Oshkosh Public Library

Wasted, how we squander time, money, and natural resources - and what we can do about it, Byron Reese & Scott Hoffman

eng

Includes index

index present

non fiction

Wasted

1248598482

Byron Reese & Scott Hoffman

how we squander time, money, and natural resources - and what we can do about it

"Waste. We spend a great deal of energy trying to avoid it, but once you train your eyes to look for it, you'll see it all around you-in your home, your business, and your everyday life. In Wasted, futurist Byron Reese and entrepreneur Scott Hoffman take readers on a fascinating journey through this modern world of waste, drawing on science, economics, and human behavior to envision what a world with far less of it-or none of it at all-might look like. Along the way, they explore thought-provoking issues such as why the United States got a higher proportion of its energy from renewable sources in 1950 than it does today whether the amount of gold in unused consumer electronics can be mined for profit how switching to water fountains on a single flight from Singapore to Newark could prevent the use of 3,400 plastic bottles whether the amount of money you save buying goods in bulk is offset by the amount you lose when some spoil Ultimately, the question of reducing waste is scientific, philosophical, and, most of all, complex. According to Reese and Hoffman, the rush toward simple answers has often led to well-meaning efforts that cause more waste than they save. The only way we can hope to make progress is to treat waste as the complicated issue it is. While the authors don't promise easy answers, in this compelling book they take an important step toward solutions by examining the questions at play, giving actionable steps, and ensuring that you'll never see the world of waste the same way again"--, Provided by publisher

Machine generated contents note:, pt. 1, WASTE AND OUR PLANET, In a Million Years, They Will Know Us by Our Polystyrene Foam, Are Landfills the Green Choice?, One Word: Plastics, They're Everywhere, Man!, The Problem with Single-Use Plastics, The Aluminum Cans ... and Cannots, Recycling the Truth, Does Recycling Increase Waste?, Water, Water ... Everywhere?, Use It or Lose It, A Deep Dive into Water Waste, pt. 2, WASTE IN OUR BUSINESS, Oh, You Have the Old Version, Sixty Elements in Your Pocket, Is All That Glitters Waste?, Mine Locally, Smelt Globally, Waste at 30,000 Feet, If You Don't Like It, Just ... Return It, Returned Goods, Food Waste, The Distance Dilemma, pt. 3, THE SCIENCE OF WASTE, Deep Breath and Exhale, Carbon Mitigation, It's Electric!, Electricity Usage, Sun to Table: Waste in Photosynthesis, Food as Fuel, pt. 4, THE PHILOSOPHY OF WASTE, Wasting Money, Wasting Time, Wasted Human Potential, Is Humanity the Fundamental Problem?, The Worst Waster Ever, Some Final Words on Waste

How we squander time, money, and natural resources - and what we can do about it