Welcome back, Shit Givers.

It’s a brand new goddamn day, isn’t it?

A lot of folks have asked “What are you going to do now that Biden’s in charge?”

That’s a good, straightforward question, so I’m going to try to answer in an equally straightforward way: this idea, which turned into a newsletter, which birthed a complimentary podcast, and eventually an entire community, wasn’t built as some simple ANTIFA anti-Trump/McConnell machine.

I felt overwhelmed by the news, I was interested in but didn't understand what the hell was going on, and I felt unable to do anything about any of it.

My goal became, and remains, to curate the most important science news for you, so you don’t feel the same way.

From there, I provide some brief analysis that seeks, and I think uniquely, to provide a generalist perspective of how the news all fits together in a very connected world.

And then I give you some Action Steps that are reputable and impactful, so you can improve your life and the world around you.

I really don’t give a shit who’s in charge. I care that the people working so furiously on the frontlines of the future, across climate, cancer, clean energy, AI, biotech, COVID, food & water, the oceans, and war, are able to perform to the best of their abilities, with an informed public behind them.

And if there are policymakers and business leaders who support or are even working together with those efforts, great. If they aren’t supportive, I will make that known and we will send them a one-way trip through that portal in The Expanse that I think I’m finally beginning to understand.

Truthfully, this moment and the question feel a little bit like when Obama was elected and everyone asked what Jon Stewart would do now that his favorite punching bag, George Bush, was gone.

This community’s goal is progress -- equitable, measurable, radical progress. Anything else is just set dressing.

So if you’re new here, hi! My intros aren't usually this long, but #change.

This is Important, Not Important, the newsletter that pairs curated, vital science news with analysis and Action Steps to fight for a better future — for everyone.

I invite you to use it in combination with our Webby-nominated podcast to help us crack the world’s hardest problems.

Climate Change & Clean Energy

Giving it all we’ve got

Biden’s in charge, Kamala’s the deciding vote in the Senate, we’ve still barely got the House. This is the single best opportunity we’ve had (since 2009) to take on the climate crisis.

Joe even managed to sign an (actual) stack of executive orders yesterday, kicking off some climate action before retiring to his new bedchambers with a fistful of vanilla ice cream. And those orders were at the direction of his new and frankly shockingly formidable climate and energy teams. A truly ridiculous ever-increasing collection of progressive humans concentrated, yes, in brand-new climate positions, but also scattered throughout the government like my children’s remote school glitter.

And just in time, as 2020 was tied for the hottest year on record. It only goes up from here, unless we do everything.

What’s really helpful to remember here is that the climate crisis touches every single sector of our economies and societies: from pipelines on ancestral lands to the courts, from grasslands to actually affordable electric cars, from cooling the warming oceans to protecting the Tongass forest at all costs. From profitable regenerative farming to profitable resistance capitalism, from air pollution to mass migration.

All of this news is from this week. All of this is happening, happening to us, because of us, and addressing all of it requires understanding and acting under the evidence that the best climate action is all of the action, and that’s never been more true as we pivot from “Fuck, we really need to do this thing, too, but Trump just made it worse” to “Here’s how we first roll back all of Trump’s decisions, and then actually do X but with the slimmest of majorities.”

And all of this is why I think, having to talked to so many of these folks lately, they’re not going to push for one big ass Green New Deal bill. It’ll never pass. Instead, they will spend trillions to make equitable, just climate action will be a part of every new action taken, big or small, everywhere.

It was (insanely) cool for 10 seconds to think “Holy shit, Captain fucking America has Thor’s hammer and he could take down Thanos himself” but in reality, Thanos was only beatable after every superhero possible, even dead ones, tiny ones and big ones, magic ones and basically just bow and arrow ones, came together to make one last stand.

Take Action: the Sunrise Movement is so happy Joe is president and now that someone gave Tom Hanks a coat and the virtual balls are over, they are right back to holding his feet to the fire. Get on board, if you’re not already.

COVID

25

It’s so hard to have perspective a year into this thing. Hell, it was hard to have perspective on it back when we were all spending 3 hours wiping down our groceries.

It’s both easier and harder now. You know people who’ve had it, you might know somebody who’s died. You feel so lucky to be spared. Your turn for a vaccine is coming (at some point). Biden’s got a massive plan to start over from scratch.

Some vaccines we’re counting on are lagging behind, a bunch of different vaccines are coming. It’s mutating (which is what vaccines do), but is there a mutation in your area? What if you get it? Potentially good news: AI can spot mutations -- ahead of time.

Speaking of your area, herd immunity is (take away travel) a local thing. Do your neighbors plan to get a shot?

The data on schools keeps changing. Biden wants to open them ASAP, but what do the new mutations mean?

Now. I’m not saying none of this matters. All of it matters. It’s your life we’re talking about. Your kids, your parents. As we’ve discussed, COVID is the hardest issue to provide Action Steps for, because the best steps are stay home, wear real masks, keep your pod ruthlessly tight, and get the vaccine as soon as it’s offered.

But that’s all true because help is on the way for us. Here’s the glaring truth about living in a rich country, from The Guardian:

The world is on the edge of a “catastrophic moral failure” in the distribution of Covid-19 vaccines, with just 25 doses administered across all poor countries compared with 39m in wealthier ones, the head of the World Health Organization has said. It was the sharpest warning so far from Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus about the dangers of vaccine hoarding since inoculations started being administered in 49 mostly high-income countries.

25 doses. Deals have been made for the delivery of millions of doses, but the same hoarding that doomed these countries during the HIV crisis and H191 is happening all over again.

We have to do better.

Take Action: straight cash has been proven as one of the most effective anti-poverty measures. Give Directly enables you to make a huge difference in Africa with just a few bucks. Let’s go.

Medicine

Tobacco is the new tobacco

I understand that in some circumstances, over-regulation can hinder progress and innovation, especially in economies built on capitalism and growth. I’m not anti-capitalism, and I’m not anti-growth. Blanket statements aren’t usually helpful.

However:

In a four-year study published in the journal Pediatrics, researchers at the University of San Diego found trying an e-cigarette before age 18 more than tripled the chances of becoming a daily tobacco cigarette smoker, from 3% to 10%. The study’s authors concluded rapid growth in youth e-cigarette use will lead to increased daily cigarette smoking in U.S. young adults.

Some day we’ll look back on the folks who marketed smoking (and sugar) to kids and wonder why on Earth it took so long to bury them forever.

Take Action: The Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids has a spin-off dedicated to fighting e-cigs. You can take action locally or donate here.

Quick Hits

We’ve talked about (and judging by your responses, you empathize with) the severe mental health issues facing folks worldwide. People are hurting, and they’re scared. And that means, at least in America, that they’re buying more guns, and murder rates year over year are potentially vastly higher than ever before. To paraphrase The Onion, this is the only country where this happens. We need way fewer guns, and a completely rebuilt mental health support system.

It’s not just climate and COVID: Biden’s also rushing to get nuclear proliferation back on track, with Russia but maybe not Iran. Here’s why.

The Terminator got his vaccine and explains (perfectly?) why you should, too.

Thanks for reading, and thanks for being a part of the most impactful community on in the internet.