, who is quite possibly the world’s preeminent Microplastics Bae. Imari is an Environmental Engineer, a Microplastics Researcher, a SciComm YouTuber, a Duke PhD candidate, and a true revelation to talk to.Here’s some fun facts: in 2018, there were ~359 million metric tons of plastic produced worldwide, and if current trends continue, roughly 12 BILLION metric tons of plastic waste will be in landfills or the natural environment by 2050. Also, to stay relevant, there are now almost as many disposable masks in the ocean as there are jellyfish. So where does all this waste come from (spoiler: check yo’ stretchy pants), why is it all just being thrown around willy nilly, and how can we get people to stop doing that?Have feedback or questions? Tweet us, or send a message to questions@importantnotimportant.comNew here? Get started with our fan favorite episodes at podcast.importantnotimportant.com.INI Book Club: "Emotional Intelligence 2.0" by Jean Greaves and Travis BradberryINI Book Club: https://bookshop.org/lists/important-not-important-book-clubLinks:www.imariwalker.comYouTube: www.youtube.com/user/imariwalker100Instagram: instagram.com/calimari93/Twitter: twitter.com/calimari93Take the Pesky Plastics QuizPlastic Free JulyConnect with us:Subscribe to our newsletter at newsletter.importantnotimportant.comFollow us on Twitter: twitter.com/ImportantNotImpFollow Quinn: twitter.com/quinnemmettFollow Brian: twitter.com/beansaightLike and share us on Facebook: facebook.com/ImportantNotImportantIntro/outro by Tim Blane: timblane.comArtwork by Amrit PalImportant, Not Important is produced by Crate Media

In Episode 92, we're headed off to climate school!Our guest is Anshuman Bapna, the creator (and headmaster) of Terra.do, which is like Hogwarts but for fixing the broken Earth. Of course, unlike Dumbledore, you can trust this headmaster won’t abandon you in your time of need. It seems so obvious that there should be a central (online) location where people can learn about climate change and how they can actually make a difference… but, until we learned about Terra.do, we didn’t even think about the fact that it didn’t exist. Luckily, now it does, and it has a strong bias towards taking participants from being interested in the topic to taking action to solve the problem — and it’s that critical DOING step that we need more people to take before we can hope to heal our planet and address some of the global inequities caused by industrialization and colonization.Have feedback or questions? Tweet us, or send a message to funtalk@importantnotimportant.comINI Book Club: "The Great Derangement: Climate Change and the Unthinkable" by Amitav GhoshINI Book Club: https://bookshop.org/lists/important-not-important-book-clubLinks:Apply now: www.terra.doTwitter: @bapnaaConnect with us:Subscribe to our newsletter at newsletter.importantnotimportant.comFollow us on Twitter: twitter.com/ImportantNotImpFollow Quinn: twitter.com/quinnemmettFollow Brian: twitter.com/beansaightLike and share us on Facebook: facebook.com/ImportantNotImportantIntro/outro by Tim Blane: timblane.comArtwork by Amrit PalImportant, Not Important is produced by Crate Media

We’re back!In Episode 91, Quinn & Brian ask: Why is drinking water so unaffordable, or unavailable, or just filthy for so many people?Our guests are: Nina Lakhani & Mary Grant. Nina is environmental justice reporter for The Guardian US and Mary Grant is the Public Water for All Campaign Director at Food & Water Watch. They’ve bottled up their empathy and their anger for good, and we think they fit right in on the show.If it wasn’t already obvious: water is important. It’s one of the few things we actually need to survive, believe it or not. We’ve all heard of problems in Flint, but that’s not some crazy anomaly. It’s just the one town that got the most media attention, and even then, there are still huge problems with their water supply. The inequitable access to basic resources has been normalized in our country, but let's be clear about one thing — it’s NOT normal, and it doesn’t happen at anywhere near this scale in other developed countries. So, want to Make America Great Again? Well, let’s start by just getting us to a C average in basic human rights.Have feedback or questions? Tweet us, or send a message to questions@importantnotimportant.comNew here? Get started with our fan favorite episodes at podcast.importantnotimportant.com.INI Book Club: The Dictionaryhttps://bookshop.org/shop/importantnotimportantLinks:Call your Senator and tell them to fight for a second Coronavirus Relief Package that includes a national moratorium on water, power, and broadband shutoffs: 202-609-9041Tell your representative to support for the Water Affordability, Transparency, Equity, and Reliability Act (HR 1417, S611)www.foodandwaterwatch.orgRead Nina’s articles: theguardian.com/profile/nina-lakhaniNina on Twitter: @ninalakhaniMary on Twitter: @MaryGrant_WaterThe Human UtilityNavajo Relief FundConnect with us:Subscribe to our newsletter at newsletter.importantnotimportant.comFollow us on Twitter: twitter.com/ImportantNotImpFollow Quinn: twitter.com/quinnemmettFollow Brian: twitter.com/beansaightLike and share us on Facebook: facebook.com/ImportantNotImportantIntro/outro by Tim Blane: timblane.comArtwork by Amrit PalImportant, Not Important is produced by Crate Media

Back in Episode 51, Quinn & Brian asked: Are we thinking about CRISPR all wrong (and what the hell is it)?This is one of our most popular episodes, probably because it features one of our coolest guests: C. Brandon Ogbunu, an evolutionary systems biologist with a unique perspective on data and disease, and how both were influenced by evolution and ecology.We’ve talked about CRISPR before on the show, but if you’re not familiar, here’s a brief and overly simplistic overview of this potentially world-changing technology: it’s scissors for DNA. It’s still a very young technology — it was only patented in 2012 — but it has the potential to do everything from eliminating genetic diseases from our lineage to making our food supply more efficient and productive to creating a real-life Jurassic Park. But what can’t we do with it? And, perhaps more importantly, what shouldn’t we be doing with it? That’s what we’re going to find out today.Have feedback or questions? Tweet us, or send a message to questions@importantnotimportant.comNew here? Get started with our fan favorite episodes at podcast.importantnotimportant.com.INI Book Club: From the War on Poverty to the War on Crime: The Making of Mass Incarceration in America by Elizabeth HintonLinks:Learn more at vivo.brown.edu/display/cogbunugInstagram: @big_data_kaneTwitter: @big_data_kaneRead C. Brandon’s writing: medium.com/ogplexusConnect with us:Subscribe to our newsletter at newsletter.importantnotimportant.comFollow us on Twitter: twitter.com/ImportantNotImpFollow Quinn: twitter.com/quinnemmettFollow Brian: twitter.com/beansaightLike and share us on Facebook: facebook.com/ImportantNotImportantIntro/outro by Tim Blane: timblane.comArtwork by Amrit PalImportant, Not Important is produced by Crate Media

We published our company statement on the Black Lives Matter protests on June 8th. This is an audio version of that statement, titled "A Letter to My Fellow White Men." You can read the original at https://www.importantnotimportant.com/blog/a-letter-to-my-fellow-white-men.Important, Not Important is produced by Crate Media

Please enjoy this preview of our weekly premium audio newsletter. Find out more at https://important.supportingcast.fm.This week: Racism is distracting us from the climate fight; if you’re black, you probably live near a coal plant; protests will worsen the coronavirus but we don’t really have a choice; COVID tracking apps are here, but how useful are they?; fighting for food equalityFind links from this newsletter and more at importantnotimportant.com/newsletterGot feedback? Email us at funtalk@importantnotimportant.comFollow us on Twitter at @importantnotimpImportant, Not Important is produced by Crate Media

Back in Episode 42, Quinn & Brian asked: What happens when you’re almost an astronaut... and what comes next?Our guest is Dr. Sian Proctor, an explorer, scientist, full-time professor, STEM communicator, and almost an astronaut. She joins the show to tell us how we can all help get more women and more people of color into space, one way or another. If you didn’t know — and we weren’t sure — being a white, male military pilot isn’t the only way to get to space! You can be exposed to radiation and get superpowers, become an (evil?) genius who starts their own electric car and space flight companies, or become a college-educated engineer, biologist, physical scientist, computer scientist, or mathematician. So we’re still out, but that’s a pretty wide range of qualifications.This episode is also extremely timely given what’s going on in the United States right now. This is not just the story of almost becoming an astronaut but the story of navigating a historically white and male space as a woman of color. Dr. Proctor is one hell of an inspiration and scientist — and a whole lot of fun — and we hope you are able to find a ray of light in this conversation.Have feedback or questions? Tweet us, or send a message to questions@importantnotimportant.comNew here? Get started with our fan favorite episodes at podcast.importantnotimportant.com.INI Book Club:A Short History of Nearly Everything by Bill BrysonINI Book Club: https://bookshop.org/lists/important-not-important-book-clubLinks:sianproctor.comWant to be an astronaut too? Check out astronauts.nasa.gov/content/broch00.htmScared of space but still want to be an astronaut? Check out analogastronaut.comFacebook: facebook.com/Dr.Sian.ProctorInstagram: @sian.proctorTwitter: @sianproctorWatch Dr. Proctor on Strange Evidence: sciencechannel.com/tv-shows/strange-evidence/Connect with us:Subscribe to our newsletter at newsletter.importantnotimportant.comFollow us on Twitter: twitter.com/ImportantNotImpFollow Quinn: twitter.com/quinnemmettFollow Brian: twitter.com/beansaightLike and share us on Facebook: facebook.com/ImportantNotImportantIntro/outro by Tim Blane: timblane.comArtwork by Amrit PalImportant, Not Important is produced by Crate Media