The Most Important Question

Essay: Life, Liberty, and Solar Panels


Listen Later

This week:

Texans have a huge opportunity to get even MORE liberty — from the sun.

Plus: Diabetes is expected to double, the state of carbon removal, A.I. detection tools, future

pandemic prepping, BEES?!, and more

Here's What You Can Do:

⚡️ It’s getting hot out there. Direct your city officials to the Heat Action Platform Policy Tool to explore existing heat adaptation solutions for your community.

⚡️Thinking of becoming a nurse? Bless you, and thank you. Here are some resources including FAQs about education requirements, salary, and benefits.

⚡️ Representation in books helps kids build self-esteem and increase self-acceptance. Find kid-affirming books for your family or classroom with a ColorPop Book bundle.

⚡️ Defend rights to digital privacy all over the world by donating to The Electronic Frontier Foundation.

⚡️ Align your money with your values by finding a financial institution near you with sustainable banking services.

News Roundup

Health & Medicine

  • Scientists are engineering microbes to benefit our health and the environment

  • A new research model is allowing researchers to gain new insights into human embryonic development

  • The number of people with diabetes is expected to double by 2050 — to 1.3 billion people

  • Our terrible health care system, explained by a nurse

  • Climate

    • Extreme heat will result in $1 billion in health care costs this summer alone

    • How you can prevent power outages during a heat wave

    • UK ad regulators are clamping down on greenwashing

    • Understand the current state of carbon removal (and the need to regulate it) with these fun charts

    • Can we blame heat and wildfires on the jet stream?

    • Food & Water

      • 3M is paying out a $10.3 billion settlement for contaminating public water supplies with toxic forever chemicals

      • Beekeepers are keeping US honeybee colonies “relatively stable” after nearly half of colonies died last year

      • How real people are being impacted by cuts to the food safety net

      • Refilling rivers is beyond what rain can provide. Here’s the case for desalination

      • Beep Boop

        • Your drugstore is telling Facebook when you buy sensitive items online, like Plan B or an HIV test

        • Experiencing online harassment? The Supreme Court isn’t going to do anything about it

        • Do A.I-Detection tools really work?

        • COVID

          • When should you get your next COVID booster?

          • The EU has made a deal with Pfizer to stock up on vaccines to prepare for future pandemics

          • The pandemic has been linked to a surge in children and youth with diabetes

          • Get more:
            • Get more news, analysis, and Action Steps at https://www.importantnotimportant.com/

            • Got feedback? Email us at [email protected]

            • Follow us on Twitter at @importantnotimp

            • Subscribe to our YouTube channel

            • Take a nap you deserve it

            • Advertise with us: https://www.importantnotimportant.com/c/sponsors

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              The Most Important QuestionBy Important, Not Important

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