>>

emergency help when you need it. those three simply numbers, 911 will not bring help. it is a serious and extensive enough problem that the scc launched an inquiry sparked by the death of a texas mother and the daughter who tried to get help for her. "america tonight"'s sara hoy has the story. >> last month kerry hunt agreed to meet her stranged husband at this east texas hotel so he could visit with his young children. instead of a family meeting things went wrong. >> my oldest granddaughter and her two siblings were in the room. she tried dialling 911 from the

hotel room and could not get out because she didn't know to dial a 9 first. >> once at the hotel brad alan dunn allegedly stabbed the mother of three to death in the bathroom while the children listened in. after four unsuccessful attempts the 9-year-old shuffled her siblings to safety. >> the neighbour next door to them opened the door. breanna told her what was going on. i looked in my grant daughter's eyes, i'd never want another 9-year-old to go through that. i don't know what she saw or heard. i haven't asked her. i can just imagine. nobody should have to go through that, especially when it's happening in front of you. >> "america tonight" travelled to marshall texas to the hotel where the incident happened. we spoke with the hotel staff here to see what happens when you do dial

911. the systems hadn't been updated. we wanted to find out what happened dialled 911 from the room. you get a busy signal. because of that henry hunt wanted to make a change. he started an online petition to pass a law requiring direct access to emergency services. my 9-year-old granddaughter tried and she said it wouldn't work. i felt guilty, it's our job as adults to make sure it doesn't happen again. >> the commissioner vowed this week to look into the matter. in a statement he said:

>> trey fogarty dedicated to improving 911 services says the think. >> for every day it goes by without federal legislation millions of americans in hotels, college dormitories and ordinary office buildings are put at risk because they can't reach 911. updating systems to support access to 911 could potentially save lies. after learning about the incident, hotel general manager cj clayton took matters into her own hands at her newly opened suites in long view texas. >> the measure of my business is to make people safe. i have children also. i would not want my child feeling she could have saved my life if she had dialled 911 and

couldn't do that because of system. configuring the phone system took hours. we are lucky because we are new. if they are older, there's a limited scope. >> there's no words to explain how i felt. it was just phenomenal. we didn't have to approach her. she just did it. she knew what was right and couldn't - she hated that it. >> as far as justice is concerned we'll let god sort that out. right now i'm working on what i think we need to be working on. that's where i want to take it. that's the justice, for this to nation. >> although they can never have kari back, the hunts are not giving up a fight for a new law that could be standard across the nation.

>> the hotel group where dunn was killed told "america tonight": >> earlier in the week i spoke with fcc commissioner, who was moved by kari dunn's story. changed. >> it's such a simply fix. usually it's a matter of recalibrating technology that exists. if breanna dunn reached on outside line, there's no telling what would happen. that is probably replicated over the country every day. >> you reached out and talked to kari dunn's father, what did he tell you. >> he told me he never expected the issue to get a public response.

he was hoping for 100 sits. it's at 422,000 sits, and he said that he was grateful to me for taking an interest in the issue. i told him, "this is our obligation." the s cc's primary goal is to protect the safety and life of property through communications. this tragic case will hopefully have a silver lining. this. >> a -- come to know about this. >> a letter was september to the fcc alerting us -- sent to the fcc alerting us about this case. i couldn't believe that this poor 9-year-old witnessed this 911. >> and never reached anybody. i reached out to mark, and asked him to come to my office. he described the issue and he said, "we don't know of the scope of the problem." i announced monday i'll start an

inquiry to figure out the facts. i sent a letter to the ceos of the top hotel chains. i asked "it someone dials 911 from a hotel room, what happens", and if they don't reach a trained personnel, how do we fix it. >> can the fcc mandate the change? do you have authority to control what the individual hotel companies or institution that uses dial 9 first. >> as mark pointed out, and as i believe myself, the greatest barrier and not regulation or law as awareness. >> cj clayton managers the road. >> the woman stepped forward and said... >> becoming aware of the issue was enough to insent vis her to change the situation. hotel operators and guests over the country.

it's a no-brainer for them, that hopefully awareness will be the tonic needed. >> to underscore the point, the neighbouring hotel went in and reprogrammed the phones. we saw a number of places in our earlier report, a number of parts of this country have dead zones. it's not just a matter of the hotels being at issue, but there's significant parts of the country where 911 is not an option. what do we do there? >> that's a key gap, a basic function that people expect out of a communication system. that when there's a crisis you dial 911 and you reach someone that will help you. something that i and my colleagues focussed on are that there are no more gaps. as technology evolves, internet and others become ubiquitous. we have the core functionality.

>> in the area, and we heard expert, some of the areas are remote. they might not have cellular service, there might be reservations or park areas - will there be additional adjustments. will the fcc man the change. >> it's crucial to ensure communication technologies that are at exposals are put to use. in the course of my duties, we went to a rural town in alaska. in some places they don't have cellular services. a broadcaster might be the way to reach someone in need. we have to think broadly. because we are a vast and diverse country. >> fcc commissioner joining us here. after the break, the students of immigration - what it's like to learn america. a documentary next.

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>> techknow on al jazeera america >> the story of immigration is one that resonates with almost all of us. children grow up listening to parents and grandparents telling us about the struggles endured as they come to a new land. for young immigrants pressures are different as they adapt to american customers. here is a documentary "i learn america." >> i am brandon garcia. i've been in the united states for four years and come from guatemala. my dad says i'm going to the united states. he was coming here halfway,

mexico, and was killed. when i was two and a half years old my mum decided to come to the united states. she had to leave nee in guatemala. when i was 11 she told me that i could come. then we went to the border. it was the hardest thing that we had to go through. there were 30 people, two kids, and younger kids. for three days we walked. we only rest five times. and there were shooting stars, a lot of shooting stars. every time i passed one, we started thinking of my dad. that's when a plane comes by. it was an army plane. i hope nothing bad happens to me.

they tell us we have to keep going or we get caught. we started walking. we had to go down, up, down, up. we walked up the hill. the leader was like guess what day is today. it was christmas. the christmas i will never forget. i spend christmas. i started crying. i mean, i made it. i made it to the united states. >> when i came to america, my first goal was to see my mother. but after 10 years, it's like totally different for 10 years she don't know me. it was kinds of like putting two

persons in the room and kind of to meet each other. >> my mom started telling me that she's your sister. this is your brother, here is your dad. i only wanted to be me and my mom. it was so confusing that took a really long time. still going on. i mean, i don't really know my mom real well. >> the documentary is "i learn america." and for more on this, we turn to the prints pal of the school that brandon a attorneys, this is i don't know harrman principal at the international high school lafayette. thanks for being with us, your school is not only home to this young man but other children from many places in the world. >> yes. so thank you very much for having me today. and, yes, our school is -- we

have 350 students, and they come from 39 different countries, speak 20 different languages, so it's a very diverse place with many, many different stories, with brandon's story being one important one as well as the others that are feature in the documentary. >> what is the shared experience that they have. you say 20 different ladies and gentlemen whims, it must be hard to bring them altogether with a common theme. >> well, much like we think about immigration, we also think this is part of the richness of our school. that the students, although there are many challenges that are involved in coming to a new country and the -- like the ones that brandon described and featured in the documentary. there are many riches that those students bring to our lives and our school community. we work very hard with the students and the families and the community to to do what we can to support them in the transition in coming to the united states and adjusting to a new life. and being successful here. >> why -- why is it necessary to do that? i mean, i suppose there is a way to look at it as, saying, look,

doesn't it make more sense to bring students with so many different cultures and countries and languages together one place or make more sense to disperse them? >> the international -- as part of the internations that work for public schools, and our schools came in to being as kinds of a response to trying to find a place where students who were recent immigrants could feel safe in the school, could develop language, we really concentrate on supporting their language development and every class and at every level. and then also providing the support that their families need in this transition. so it started with one school and in long island city and queens and then over the years, it spreads through both new york city and also on the west side we also have some schools. so it's been important to be able to provide support for students, with all of the different needs and being a school of all recent immigrants allows us to focus that. >> what is the biggest need on day one, when a young persons comes in to your school?

>> i think the biggest need is insuring that they feel safe. and insuring that the students and their families understand that this is a place where they are welcome, where they will be, you know, protected, where their ladies and gentlemen will will be dropped and culture and customs and past will be honored. i think in the very first it's finding ways to help the students, feel like they are in a place where they can take risks with language, where they can explore this new city in this new country. >> but beyond the students that come to your school. as brandon referred, to you know, there was that challenge, that inter generational challenge when the young people to him do your school, their english gets better they become part of an american culture, their parents do not always. >> exactly. the experience -- every experience is different. the experience i think of being an adolescent or teenager coming to the country, is a unique one. in that oftentimes there is separation from the family. and so there is that reuniting and that kind of challenge and that tran transition and then ao there is just the challenge of

adolescents which is wonderful in the documentary, you see them struggling, translating for parents when the parents may not understand very important documents and things that are happening around them and depending on their child and then there is the what color of dress for prom do i wear. it's a nice in i can true of making the stories of our students known to everyone and showing that in some ways it's really complex and really different and in other ways, it's like every other teenager going through things everywhere in the world. >> so as an administrator you face this, i suppose you have worked in other places as well as an administrator the challenge is also to bridge these two world. >> exactly. i think, again, part of the challenge is really making sure that our students are able to -- and the broader community and those who are outside of our school coming in -- can understand that these students bring enormous resource to his our communities and to our lives and country. and so bridging sometimes that communication gap is also really

important one. whether we are working with external organizations or partner organizations, or other schools that may not have a large immigrant population. >> john harriman principal of the international high school at lafayette. thanks so much for being with us. >> thank you very much. al jazerra presents "i learn america" on sunday at 9:00 eastern, you'll hear more of brandon's story and others as well. looking adhere on "america tonight clem. stealing education, how parents are striving for better by navigating around their own zip codes. >> try to be individual lent about creating a registration system that confirms that the children who are enrolled in the school actually live in the district. because the people who live in a wealthy district are funding the education. >> they are personally funding the schools. it all comes on the backs of those taxpayers, so if you say,

well, there is a kid from newark who is trying to sneak in, we are not going to pay for that kid. he doesn't live here. every year thousands of students try to ditch their failing neighborhood school districts and then illegal enroll in schools outside. "america tonight" will go in-depth with special correspond dent soldado brine as she explores the crack down and the measures to solve the differences. also after the break, we'll have our exclusive look at an oscar nominate the film from a descendant of the man who was held 12 years a slave. millions who need assistance now. we appreciate you spending time with us tonight. up next is the golden age of hollywood going golden but elsewhere.

why l.a.'s mayor has declared a state of emergency for the entertainment industry there. next.

♪ ♪ now look at history. what we know, and what we don't know about our communities or families even ourselves. this week the film "12 years a live" was honored with nine oscar nominations including some of the very biggest ones, best picture, actor, director, best adapted screenplay. this film tells the story of soloman and his kidnapping in to slavery during a trip to our nation's capitol. solomon was eventually reunited with his family as a a freeman but not until 1853.

and then not all of his decent ardid hedescendants knew of hisc journey now hidden details are coming to life for at least within of them, north rupp's great, great, great, great grandson clayton adams in, an interview he took us on a walk in the food steps of his ancestor. >> for 15 years clayton adams has been in search of soloman north rupp, his great, great, great grandfather but also in search of himself. >> i thought you knew who i was at a young age, i knew my history, my grandmother but that's as far back as i could go. thinking that i know who i am and reading this and realizing there is more to me than just two generations back.

it's hard to trace your history because of the slade trade. it was a missing piece in my life that i didn't know was missing. >> step after step solomon northrup's out biography, now a major motion picture was his road map, providing how he was kidnapped and sold in to slavery after being a freed man. i accompanied clayton down penn pennsylvania avenue in washington, d.c. where for the first time i retraced his steps where soloman spent his last days as a freeman. >> this is the hotel where he stayed at when he came to washington city. this is also the place that he was kidnapped. and brought down to the williams slave pen to get sold in to slavery. >> so this is the last place where he was a freeman? >> this was the last place where he was free and this is my first time ever being at this spot in

all move travel to his washington city. the book is so detailed that i felt like i was there right next to solomon seeing through his eyes what he was going through being sold in to slavery. now i can see in his eyes. what he was seeing before he was even kidnapped. >> after soloman was drugged by two kidnappers at the hotel, he woke up just a few blocks away in shackles at the williams slave pen on seventh and independence. where the faa building stands today. >> which direction is the capitol? >> it's right down this way right now. the air and space museum is in the way of the view that he would have had. >> whew. so that means that this definite is the corner because he stayeded in his -- estateed in his book when he regained consciousness and looked out the basement cellar window that he directly saw the u.s. capitol that's how he knew that he was still in washington, d.c. and he

wasn't at least yet sold down south to slavery. >> days ago i was with my fami family. and my home. now you tell me all is lost. >> about you just all few days later solomon northup along with other men who had been kidnapped was taken to louisiana where he was endure the next 12 years a slave. >> solomon northup's story is part of american history. it is a history of america that has been swept under the rug for way too long. i actual just making sure that his history is not known just to his family, bu but letting them know that we are getting your story out to the world because his story represents thousands of cases. we are proud of solomon northup for his strength, his perseverance, his faith, his love for his family, and letting them know that it has been

passed onto generations. i made sure my children know and i know that they will make sure that their children know as well. >> clayton said he attempt towed to watch the movie three times. but was so overwhelmed with emotion, he was never able to make it to the end. when he read from an original copy of solomon's book, it became apparent why. >> in the very last page of his book, estates my narrative is at an end, and i have no comment to his make upon the subject of slavery. those who read this book may form their own opinions of the peculiar institution. what it may be in other states, i do not profess to know. what it is in the region of the red river is truly and faithfully delineated in these pages. this is not fix shun, no edge an raise. i hope hence forwards to lead an

up right, though lowly life. and rest -- and rest at last in a church yard where my father sleeps. so in his book his last request was when he died was to lay right next to his father, which is a grave site i have visited many times, but unfortunately, solomon is not there. his last request. hopefully this movie would shed some light as to where he is now. 16 years of research, we still don't know. and if -- if we could figure out

where he is to transport his body back to the cemetery so that his final wish will come true. >> clayton adams speaking with our correspondent christof. from script to scene, long before "12 years a slave" resonated with movie goers it was a memoirs. then one inspired writer brought solomon northup's words to the big screen, who is now oscar nominated. earlier this week i spoke to him about what in he want to be the african-american story tell he f "12 years a slave"? >> it's interesting. in the initial phase i thought was a singular document. in terms of the preseufrpbgts pe writing and the elevated nature. when you write it's a cool remove. somewhat like mathematics making the script work honing the narrative. when i saw the film for the

first time, particularly with an audience and you understand how this group of people has taken a piece of history and really given it life and put it on its feet and when you are with 200 people and they move as one, and they are touched as one, that's when i really start today realize how powerful the written word can be. and i don't mean just my written word, but when somebody leaves something behind, and it can last and survive and find itself in time, that was really powerful. and that was really a strong moment, but equally powerful are moments when i have traveled with this film around the world and it's not just black american history. it's not just american history. this is the history of all of us. it really is. and for as an american who has watched films that have been about tragedies or seminole moments in other countries, it's really interesting to have folks from another country come here to america, look through the

dust bin of our history, fine something and lift it up and say, how come you folks aren't paying attention to something significant like this. >> right under your feet. not only for you, but for others involved in the cast, this is a diverse cast. it represents so much a change in what we normally think of in the hollywood machine. >> yeah. >> and it's a big responsibility. >> you know, it's a -- it's one of those things where in retrospect you realize the responsibility across the board of trying to take a document that's very special and not -- >> such a special story. >> a personal story to take a film and say we are taking all these individuals and put them in the mix and not mess that up. but it's awesome in a way that for me, i tried to be reduction tiff about it. i got two boys, i have two young men, and you know, if i were going to leave something that i wanted them to be aware of, you know, what is really the measure of a man or a person, an individual? the characteristics that were in

this book, in this story, that's what i wanted them to be ware of. and that's for my kids, that's for anybody's kids that cuts across all races and demographics. but if you sit -- for me anyway, if i sit and think i am preaching to the world. that is awesome and i don't mean that in i a good way. if you look at the people next to you and go what could i say to you and how could i affect you in just some small way that's what kept me focused those two minuting vinnie ma i was blessed -- two young men that i was pressed with. >> talk about the movie business and this time for african americans the kinds of movies we have seen in the last year. extraordinary films not just yours by busch extraordinary films representing african americans in ways that i think that you have to agree are new to the hollywood machine. >> they are certainly new as you say to the hollywood machine. you look at our film "12 clears a slave shell. the butler, mandela, i might even go back to red tails and out putt that in. but also in you look at some of the films that are in there like

think like a man, best man holiday, you know, it's not just these wonderful high-minded aspirational films, it's just regular fai films for regular fs that entertain and i think it's great. i think there has been a shift in the marketplace -- i should say a shift in the per sefrpgts marketplace because there has always been a diverse audience out there that is hungry to see people like them, story like them. >> do you know where you are? >> do i know where i am right now? >> right now. >> i am in the united states of america, i am in the district of claim columbia. >> you are in the museum. >> in the museum. >> which is at sixth and pennsylvania. >> sixth and pennsylvania. when? >> is where solomon northup woke up and looked to the capitol. >> you know what, i did not know that. that is really pretty sa awesom. and just to see the capitol here, in this pan ram, a yeah, that's actually pretty awesome. i can't imagine what it would have been like for this

gentlemen, who was born free, to find himself in a slave pen and look at the rise of the symbol of democracy and wonder why he was separated from it. >> and why -- whether he would ever be free again? >> yeah. you know, it's -- you know, one of the very difficult things about working on this project was, you know, i am a man living in 2008, and there was so many elements of this that were so specific to a different time and place and a different era, and i did not want to be additive in that story. i did not want to supposed some better other perspective about slavery or freedom or what it would have been like in that era, and it's been very difficult when people say, you know, i saw the film and it's a really great script and i am thank tthank. for that, but i just know that solomon's words have been so much of a guide. maybe it would have been got.

but the power and things like that. it's honestly because he was able to communicate his wife in a way that was very sean. tessential. to sit here now and know this is the spot where that happened, is -- i wasn't expecting that. i really was not. >> as incredible as it is, solomon northups story could have been lost to the dust bin of history were it not for this remarkable fill. we captured a really touching real life scene this week as john ridley med northups great, great, great grandson for the very first time here in our "american tonight" studios and it is the museum up as well, the site former hotel where solomon northup was kidnapped. >> it's such a flesh turks really is.

>> every sunday night aljazeera america presents gripping films from the worlds top documetary directors. >> everybody's different here... >> for students at the esteemed international high school at lafayette everyday is a fight to suceeed >> it was my dream to get a high school diploma >> but a failing grade can mean loosing it all... >> i don't know how my life would look, if i would get deported... >> will they make it in america? >> i have a chance... >> i learn america

consider this: the news of the day plus so much more. >> we begin with the government shutdown. >> answers to the questions no one else will ask. >> it seems like they can't agree to anything in washington no matter what. >> antonio mora, award winning and hard hitting. >> we've heard you talk about the history of suicide in your family. >> there's no status quo, just the bottom line. >> but, what about buying shares in a professional athlete?

♪ ♪ three years after a major earthquake and then tsunami struck japan "mesh tonight" returned to the town of fukushima to investigate fears after the crisis. according to japanese government. the tsunami unleashed roughly 5 million tons of debris in for the pacific ocean, scientists he want mate 70% of the debris sank quickly but the remaining punish with the 5 million tons are swirling around in the pacific adding to the loads of plastic already there. it is difficult to estimate exactly how much a trash is flot throwing the pacific, but as "america tonight's adam may reports it's easy to see it's negative impact even in paradi paradise.

>> reporter: beautiful beaches, white sands, pristine water, the ocean means everything to hawaii. it attract surfers from around the world who catch waves on the north shore. families who save up for their dream vacation and couples seeking that perfect romantic get way. on a good year, hawaii's tourism industry brings in well over $10 billion. mark manual, grew up on these beaches. >> this is my home and i feel a responsibility to do my part to make sure that my children and my children's children have clean beaches. >> reporter: manuel made doing his part his full-time job. he works for noaa, the national oceanic and atmospheric administration. for more than 13 years, noaa has been trying to keep these islands clean. >> there is just a constant flux of plastic it's a constant battle. >> reporter: manual's job just got harder.

>> throughout main hawaiian islands we have been getting numerous pieces of the tsunami debris. we positively i.d.s two items, a seven meeter fishing boat that washed up on midway atoll. >> reporter: radiation from the debris is not a major fear, according to most experts, the problem is adding more debris to what is already there. >> i think a misconception is that anything with japanese writing on it s* in the tsunami we have been finding things can korean write, from the united states as well. >> reporter: does it ever maze you how far the trash travels? >> absolutes life. it's amazing considering the things that we find. televisions, tires, ligh light . >> reporter: this beach is cleaned regularly by the city of honolulu. but some of hawaii's more remote beaches, don't see the same treatment. >> every year or so, we get a group together and we try to go up in to the northwestern hawaiian islands and do clean-up efforts. >> reporter: the northern islands act like eye fine tooth

comb. filtering did he agree from the north pacific, it's a system of currents wish push being the waters of the pacific and everything in them in a clockwise circle creating what many call the great pacific garbage patch where trash all shapes and size is his particularly defense throughout the water column. close to 90% of that garbage is plastic. it definitely makes for annually day at the beach. but that's not mark manual's only motivation. >> the main reason why the project actually started was to try to minimize the potential impacts of entanglement for our endangers hawaiian mon seal and sea turtles. >> they eat plastic bags and play i go thinking it's food it gets lodged in their intestines or far worst with be chemicals leaving out of the plastic that would kill them. >> reporter: jeff works with animals, affected by plastic at

hawaii's sea life park. >> if we don't do something, and we can't treat our environment better with more respect, it's going have a significant impact and maybe this guy is going to be gone. >> reporter: this plastic problem isn't always evident, at first glance, this beautiful hawaiian beach may appear untouched. until you dig in, and take a closer look, sift the sand and you find endless tiny pieces of plastic from who knows where having a devastating effect on wildlife. >> we have found out something very staggering last year with a researcher at a local university, he developed a technique where he can ultrasound living birds without harming them and he found that almost every bird had some degree of plastic injection. i couldn't believe it. i was stunned. >> reporter: every bird. >> almost every bird that came through our doorway. >> reporter: sea life park opens its doors to the public to bring in birds injured by plastic and other ocean debris. >> this particular guy was wrapped in fishing line. and the biggest concern we

always have with the fishing line entangle little is if it's too tight around a an ex-trim at this we could have to amputate. we may free release him but the biggest problem is if they become too comfortable around people they are not the best candidate for release in to the wild. >> reporter: the alternative was to let them die covered in fishing line, the sad irony is the debris, including large cargo nets float in this ocean act as mobile reefs attacking all kind of fish and the fish attract other wildlife. according to a recent study, plastic absorbs chemicals from the water, fish ingesting the plastic ingest the the chemicals well potentially impacting the fish we eat. >> when swao we see the big caro nets we fish them. we go to them and fish them. >> reporter: fisherman like mike get the brunt of the blame for

plastic debris, lines and nets from his own industry. but he says fishermen get caught up in it too. >> it's a hazard to fishing and driving a boat. i remember one incidents where the coast guard sent me an e-mail asking me if i could go to another vessel that i didn't even know was there because they were so completely fouled and took them hours to cut it all out. it worries me because i make a living off having a clean environment. if i don't have a clean environment, i don't have fish. >> reporter: he does his part keeping degree out of the ocean both by reusing. >> this was debris. so now we use it as a chair. >> reporter: and what he doesn't sit on, he recycles. >> so whatever we pick up, we bring back and then we deliver it to a special bin. >> reporter: a program called nets to energy, is hawaii's effort to turn plastic in to power. massive clippers used for cutting through steel slice through piles of recovered nets.

at the incinerator, they join the rest of oahu's trash. >> turn it back in to energy, they burn it. >> reporter: with some c.o. two emissions that energy does help power about 10% of the island but it's only putting a dent in the debris dilemma. mark manual says the funding for clean ups isn't consistent. and more plastic is left at sea. endangering wildlife and they wanting the beautiful beaches that he hawaiian economy depends on. >> there is just an endless flux of plastics i would like to say it's getting better but every time i go there there is a lot of plastic this is and we just, again, try to do our best. >> reporter: but every day there is more. during a recent clean up, mark manual's team recovered close to 100 plastic utensils, over 300 plastic toys. close to 900 flip-flops. fourteen tons of trash in total.

more than enough to keep him motivated. >> if you see a piece of trash on the beach or on the street, pick it up. it will end up in the ocean some way. >> reporter: and if it does, mark manual might be the one picking it up. adam may, al jazerra, hawaii. >> right now most fishing nets are made of plastic. according to the energy company in charge of hawaii's nets to energy project, the number of recycled nets is decreasing but it may not mean less plastic it may mean less money to help retrieve the plastic on must more remote beaches. you may have noted one section of your assume supermarket ex-tacked on a daily base i.meat replacement products are hot dishes these days, recent innovations that turned up the flavor and made the meals closer to the real deal. as tech know's marina davis tell us us, scientists from missouri has turned up with a product

that looks like chicken and tastes like chicken being, but it was created in a lab. >> reporter: grilled, sauteed, possessed or processed. america's obsession with meat is ferocious. >> four pounds. even better. >> reporter: and bigger is bet when it comes to our appetite as evident in this iconic fast food went i's ad from the 1980s when epitomizes american's infatuation with meat. >> where is the beef? >> reporter: we consume over 270 pounds per person per year. but now the demands for meat is spread to go new global heights and experts predict we won't be able to sustain. >> i would say we are already not doing it sustainably. we are already drawing on the planet's resources more than we should be if you just look at climate change alone. >> reporter: the united nations estimates that meat consumption will rise nearly 75% by 2050. the rising trend has triggered a new crop of meat alternatives hoping to ease our reliance.

here in california, we have a small town with a cozy feel. but it's also the headquarters of a start up with ambitions that are anything but small. ♪ >> i had a calling internally to do something about the animal welfare cone together the climate change and, human health. >> reporter: ethan brown is the ceo of beyond meat. >> as a started looking at technology, you would still be able to enjoy meat but it would be all out of plant matter. taking protein from plants and instead of running it through the industrial livestock system, we are creating fiber structure as it is reminiscent of meat. >> reporter: what maids your product unique? >> it's the beauty of the fibrous structure that is inning dishable for meat. not saying we are there, we were 70, 80% there. we are not going to stop until you can look at a chicken breast and our product and say i can't tell the difference. >> reporter: it's one thing to

say your product looks and taste the most like chicken, but it's another to put it to the test in an authentic texas barbecue. get ready for a throw down. >> we cooked up a pulled chicken sandwich that doesn't have chicken in it do you want to give did a shot? >> yeah. >> it tastes like chicken. >> are you ready give up your brief brisket do a chicken sandwich like this? >> honestly, not yet. but it's pretty good. >> you can see the full story behind i don't understand meat and also join phil torres on his journey deep in the rain for he ises of peru as he tries to solve a spidery mystery in the jungle. that's coming up on sunday, 7:30 eastern on techknow here on al jazerra america. ahead in our final thoughts this evening, a native american fisherman who is pulling for a lot more than fish. a story from our american treasure series is up next.

los >> al jazeera america is a straight-forward new

♪traight-forward new ♪ finally tonight from us, a new chapter in our american treasure series. tonight we feature a native american man who has turned to a new pursuit for his retirement. he's going to pass on the roots of his heritage. meet marlon holden of squim,

washington. >> this country is rich, hugely rich in other cultures. different cultures have put a richness in our country that i don't believe any other country has. that's pretty amazing when you think about it. it always makes me feel good to go out there and do fish in the same waters that mayan cesc tours did. and it's a right that i have and i enjoy that right. and it's reliving what my ancestors did. it's not work to me, it's fun. i get good exercise out of it as el w i am marlon holds en. i am a native american and tribal sit sent james town tribe located in squim, washington.

i am retiring i guess you might say. now i am putting my effort in to go and climbing and crab is aring and those kind of natural resources. fishing is a very difficult area to make money and to feed a family. most of our young people can't do it, they are either working, fining work or going to school whatever it takes for them to get a career. and we have to make a point of being out there. we have to keep it going to keep our heritage in the fissures. i feel really good when i am out there. you go in to a mode of relaxation and thinking about a lot of different things, my mind runs through a lot of different things and so it's enjoyable and it's relaxing to me.

yeah, i was crabbing off the old village and it was a nice, warm summer day and when we are clean our traps, picking them to get the crabs out and a threw bait out and the two singles crabbed on one end of it. and they weren't letting go and they were squawking and their wings were flapping and i said i look at that and i have an answer for this problem i reached in and to get a nice piece of bait out of my bucket there and i just threw it out there and they saw it splash. but they never let go of that rag hrag he haddie piece of baia looked at that and said we humans are like, we want to win no matter what. sometimes the answer is right there but we are not going to back off and we both lose like the see gal gulls did. one could have had a nice chunk of bait but you can learn from nature like that.

it's not only important that i connect with my ancestors, and with the tribe as it is now, but it's also very, very important that i am responsible in my generation for the next seven generations. so we have a big responsibility of passing our knowledge of our history of our ancestry, of our rights to the next generations to carry on. you know, we need good examples to look at. so i am hoping that i am a good example for those kids to look at. to know that that old guy is still out there digging clams, that's not a bad deal. maybe i can be doing that. it's huge. as a responsibility. but it's one that i enjoy taking on because it is -- it is the future. marlon holden, and he is

truly an american treasure. that's it for us here on "mesh tonight," please remember if you would like to comment on any of the stories that you have seen on our program tonight, log onto our website aljazerra.com/americatonight. on that site you can meet our team, get sneak previews of other stories we are working on and tell us what you want to see on our nightly country affairs program and please join the conversation with us on twitter or at our facebook page. good night we'll have more of "mesh tonight" tomorrow.

cl >> welcome to al jazeera america. i hope morgan radford, live from new york city. here are the top stories: syria's main rebel group will attend the peace conference in switzerland next week. 75 coalition members voted in istanbul, and the majority were in favour of attending the talks. it will be the first face-to-face meeting since the war began in 2011 >> another mayor is accusing chris christie's office of retaliation. she said chris christie's staff demanded she approval a real estate project in order to receive money for hurricane sandy. >> now in fact about the