The Most Important Question

If you've been wondering how else you can help fight coronavirus besides staying at home in sweatpants, this episode is for you. Please share widely. You can find links and additional details at importantnotimportant.com/blog/fight. Find links from this newsletter and more at importantnotimportant.com/newsletter Got feedback? Email us at funtalk@importantnotimportant.com Follow us on Twitter at @importantnotimp Important, Not Important is produced by Crate Media

In Episode 89, Quinn & Brian discuss: Taking down the white guy who politically stabbed you (and the planet) in the back.Our guest is: Dr. Arati Kreibich. She gave us a call a couple weeks back to explain that she’s a freshman Councilmember in Glen Rock, a proud immigrant, a neuroscientist, a mother, and a grassroots organizer who is now running for Congress in New Jersey’s 5th Congressional District, because I GUESS THAT’S WHAT IT’S COME TO.In the last congressional election, Dr. Kreibich campaigned (a lot) for the current representative, Josh Gottheimer. She saw Josh as an opportunity for the district to move forward, but she’s been disillusioned and disappointed by the decisions he’s made in the name of “bipartisanship.” So, instead of backing another rich white man who doesn’t actually care, Dr. Kreibich decided to take Gottheimer down herself. WE'RE IN.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 Giving Tree by Shel SilversteinNight by Elie WieselINI Book Club: https://bookshop.org/lists/important-not-important-book-clubLinks:Twitter: twitter.com/Arati4Congresswww.aratiforcongress.comConnect 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 88, Quinn & Brian ask: You voted for clean energy… so why hasn’t it become a thing yet?Our guest is: Dr. Leah Stokes, author of the new book Short Circuiting Policy: Interest Groups and the Battle Over Clean Energy and Climate Policy in the American States She’s like Captain Planet if Captain Planet was a powerful woman with a Ph.D. in kicking polluters’ asses AND public policy.At the end of this episode, you’ll know exactly why your state is still building or spewing fossil fuels and how you can help burn it all down. The energy system in our country is functioning exactly as it was designed — poorly and toxically — but we do have the ability to reclaim our air, reclaim our water, and reclaim our health if we start working together now.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 Education of an Idealist: A Memoir” by Samantha Powerhttps://www.amazon.com/registry/wishlist/3R5XF4WMZE0TV/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_ep_ws_2Gr8Ab6RS5WF3Links:Twitter: twitter.com/leahstokesWebsite: www.leahstokes.comLeah’s Book: www.leahstokes.com/bookNextGen America: nextgenamerica.orgIndow Window Inserts: indowwindows.comGet the 5 Calls app: 5calls.orgConnect 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 87, Quinn & Brian ask: What, exactly, are we putting on our bodies (and why aren’t more people asking questions about it)?Our guest is: Gregg Renfrew. Gregg is a serial entrepreneur who most recently founded Beautycounter to increase transparency and safety in the personal care industry. She also actively lobbies for regulation in the cosmetics industry to limit the number of harmful chemicals included in products sold in America because, you know, less poison in and on our bodies is a good thing — a good thing that many other companies in the beauty industry fight vehemently against.There are complicated ingredients in our cosmetics, moisturizers… well, pretty much everything we’re sold to put on our body to make it look or feel better. And these ingredients are increasingly obscured by labeling trickery, like the deceptive word “fragrance” that can hide dozens of potentially dangerous chemicals — and, holy hell, after what we learned in this episode, we are so on board with getting to the bottom of all of it. 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: “Start with Why” by Simon SinekLinks: Instagram: www.instagram.com/greggrenfrew Facebook: www.facebook.com/gregg.renfrew www.beautycounter.com The Never List: www.beautycounter.com/the-never-list Want to take action now? Text #betterbeauty to 52886Connect 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 this special episode, Quinn (with some help from our friends at the CDC and elsewhere) talks you through everything you need to know about the coronavirus, what you can do to prepare, and — maybe most importantly — what you can’t. Want to read or print or share with friends? The matching blog post is here: https://www.importantnotimportant.com/blog/2020/3/2/how-to-survive-the-coronavirus-with-your-sanity-intact.

In Episode 86, Quinn & Brian ask: What can we do to support the black farmers who have the ancient answers to rebuilding our soil, farms, and food system?Our guest is: Leah Penniman, Co-Director and Farm Manager of Soul Fire Farm, a farm dedicated to ending racism and injustice in the food system. Leah is also the author of “Farming While Black: Soul Fire Farm’s Practical Guide to Liberation on the Land.”In many ways, Soul Fire Farm represents a new start for American agriculture — a new start built on some very old roots, carrying on the legacy and wisdom of sustainable African farming traditions. We all benefit from the incredible work that Li and the others at Soul Fire Farm are doing, and this is a piece of historical and ecological education that everyone in the US, in particular, should be aware of.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: https://bookshop.org/lists/important-not-important-book-clubLinks: www.soulfirefarm.org www.farmingwhileblack.org Northeast Farmers of Color Land Trust: www.nefoclandtrust.org National Black Food and Justice Alliance: www.blackfoodjustice.org Instagram: www.instagram.com/leahpenniman Facebook: www.facebook.com/leah.pennimanConnect 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 85, Quinn asks: Is there a blueprint for fighting food waste in your city?Our guest is: Rick Nahmias. As Founder and Executive Director of Food Forward, Rick has spent more than a decade harvesting the bounty of LA’s fresh fruit and vegetables and getting them to the organizations feeding the many, many, many people in Southern California who cannot otherwise afford it.When you realize just how much food goes to waste in the United States, it’s a little sickening. And when you then consider how many people go hungry every day in the United States, it’s more than a little disheartening. But the bright side — and, yes, we know that we wouldn’t need to talk about the bright side of every topic if we didn’t exclusively talk about how our world is going to hell — is that, wherever you might live, you can help get food out of the landfill and onto the plates of people who need it.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 Dalai Lama's Book of Love and Compassion by Dalai LamaINI Book Club: https://bookshop.org/lists/important-not-important-book-clubLinks:www.foodforward.orgSpring Melt (April 4th @ The Jim Henson Company Lot): www.foodforward.org/about/spring-meltInstagram: www.instagram.com/foodforwardFacebook: www.facebook.com/foodforwardlaTwitter: www.twitter.com/foodforwardlaConnect with us:Subscribe to our newsletter at ImportantNotImportant.com!Follow us on Twitter: twitter.com/ImportantNotImpFollow Quinn: twitter.com/quinnemmettFollow Brian: twitter.com/briancolbertkenLike and share us on Facebook: facebook.com/ImportantNotImportantIntro/outro by Tim Blane: timblane.comImportant, Not Important is produced by Crate Media

We’re back! In Episode 84, Quinn & Brian ask: Is the USA responsible for climate refugees (and then turning them away)?Our guest is: Jessica Cisneros, a 26-year-old immigration and human rights attorney and proud Mexican-American woman running for Congress in Texas’ 28th district to fight for working families.Jessica’s opponent and the district’s incumbent is Henry Cuellar, “an anti-choice, anti-labor, pro-NRA Democrat who voted with Donald Trump and the Republicans almost 70% of the time last Congress,” according to Jessica’s campaign website. Rick Perry also appointed him to Texas Secretary of State, so that’s a big red flag. On top of all that, Cuellar is one of the top congressional recipients from the oil and gas industry and — surprise, surprise — he has voted for rolling back environmental regulations. Funny how that works.But here’s the thing: those choices don’t just affect voters in Texas’ 28th district. They affect generations of people in Texas, as well as people from other areas of the world who are already experiencing devastating effects from the climate crisis. But doing the work now to support and vote for people like Jessica will improve the lives of people around the world, for generations.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.Links:Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/JCisnerosTXInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/jcisnerostx_/Twitter: https://twitter.com/JCisnerosTXWebsite: http://www.jessicacisnerosforcongress.com/Are you a Shit Giver? Do you hate ads? Just love Fun Talk? Head over to http://importantnotimportant.com/shitgiver to learn more about our new premium feed!Look at George W. Bush cradling Jessica’s opponent’s face: https://media.gettyimages.com/photos/capitol-hill-president-george-w-bushs-state-of-the-union-address-2006-picture-id95669298?s=2048x2048“Climate refugees can't be returned home, says landmark UN human rights ruling”: https://www.theguardian.com/world/2020/jan/20/climate-refugees-cant-be-returned-home-says-landmark-un-human-rights-rulingConnect 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

This is a special preview of our new weekly audio newsletter. It's all the most vital science news you missed, with action steps you can take to fight back, delivered in five minutes and read by Brian. After this week, it's a premium-only product, so if you find it valuable, go to importantnotimportant.com/shitgiver to subscribe! This week: the EU lost their meat pies to Boris but gained a hell of a lot of clean energy; energy emissions are flat worldwide but flat isn't enough; be damn glad you're not stuck on a cruise ship with the coronavirus; we CRISPR'd the first cancer patients; can we trust BP oil?; Democrats are campaigning on fixing our soil Find links from this newsletter and more at importantnotimportant.com/newsletter Got feedback? Email us at funtalk@importantnotimportant.com Follow us on Twitter at @importantnotimp Important, Not Important is produced by Crate Media

We’re very excited to announce the launch of our new premium podcast feed — The Shit-Giver Edition! Our main feed (this one) will always be free, and will always host the latest in our award-nominated "save the world" conversations, with ads read by us to help pay the bills. Our mission remains to reach the greatest audience and affect as much change as two guys and a rescue dog possibly can. But for those of you that don't want ads, or love Fun Talks, or just want to support our hard work -- you can now go premium! In exchange for supporting the show with $5 a month or $49 a year (a 17% discount!), you'll get:  Exclusive access to *ad-free* versions of the main "save the world" shows All of our *Fun Talk* episodes A *brand-new* audio version of our weekly newsletter. That’s all of the news you missed, read in the sultry voice of Brian Colbert Kennedy, delivered to your favorite podcasting app every Friday. Plus, you’ll get a *discount on merchandise* in our store! So head on over to http://importantnotimportant.com/shitgiver to invest in the future of our work and help pay, most importantly, for Brian’s coffee. Thanks, as always, for all of your support. Important, Not Important is produced by Crate Media