The Most Important Question

By Important, Not ImportantSociety & Culture Science Technology

The Most Important Question episodes

January 08, 2019 BEST OF 2018: He’s Given 200+ Climate Speeches to Congress. What’s Next?
Back in Episode 26, Quinn & Brian asked: what drives a man to give 200 climate speeches to Congress?

Our guest was Senator Sheldon Whitehouse, the junior senator from Rhode Island and all-around stellar human. He’s been a member of Congress since 2007 and he was just sworn in for his 3rd term – plus, he’s recently been moonlighting as some sort of Captain Planet figure.

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.

Want to send us feedback? Tweet us, email us, or leave us a voice message!

Trump’s Book Club:

Silent Spring by Rachel Carson: https://www.amazon.com/registry/wishlist/3R5XF4WMZE0TV/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_ep_ws_2Gr8Ab6RS5WF3

Links:

Senator Sheldon Whitehouse on Twitter: http://twitter.com/SenWhitehouse

Sandra Thornton Whitehouse: https://www.oceancollectiv.co/sandra/

Republicans for Carbon Tax: https://www.nytimes.com/2017/02/07/science/a-conservative-climate-solution-republican-group-calls-for-carbon-tax.html

Resilient Rhody: https://www.ecori.org/climate-change/2018/7/6/b52i1qjgqsacdfh2l5z8rxjz8bd42m

Connect with us:

Subscribe to our newsletter at ImportantNotImportant.com!

Intro/outro by Tim Blane: timblane.com

Follow Quinn: twitter.com/quinnemmett

Follow Brian: twitter.com/briancolbertken

Like and share us on Facebook: facebook.com/ImportantNotImportant

Check us on Instagram: instagram.com/ImportantNotImportant

Follow us on Twitter: twitter.com/ImportantNotImp

Pin us on Pinterest: pinterest.com/ImportantNotImportant

Tumble us or whatever the hell you do on Tumblr: importantnotimportant.tumblr.com

Important, Not Important is produced by Podcast Masters
55 min
January 08, 2019 BEST OF 2018: He’s Given 200+ Climate Speeches to Congress. What’s Next?
Back in Episode 26, Quinn & Brian asked: what drives a man to give 200 climate speeches to Congress?
Our guest was Senator Sheldon Whitehouse, the junior senator from Rhode Island and all-around stellar human. He’s been a member of Congress since 2007 and he was just sworn in for his 3rd term – plus, he’s recently been moonlighting as some sort of Captain Planet figure.
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.
Want to send us feedback? Tweet us, email us, or leave us a voice message!
Trump’s Book Club:
Silent Spring by Rachel Carson: https://www.amazon.com/registry/wishlist/3R5XF4WMZE0TV/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_ep_ws_2Gr8Ab6RS5WF3
Links:
Senator Sheldon Whitehouse on Twitter: http://twitter.com/SenWhitehouse
Sandra Thornton Whitehouse: https://www.oceancollectiv.co/sandra/
Republicans for Carbon Tax: https://www.nytimes.com/2017/02/07/science/a-conservative-climate-solution-republican-group-calls-for-carbon-tax.html
Resilient Rhody: https://www.ecori.org/climate-change/2018/7/6/b52i1qjgqsacdfh2l5z8rxjz8bd42m
Connect with us:
Subscribe to our newsletter at ImportantNotImportant.com!
Intro/outro by Tim Blane: timblane.com
Follow Quinn: twitter.com/quinnemmett
Follow Brian: twitter.com/briancolbertken
Like and share us on Facebook: facebook.com/ImportantNotImportant
Check us on Instagram: instagram.com/ImportantNotImportant
Follow us on Twitter: twitter.com/ImportantNotImp
Pin us on Pinterest: pinterest.com/ImportantNotImportant
Tumble us or whatever the hell you do on Tumblr: importantnotimportant.tumblr.com
Important, Not Important is produced by Podcast Masters
54 min
January 04, 2019 BEST OF 2018: Is It Harder to Build Clean Power Plants or Play in a Reputable Cover Band?
Back in Episode 38, Quinn & Brian asked: Is it harder to build clean power plants or play in a reputable cover band?

Our guest Sean Casten then went on to win the election for congressman of Brian’s home district, Illinois’ 6th! There’s a little more hope in the world, so we want to re-introduce you to these kickass STEM politicians.

Sean is a scientist, clean energy entrepreneur, and cover band member who ran against Peter Roskam, who called climate change “junk science,” which is really all we needed to hear to know that Sean is the right man for Illinois’’ 6th district. Plus, Sean is backed by our friends at 314 Action, an incredible group of people who are smarter than us trying to get other people who are smarter than us elected. You can check out our previous episodes with 314 Action founder Shaughnessy Naughton (episode 35) and fellow Congressional candidates Chrissy Houlahan (episode 37) and Joseph Kopser (episode 32).

Want to send us feedback? Tweet us, email us, or leave us a voice message!

Trump’s Book Club:

Last Week Tonight with John Oliver Presents a Day in the Life of Marlon Bundo by Jill Twiss and Marlon Bundo: https://www.amazon.com/registry/wishlist/3R5XF4WMZE0TV/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_ep_ws_2Gr8Ab6RS5WF3

Links:

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/castenforcongress/

Twitter: https://twitter.com/votecasten

Support more candidates endorsed by 314: http://www.314action.org/endorsed-candidates-1/

Connect with us:

Subscribe to our newsletter at ImportantNotImportant.com!

Intro/outro by Tim Blane: timblane.com

Follow Quinn: twitter.com/quinnemmett

Follow Brian: twitter.com/briancolbertken

Like and share us on Facebook: facebook.com/ImportantNotImportant

Check us on Instagram: instagram.com/ImportantNotImportant

Follow us on Twitter: twitter.com/ImportantNotImp

Pin us on Pinterest: pinterest.com/ImportantNotImportant

Tumble us or whatever the hell you do on Tumblr: importantnotimportant.tumblr.com

Important, Not Important is produced by Podcast Masters
46 min
January 04, 2019 BEST OF 2018: Is It Harder to Build Clean Power Plants or Play in a Reputable Cover Band?
Back in Episode 38, Quinn & Brian asked: Is it harder to build clean power plants or play in a reputable cover band?
Our guest Sean Casten then went on to win the election for congressman of Brian’s home district, Illinois’ 6th! There’s a little more hope in the world, so we want to re-introduce you to these kickass STEM politicians.
Sean is a scientist, clean energy entrepreneur, and cover band member who ran against Peter Roskam, who called climate change “junk science,” which is really all we needed to hear to know that Sean is the right man for Illinois’’ 6th district. Plus, Sean is backed by our friends at 314 Action, an incredible group of people who are smarter than us trying to get other people who are smarter than us elected. You can check out our previous episodes with 314 Action founder Shaughnessy Naughton (episode 35) and fellow Congressional candidates Chrissy Houlahan (episode 37) and Joseph Kopser (episode 32).
Want to send us feedback? Tweet us, email us, or leave us a voice message!
Trump’s Book Club:
Last Week Tonight with John Oliver Presents a Day in the Life of Marlon Bundo by Jill Twiss and Marlon Bundo: https://www.amazon.com/registry/wishlist/3R5XF4WMZE0TV/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_ep_ws_2Gr8Ab6RS5WF3
Links:
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/castenforcongress/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/votecasten
Support more candidates endorsed by 314: http://www.314action.org/endorsed-candidates-1/
Connect with us:
Subscribe to our newsletter at ImportantNotImportant.com!
Intro/outro by Tim Blane: timblane.com
Follow Quinn: twitter.com/quinnemmett
Follow Brian: twitter.com/briancolbertken
Like and share us on Facebook: facebook.com/ImportantNotImportant
Check us on Instagram: instagram.com/ImportantNotImportant
Follow us on Twitter: twitter.com/ImportantNotImp
Pin us on Pinterest: pinterest.com/ImportantNotImportant
Tumble us or whatever the hell you do on Tumblr: importantnotimportant.tumblr.com
Important, Not Important is produced by Podcast Masters
45 min
January 03, 2019 BEST OF 2018: Congress Got a Female Air Force Officer / Engineer / Chemistry Teacher / Mom
Back in Episode 37, Quinn & Brian asked: Why does Congress need a female Air Force Officer / Engineer / Chemistry Teacher / Mom among its ranks? We found out – and now our guest Chrissy Houlahan is the new congresswoman from Pennsylvania District 6! So we’re playing that episode again to celebrate. We dig into the very personal reasons she ran, what’s so special about Pennsylvania, and the first thing she’s going to do when she gets elected. Plus, how did she collect such an impressive list of bona fides? Chrissy was one of our featured conversations in partnership with 314 Action, an organization working hard to put STEM candidates in office. You can learn more about the organization in our interview with the founder, Shaughnessy Naughton, back in episode 35 and support them at 314action.org. Want to send us feedback? Tweet us, email us, or leave us a voice message! Trump’s Book Club: Mountains Beyond Mountains by Tracy Kidder: https://www.amazon.com/registry/wishlist/3R5XF4WMZE0TV/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_ep_ws_2Gr8Ab6RS5WF3 Links: Twitter: https://twitter.com/HoulahanForPa Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/HoulahanForPA Support more candidates endorsed by 314: http://www.314action.org/endorsed-candidates-1/ Connect with us: Subscribe to our newsletter at ImportantNotImportant.com! Intro/outro by Tim Blane: timblane.com Follow Quinn: twitter.com/quinnemmett Follow Brian: twitter.com/briancolbertken Like and share us on Facebook: facebook.com/ImportantNotImportant Check us on Instagram: instagram.com/ImportantNotImportant Follow us on Twitter: twitter.com/ImportantNotImp Pin us on Pinterest: pinterest.com/ImportantNotImportant Tumble us or whatever the hell you do on Tumblr: importantnotimportant.tumblr.com Important, Not Important is produced by Podcast Masters
51 min
January 03, 2019 BEST OF 2018: Congress Got a Female Air Force Officer / Engineer / Chemistry Teacher / Mom
Back in Episode 37, Quinn & Brian asked: Why does Congress need a female Air Force Officer / Engineer / Chemistry Teacher / Mom among its ranks?
We found out – and now our guest Chrissy Houlahan is the new congresswoman from Pennsylvania District 6!
So we’re playing that episode again to celebrate. We dig into the very personal reasons she ran, what’s so special about Pennsylvania, and the first thing she’s going to do when she gets elected. Plus, how did she collect such an impressive list of bona fides? Chrissy was one of our featured conversations in partnership with 314 Action, an organization working hard to put STEM candidates in office. You can learn more about the organization in our interview with the founder, Shaughnessy Naughton, back in episode 35 and support them at 314action.org.
Want to send us feedback? Tweet us, email us, or leave us a voice message!
Trump’s Book Club:
Mountains Beyond Mountains by Tracy Kidder: https://www.amazon.com/registry/wishlist/3R5XF4WMZE0TV/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_ep_ws_2Gr8Ab6RS5WF3
Links:
Twitter: https://twitter.com/HoulahanForPa
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/HoulahanForPA
Support more candidates endorsed by 314: http://www.314action.org/endorsed-candidates-1/
Connect with us:
Subscribe to our newsletter at ImportantNotImportant.com!
Intro/outro by Tim Blane: timblane.com
Follow Quinn: twitter.com/quinnemmett
Follow Brian: twitter.com/briancolbertken
Like and share us on Facebook: facebook.com/ImportantNotImportant
Check us on Instagram: instagram.com/ImportantNotImportant
Follow us on Twitter: twitter.com/ImportantNotImp
Pin us on Pinterest: pinterest.com/ImportantNotImportant
Tumble us or whatever the hell you do on Tumblr: importantnotimportant.tumblr.com
Important, Not Important is produced by Podcast Masters
50 min
January 01, 2019 #50: It’s Getting Hot in Here & America’s Poor are (Not Surprisingly) Dying Fastest
In Episode 50, Quinn & Brian discuss: How D.C. and LA are dealing with urban heat issues.

Our guests are Yesim Sayin Taylor and Molly Peterson. Yesim is the founding Executive Director of the D.C. Policy Center and Molly is a renowned reporter focusing on the environment and climate change (and our first returning guest!).

We all remember when Nelly said, “It’s getting hot in herre,” but not a lot of people remember the whole verse: “It’s getting hot in herre, so take off all your clothes / all of the poor minorities in America are suffering and dying before everybody else / Uh, uh, uh, let it hang all out.” But it’s a shame, really, because if we’d just paid more attention to Nelly’s important message back in 2002, maybe we wouldn’t be facing this problem today.

Want to send us feedback?

Tweet us, email us, or leave us a voice message!

Trump’s Book Club: The Old Man Who Read Love Stories by Luis Sepúlveda Dancing in the Glory of Monsters: The Collapse of the Congo and the Great War of Africa by Jason Stearns

Links:

Learn more at https://www.dcpolicycenter.org

Yesim on Twitter: https://twitter.com/yesimsy

Check out https://pactio.us/host/molly-peterson

Molly on Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/mollydacious

Greater Greater Washington: https://ggwash.org

Connect with us:

Subscribe to our newsletter at ImportantNotImportant.com!

Intro/outro by Tim Blane: timblane.com

Follow Quinn: twitter.com/quinnemmett

Follow Brian: twitter.com/briancolbertken

Like and share us on Facebook: facebook.com/ImportantNotImportant

Check us on Instagram: instagram.com/ImportantNotImportant

Follow us on Twitter: twitter.com/ImportantNotImp

Pin us on Pinterest: pinterest.com/ImportantNotImportant

Tumble us or whatever the hell you do on Tumblr: importantnotimportant.tumblr.com

Important, Not Important is produced by Podcast Masters
1 hr 3 min
January 01, 2019 #50: It’s Getting Hot in Here & America’s Poor are (Not Surprisingly) Dying Fastest
In Episode 50, Quinn & Brian discuss: How D.C. and LA are dealing with urban heat issues.
Our guests are Yesim Sayin Taylor and Molly Peterson. Yesim is the founding Executive Director of the D.C. Policy Center and Molly is a renowned reporter focusing on the environment and climate change (and our first returning guest!).
We all remember when Nelly said, “It’s getting hot in herre,” but not a lot of people remember the whole verse: “It’s getting hot in herre, so take off all your clothes / all of the poor minorities in America are suffering and dying before everybody else / Uh, uh, uh, let it hang all out.” But it’s a shame, really, because if we’d just paid more attention to Nelly’s important message back in 2002, maybe we wouldn’t be facing this problem today.
Want to send us feedback?
Tweet us, email us, or leave us a voice message!
Trump’s Book Club: The Old Man Who Read Love Stories by Luis Sepúlveda Dancing in the Glory of Monsters: The Collapse of the Congo and the Great War of Africa by Jason Stearns
Links:
Learn more at https://www.dcpolicycenter.org
Yesim on Twitter: https://twitter.com/yesimsy
Check out https://pactio.us/host/molly-peterson
Molly on Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/mollydacious
Greater Greater Washington: https://ggwash.org
Connect with us:
Subscribe to our newsletter at ImportantNotImportant.com!
Intro/outro by Tim Blane: timblane.com
Follow Quinn: twitter.com/quinnemmett
Follow Brian: twitter.com/briancolbertken
Like and share us on Facebook: facebook.com/ImportantNotImportant
Check us on Instagram: instagram.com/ImportantNotImportant
Follow us on Twitter: twitter.com/ImportantNotImp
Pin us on Pinterest: pinterest.com/ImportantNotImportant
Tumble us or whatever the hell you do on Tumblr: importantnotimportant.tumblr.com
Important, Not Important is produced by Podcast Masters
1 hr 2 min
December 25, 2018 #49: How Can HUGE Food & Beverage Companies Contribute to a More Sustainable Future?
In Episode 49, Quinn & Brian ask: What can the HUGE food and beverage companies do, right now, to improve U.S. food systems and drive trends towards a more sustainable future?

It’s a big and complicated question, but our guest Jennifer Mleczko is going to share the one simple thing you can do to address all of it at once. Jennifer is a consultant at the World Bank focused on sustainable development, specifically agriculture and, even more specifically, livestock. There are environmental, social, economic, and political implications to the food systems we’ve created here in the United States; globalization, international trade, market consolidation, and the ways we produce food affects communities all around the globe. We aren’t always aware of how buying a package of dinosaur-shaped chicken nuggets from Walmart affects a small farm halfway across the country or the world, but every choice we make has consequences – and the more we work to bring awareness to these choices, the more we can do to transition to a more sustainable food system.

Want to send us feedback? Tweet us, email us, or leave us a voice message!

Trump’s Book Club: The Unsettling of America by Wendell Berry Links: Jennifer on Twitter: https://twitter.com/jennifermleczko Jennifer on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jennifermleczko/ Find Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) near you: https://www.localharvest.org/csa/ Find a Farmers’ Market near you: https://www.localharvest.org/farmers-markets/ Download the Seasonal Food Guide app: https://www.seasonalfoodguide.org/download-app Connect with us: Subscribe to our newsletter at ImportantNotImportant.com! Intro/outro by Tim Blane: timblane.com Follow Quinn: twitter.com/quinnemmett Follow Brian: twitter.com/briancolbertken Like and share us on Facebook: facebook.com/ImportantNotImportant Check us on Instagram: instagram.com/ImportantNotImportant Follow us on Twitter: twitter.com/ImportantNotImp Pin us on Pinterest: pinterest.com/ImportantNotImportant Tumble us or whatever the hell you do on Tumblr: importantnotimportant.tumblr.com Important, Not Important is produced by Podcast Masters
1 hr 3 min
December 25, 2018 #49: How Can HUGE Food & Beverage Companies Contribute to a More Sustainable Future?
In Episode 49, Quinn & Brian ask: What can the HUGE food and beverage companies do, right now, to improve U.S. food systems and drive trends towards a more sustainable future?
It’s a big and complicated question, but our guest Jennifer Mleczko is going to share the one simple thing you can do to address all of it at once. Jennifer is a consultant at the World Bank focused on sustainable development, specifically agriculture and, even more specifically, livestock. There are environmental, social, economic, and political implications to the food systems we’ve created here in the United States; globalization, international trade, market consolidation, and the ways we produce food affects communities all around the globe. We aren’t always aware of how buying a package of dinosaur-shaped chicken nuggets from Walmart affects a small farm halfway across the country or the world, but every choice we make has consequences – and the more we work to bring awareness to these choices, the more we can do to transition to a more sustainable food system.
Want to send us feedback? Tweet us, email us, or leave us a voice message!
Trump’s Book Club: The Unsettling of America by Wendell Berry Links: Jennifer on Twitter: https://twitter.com/jennifermleczko Jennifer on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jennifermleczko/ Find Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) near you: https://www.localharvest.org/csa/ Find a Farmers’ Market near you: https://www.localharvest.org/farmers-markets/ Download the Seasonal Food Guide app: https://www.seasonalfoodguide.org/download-app Connect with us: Subscribe to our newsletter at ImportantNotImportant.com! Intro/outro by Tim Blane: timblane.com Follow Quinn: twitter.com/quinnemmett Follow Brian: twitter.com/briancolbertken Like and share us on Facebook: facebook.com/ImportantNotImportant Check us on Instagram: instagram.com/ImportantNotImportant Follow us on Twitter: twitter.com/ImportantNotImp Pin us on Pinterest: pinterest.com/ImportantNotImportant Tumble us or whatever the hell you do on Tumblr: importantnotimportant.tumblr.com Important, Not Important is produced by Podcast Masters
1 hr 1 min

About The Most Important Question

From the publisher's feed

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.