Humes, Edward

"What happens to our trash? Why are our oceans filling with plastic? Do we really waste 40 percent of our food 65 percent of our energy? Waste is truly our biggest problem, and solving our inherent trashiness can fix our economy, our energy costs, our traffic jams, and help slow climate change-all while making us healthier, happier and more prosperous. This story-driven and in-depth exploration of the pervasive yet hard-to-see wastefulness that permeates our daily lives illuminates the ways in which we've been duped into accepting absolutely insane levels of waste as normal. Total Garbage also tells the story of individuals and communities who are finding the way back from waste, and showing us that our choices truly matter and make a difference. Our big environmental challenges - climate, energy, plastic pollution, deforestation, toxic emissions-are often framed as problems too big for any one person to solve. Too big even for hope. But when viewed as symptoms of a single greater problem-the epic levels of trash and waste we produce daily--the way forward is clear. Waste is the one problem individuals can positively impact-and not just on the planet, but also on our wallets, our health, and national and energy security. The challenge is seeing our epic wastefulness clearly. Total Garbage will shine a light on the absurdity of the systems that all of us use daily and take for granted--and it will help both individuals and communities make meaningful changes toward better lives and a cleaner, greener world"--.

After 30 years, Detective Jim Scharf arrested a teenage couple's murderer--and exposed a looming battle between the pursuit of justice and the right to privacy. When Tanya Van Cuylenborg and Jay Cook were murdered during a trip to Seattle in the 1980s, detectives had few leads. The murder weapon was missing. No one witnessed any suspicious activity. And there was only a single handprint on the outside of the young couple's van. The detectives assumed Tanya and Jay were victims of a serial killer--but without any leads, the case seemed forever doomed. In deep-freeze, long-term storage, biological evidence from the crime scenes sat waiting. Meanwhile, California resident CeCe Moore began her lifetime fascination with genetic genealogy. As DNA testing companies rapidly grew in popularity, she discovered another use for the technology: solving crimes. When Detective Jim Scharf decided to send the cold case's decades-old DNA to Parabon NanoLabs, he hoped he would bring closure to the Van Cuylenborg and Cook families. He didn't know that he and Moore would make history. Anyone can submit a saliva sample to learn about their ancestry. But what happens after the results of these tests are uploaded to the internet? As lawyers, policymakers, and police officers fight over questions of consent and privacy, the implications of Scharf's case become ever clearer. Approximately 250,000 murders in the United States remain unsolved. We have the tools to catch many of these killers--but what is the cost?.

Profiles Whitney High, one of the best high schools in the United States, discussing how students work around the clock to make good grades and impress their parents, and examining the hidden consequences of students' desire to overachieve.

Examines America's growing problem with garbage, including how it's created, where it goes, and what it costs us economically and environmentally. Profiles individuals and families who have changed their lifestyle to combat waste.

Presents a collection of true stories of how the G.I. Bill transformed the lives of returning servicemen and women after World War II, and how the country ultimately changed during the post-depression years.

Chronicles the events that occurred in Dover, Pennsylvania, after the school board decided to eliminate evolution from the curriculum and teach intelligent design, providing both sides of the argument.

Presents a year of observation and participation in the juvenile justice system in Los Angeles, following the stories of a handful of youths facing a variety of charges and awaiting decisions that will affect the rest of their lives.

Examines the things that compose trash in the United States, the cost of all the garbage, reasons why there is so much waste, and technique that families and communities have adopted in order to limit trash output.