The Leonard Lopate Show

The Largest Government Contractor You've Never Heard Of

In “Washington's $8 Billion Shadow”, Pulitzer Prize-winning Vanity Fair contributing editors Don Barlett and Jim Steele take us behind the scenes of SAIC (the Science Applications International Corporation), which has been awarded more individual government contracts than any other private company in America. They explain that although you’ve probably never heard of SAIC, it’s bigger than the departments of Labor, Energy, and Housing and Urban Development combined, and has a huge impact on all our lives.

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Underreported: New Garbage Solutions

Dogs and cats in the United States produce about 10 million tons of waste each year. Biowaste expert Will Brinton (director of Woods End Laboratories explains how all these pet droppings could be converted into a valuable energy source. And he talks about turning food scraps into yet another useful energy source.

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Underreported: The Prophet of Garbage

Science journalist Michael Behar tells us how a machine known as a Plasma Converter can turn the vilest trash into clean energy. Michael Behar's new article "The Prophet of Garbage" will be appearing in Popular Science.

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The Nontoxic Avenger

The average American uses more than 660 pounds of paper per year. Ellen Sandbeck, "the nontoxic avenger" and author of Organic Housekeeping, suggests some innovative ways to cut down on household waste, and make your home healthier and cleaner. Organic Housekeeping

Available for purchase at amazon.com

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Making Art out of Garbage

Robert Reed of Norcal Waste Systems, and former dump artist-in-residence Tyrome Tripoli, tell us about a program at the San Francisco city dump that turns trash into treasure. Artists chosen for a residency are given 24-hour access to a large studio at the dump, tools and equipment, and permission to scavenge through 80 tons of material a day.

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