The Most Important Question

Essay: This Isn't Rocket Science (Unless It Is)


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This week:

A very basic way to use a mental model, you’re welcome.

PLUS: Mosquitoes, overseas abortion pills, healthy ice cream, German nuclear power, electric school buses, and more.

Here's What You Can Do:
  • ⚡️ Interested in community solar? Check out Wattbuy’s tools to get some.
  • ⚡️ One of the most effective ways to make fashion more sustainable is to partner up with our friends at Fashion Revolution
  • ⚡️ Want to understand if there’s (actually) a moral case for fossil fuels? You should read Amy Westervelt’s handy little guide.
  • ⚡️ There are over 9000 school board seats up for election this year. Help Run for Something support candidates who actually give a shit about kids.
  • ⚡️ Over 60? Put your experience and skills to work and join Third Act to help fight the climate crisis.

News Roundup

Health & Medicine

  • Here come the mosquitoes (the screened porch is one of mankind’s best inventions)
  • Could an mRNA treatment wipe out peanut allergies?
  • Inside the online market for overseas abortion pills
  • Air pollution is increasingly linked with both dementia and reduced lung function in kids
  • Hear me out: could ice cream have health benefits? (Happy Birthday, Dad! I got you a study scientists are very confused about)

Climate

  • Germany quit nuclear power, which isn’t helpful
  • Puma, a brand I’m nowhear near fashionable enough to rock, opened up their supply chain to Gen Z sustainability nerds
  • Why the next EV push is to electrify school buses
  • Southeastern US seas are rising triple the global average
  • Check out how your state’s clean electricity efforts are going
  • The new EV rules are in — here’s 7 big takeaways before you go shopping

Food & Water

  • Wall Street made a run on the west’s precious groundwater supplies
  • Speaking of: All those atmospheric rivers have temporarily reduced drought warnings, which is (truly) great, but flooding’s getting worse, and the Colorado River is still in trouble, so the feds finally stepped in
  • Italy’s plan to ban lab-grown meat won’t help their climate issues

Beep Boop

  • OpenAI launched a bug bounty program
  • Semi-related: Spain and Italy are investigating whether OpenAI breached GDPR
  • Is ChatGPT hallucinating, or bullshitting?
  • Millions of Facebook users had their info stolen in a ChatGPT app
  • Semi-related: WhatsApp made it harder for scammers to steal your account info

COVID

  • COVID is climbing steadily in India — here’s why
  • Semi-related: Antimicrobial resistance is growing in India — and everywhere — because we’re over-prescribing them
  • The jury is still out on how often you and we should get COVID boosters

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

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The Most Important QuestionBy Important, Not Important

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