Think from KERA

The United States recycles about 34 percent of its waste – a number that hasn’t increased much in decades. Beth Porter, climate and recycling director for Green America, joins host Krys Boyd to talk about recycling strategies for both individuals and municipalities, which she writes about in “Reduce, Reuse, Reimagine: Sorting Out the Recycling System” (Rowman & Littlefield).

Earlier this month, the United States and China called a temporary truce in the countries’ months-long trade war, though difficult negotiations are required for the peace to hold. Matthew Rooney, managing director of the Bush Institute-SMU Economic Growth Initiative, joins host Krys Boyd to make the case that excessive tariffs raise prices, kill jobs and inhibit innovation, which he writes about in the current issue of The Catalyst.

Every weekend, Martha Barnett and Grant Barrett take a deep dive into the nuances of how we communicate with each other on their public radio show “A Way With Words.” They join us to talk about what they’ve learned about the regional and generational differences in how we talk – and to talk with listeners about their own language curiosities.

Daniel Libeskind designed New York’s World Trade Center Redevelopment and many, many other significant projects around the world. He joins us to talk about his approach to architecture – and why he says anyone can do it. His new book on his life’s work is called “Edge of Order” (Clarkson Porter).

As much as our English teachers would like us to follow the laws of grammar, language has a way of developing organically. Lane Greene joins us to talk about how language evolves despite all those rules, which he writes about in “Talk on the Wild Side: Why Language Can’t Be Tamed” (Economist Books).

Late last month, Chinese researcher He Jiankui opened a Pandora’s Box with his announcement that he’s edited the genes of twin girls. Science writer Ed Yong joins us to talk about how the prospect of designer babies has rocked the scientific community, which he writes about for The Atlantic.

In a new essay, Mychal Denzel Smith writes, “The white audience does not seek out black public intellectuals to challenge their worldview; instead they are meant to serve as tour guides through a foreign experience that the white audience wishes to keep at a comfortable distance.” Smith joins us to talk about how black writers from James Baldwin to Ta-Nehisi Coates consider the race of their readers – and about they can sometimes be muted by white gatekeepers – which he writes about in the current issue of Harper’s magazine.

As enforcers of the law, police officers are charged with leading exemplary lives – even as they interact with criminals on a daily basis. Sarah Cortez has spent two decades as a beat cop – a profession she took up after a career climbing the corporate ladder. She joins host us to talk about her personal reflections of what it means to protect and serve, the subject of “Tired, Hungry, Standing in One Spot for Twelve Hours: Essential Cop Essays” (Texas Review Press).

As a 17-year-old living in Mumbai, Sohaila Abdulali survived a gang rape. And in the decades since, she’s worked to chart a new path to healing. Abdulali joins us to talk about whether or not rape is a life-defining moment – and if we can create a world without these kinds of assaults. Her new book is called “What We Talk About When We Talk About Rape” (The New Press).

When a prisoner is exonerated, a wrong has been righted. Lara Bazelon joins us to talk about how these victories can actually lead to longer periods of despair for both the wrongfully convicted and the victim who can no longer claim justice. Bazelon’s new book is called “Rectify: The Power of Restorative Justice After Wrongful Conviction” (Beacon Press), and this conversation is part of the KERA series One Crisis Away: The Price of Prison.