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Experts say zoos need to better meet the needs of animals. For a mother and kids at the Philadelphia Zoo, in Pennsylvania, it was a close encounter of the ferocious kind. Directly in front of them was a Siberian tiger.…

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Back to Animals

A zoo can be an awesome place to see animals first hand and learn about what they eat, their habits, environment, and all sorts of other interesting facts about animals. Another name for a zoo is zoological garden.

Today zoos are becoming better and better places for animals. In the past some zoos were somewhat cruel to animals. Placing animals in environments they were not suited for and often not keeping the animal's best interest in mind. However, today many zoos do wonderful work in animal research and take great care of their animals.

Photo by Ducksters

Some good things that many Zoos do today include:

Acting as sanctuaries for endangered animals. They provide a safe environment for animals that are being threatened by changes in the environment. Often zoos will work to breed and maintain endangered animal populations. Sometime animals are nearly extinct in the wild and the only place they survive is in zoos.

Education on wildlife. Zoos provide a great opportunity for us to learn more about creatures from distant lands.

Research on wildlife and how we can help animals survive radical changes. Zoos do veterinary medicine research as well.

Today's modern zoos house animals in enclosures that are similar to the animal's natural habitat. This can include buildings made for nocturnal animals where they are bright at night, so the animals can sleep, and dark during the day, so zoo visitors can see the animals moving about. Also, climates are controlled in some zoo enclosures for animals like penguins and polar bears. Many zoos have great open spaces as well where animals may graze together. Some zoos have an area where you can take a mini-safari or ride around in a truck or bus to hopefully see the animals up close.

Perhaps the most famous zoo is the San Diego Zoo in Southern California. Many modern zoo practices were pioneered at the San Diego Zoo. The largest zoo in number of animals is the Bronx Zoo with over 6000 animals. The largest zoo in land size is the North Carolina Zoo with 535 acres.

Photo by Ducksters

Seeing an elephant, giraffe, lion, polar bear, penguins, seals, or other incredible creatures at the zoo can be an amazing experience. Be sure to check out your local zoo and get the opportunity to see some awesome animals and learn more about nature.

Another great place to see animals, similar to a zoo, is at an aquarium. Most states have an aquarium where they display all sorts of fish and some sea mammals.More on endangered species:
Amphibians in Danger
Endangered Animals
How Animals Become Extinct
Wildlife Conservation
Zoos

Back to Animals

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Learn about the zoo. History and types of zoological gardens. List of Zoos with interesting animals.

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Do you love to play sports? For many kids, there's nothing quite like the exercise and fun that come from being part of a team. Maybe you play baseball, basketball, football, or soccer. Perhaps you prefer softball or volleyball. No matter what sports you enjoy, there is fun to be had on a field or a court near you.

Some athletes take things to the next , though. Rather than playing traditional sports, they strike out on their own. No, we're not talking about bowling or jogging. We're talking about extreme sports!

What is an extreme sport? There's no set definition. For the most part, though, extreme sports are athletic activities involving one person that are dangerous in some way. Most extreme sports give athletes a rush of adrenaline . This is what drives many of them to take part.

What types of activities do most people call extreme sports? It's a long list! It includes skateboarding, surfing, bungee jumping, snowboarding, whitewater kayaking, mountain climbing, and ice climbing. Many would add BASE jumping, heli-skiing, BMX biking, bull riding, and cliff diving to the list. Even mountain biking, cave diving, ski jumping, speed skiing, and street luging are often called extreme sports.

Just thinking about many of those activities is enough to give most people goosebumps. That feeling of fear and is what drives many extreme sports athletes. They seek to test themselves in all sorts of death-defying ways. Many people also enjoy watching extreme sports. Their popularity has soared in recent years.

You may have seen extreme sports on TV or social media. Some of the athletes receive large sponsorships. Many companies want to link their brands with these thrill seekers. Some sponsorships allow extreme sports athletes to compete professionally.

The best extreme sports athletes can have long and profitable careers. But even the smallest mistakes in these sports can have major-even - consequences . Between 2000 and 2011, over four million injuries were caused by extreme sports.

Many of these injuries can be prevented. Unfortunately, the young people who are most likely to in extreme sports sometimes lack good judgment. The lure of Internet leads many to attempt things they're not ready for.

Extreme sports can be very dangerous. Never in an activity you haven't prepared for. If you think you would like to try an extreme sport, get advice from friends and family members first. You should also learn from experts in the sport. If you proceed, start small. Your safety is always what's most important.

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Today's Wonder of the Day is extremely interesting!

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Extreme Sports Facts

Check out our range of extreme sports facts.

Learn about the summer and winter X Games, different types of extreme sports, the surfaces and environments such as water, land, snow and air, as well as lots more interesting facts and information.

Extreme sports, sometimes called action sports or adventure sports, do not have an exact definition but are generally considered to be activities that are seen as having a high level of potential danger.

Extreme sports often involve high speeds, dangerous heights, the requirement for a high level of specialist technical skill, and highly specialized gear or equipment.

Success in extreme sports usually involves judging panels scoring athletes based on visual and technical criteria and completion of a 'trick'.

Height based extreme sports include Bungee jumping, skydiving, BASE jumping, paragliding and hang gliding.

Water based extreme sports include scuba diving, windsurfing, kitesurfing, wakeboarding surfing, whitewater kayaking and rafting.

Wheel based extreme sports include BMX, skateboarding, mountain biking, inline skating, rally car and motocross.

Winter based extreme sports include skiing, snowboarding, and snowmobile.

Cliff and cave based extreme sports include rock climbing, ice climbing, caving, free diving, mountaineering and cave diving.

The X Games are an annual extreme sports event, organized by the U.S. sports broadcaster ESPN. Participants compete to win gold, silver, and bronze medals along with prize money.

The first Summer X Games were held in 1995 in Newport, Rhode Island. The first Winter X Games were held in 1997 at Mountain Resort, Big Bear Lake, California.

X Games are typically held in the USA. The winter games are held in January or February and the summer games are usually held in August.

X Games have also been held in Asia since 1998 and Europe since 2010.

The X Games competitions often makes heroes of those athletes who are talented and brave enough to pull of a new and exciting 'trick' such as Tony Hawk's 900 in skateboarding, Travis Pastrana's double backflip in freestyle motocross, Heath Frisby's first snowmobile front flip or snowboarder Torstein Horgmo's triple flip.

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Extreme Sports Facts - Information About X Games, Action Sports & More

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Extreme Sports Facts Check out our range of extreme sports facts. Learn about the summer and winter X Games, different types of extreme sports, the surfaces and environments such as water, land, snow and air, as well as lots more interesting facts and information.

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A sea turtle swims through the water and spots a white blob floating near the surface. "Yum!" it thinks. "A jellyfish!" Chasing after its dinner, the turtle swallows the item. But the floating blob isn't a jelly-it's a plastic bag that could make the sea turtle sick.

This sea creature isn't alone: Over 700 species of marine animals have been reported to have eaten or been entangled in plastic. Scientists think that the amount of plastic in the ocean might triple by 2050-and that would mean seriously bad news for the ocean and the creatures that live there. But by understanding the issue and taking action, you can help stop that from happening.

What's the problem with plastic?

First, let's get real: Not all plastic is bad. Bike helmets, car airbags, and many medical supplies made with plastic save lives. Plastic water bottles can bring clean drinking water to people who don't have it, and plastic straws can help people with disabilities drink.

The problem is that most of us use and then toss way more plastic than we need: things like grocery bags, drink bottles, straws, food wrappers, and plastic packaging around toys. This kind of plastic that's used only once before being thrown away is called single-use plastic, and it makes up more than 40 percent of all plastic trash.

Where does the plastic go?

That's a lot of trash. Scientists think that 8.8 million tons of plastic winds up in the ocean every year-that's as if you stacked up five plastic grocery bags full of trash on top of each other on every foot of coastline in the world.

How does it get into the sea? Plastic left on the ground as litter often blows into creeks and rivers, eventually ending up in the ocean. And because plastic trash is different from other types of waste-it doesn't decompose back into nature like an apple core or a piece of paper-it stays in the ocean forever. That means discarded fishing nets and six-pack rings can entangle animals; harmful straws and grocery bags can be mistaken as food.

What can we do about it?

You can do so much to help keep Earth clean! You can look at how much single-use plastic your family uses by filling out a plastic journal for a week-then talking about what you can do to use less. Need ideas? Check out these quick tips to reduce your plastic waste. By working together, our choices can help save animals-and the ocean they live in.

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What Are Some Advantages of Bottled Water?

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What Are Some Advantages of Bottled Water?

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What Are Some Advantages of Bottled Water?

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While some people might argue that it’s silly to spend money on something you can get for…

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Slopestyle can be dangerous. But is it too risky at Sochi Olympics?

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Slopestyle can be dangerous. But is it too risky at Sochi Olympics?

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Newsela | Some clever chimps stage escape at Kansas City Zoo

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It took a branch, a wall, and a smart chimpanzee ringleader to cause a “Code Red” at the zoo.

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Opinion: Tap water is better than bottled water for people and the Earth

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Opinion: Tap water is better than bottled water for people and the Earth

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Newsela | Opinion: Turn on the taps! Bottled water industry is bad for the Earth

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Bottled water is a big business that depletes aquifers, harms ecosystems and adds to the garbage disposal problem. Plus, tests show bottled water is no healthier than tap water.

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Is your kid obsessed with becoming the next X Games star, Olympic medalist, or YouTube stuntman? Young kids often have no fear when it comes to taking risks, but are extreme sports like dirt bike riding and bungee jumping dangerous for kids?
Related: Sports Safety Tips for Your Child
Though traditional sports like football, basketball, and hockey aren't exactly going out of style, the world of extreme sports is growing in popularity. Kids and adults alike are participating in increasing numbers in these risky-if not sometimes downright dangerous-sports. But why?

From skateboarding and snowboarding to BMX biking and rock climbing, pop culture and social media have collided to amp up physical activity and make super-sized stunts seem like the norm. Long gone are the days when peer pressure from classmates, neighbors or older sibs drove younger children to drop into a half-pipe or launch their bike off a crazy incline.

Today's kiddos are also influenced by...well, influencers. YouTube stars, TikTok creators, and even Olympic athletes have turned extreme sports from something that only the wildest child would attempt to everyday activities.

If your littles are begging to do extreme sports and you're totally new to these types of activities, read on for more info on the risks, benefits, times to encourage your kiddo, and when to flat out say a big 'ol, " NO."

Extreme Sports Growing More Popular with Kids

Some kids are happier riding their skateboards than dealing with the structure of soccer practice. Others like cruising around on their BMX bikes until their legs just quit, surfing themselves silly, or spending the entire weekend learning new tricks on their inline skates.

Of course, young kids are also attracted to extreme sports because they're cool. And who doesn't like being on the cutting edge? Snowboarding, the bad-boy little brother of skiing, was legitimized by sports traditionalists when it became an official Olympic event at the 1998 Nagano Games.

Fast-forward to the 2020 Tokyo Olympics (which were actually held in 2021 thanks to the pandemic) and skateboarding, sport climbing, and surfing became legit gold, silver, and bronze events!

Studies Show Fewer Kids Are Joining School Sports Teams

Have the days of dribbling a ball down a court or passing a puck gone the way of the dinosaurs? According to stats from Project Play, in 2021 the most popular youth sports for children ages six through 12 were bicycling, basketball, and baseball. Even though more than 5.2 million children biked in 2021, this was a significant change from way back in 2008.

The Project Play statistics show that only 18 percent of children reported bicycling in 2021, while a whopping 27.7 percent got active on two wheels in 2008.

Basketball team play dropped from 16.6 percent to 14.5 percent participation and baseball from 16.5 percent to 12.6 percent between 2008 and 2021. The number of children playing other popular team sports, such as soccer, tackle football, and flag football, also dropped during the same time frame.

Basketball is Less Popular But Bicycling is Big with Teens

The same downward trends didn't happen for teen participation in all traditional sports. Bicycling participation grew from 16.8 percent to 21 percent between 2008 and 2021 and baseball play rose from 8.2 percent to 9.5 percent.

What could account for the overall downward trend in team and individual youth sports play? There isn't one reason. But some of the possible explanations include an increasingly competitive climate, the high cost of intensive travel sports (such as hockey), or interest in other activities -such as extreme sports.

Dangerous Sports: Kids in BMX, Climbing, and Bungee Jumping?!

We spoke to Paul Vail, 29, a BMX freestyle bike rider for more than 14 years to learn more about the kinds of extreme sports kids are trying.

Vail says that when it comes to extreme sports, "Today's kids who've been riding skateboards or BMX bikes since they were 12-year-olds will become the parents who say, 'Yes, skateboarding, bike riding -- perfectly acceptable sports for my kid to do. And don't tell me they have to play football or be on the basketball team to be accepted, because that's no longer true.'"

Vail balks at the term "extreme sports." "People have been skydiving, skiing, riding bikes, doing tricks, and taking jumps forever. I think the extreme sports label is a gimmick. I like the term 'alternative sports'."

Extreme or not, it's important to encourage kids to express themselves physically, whether their athletic tastes are trendy or traditional. Both solo and team-oriented sports can build self-confidence, relieve stress, and promote physical fitness -- all of which are vital to growing kids and adults alike.

Kids in "alternative" sports are expressive, highly skilled athletes. And sports like rock climbing, snowboarding, inline skating, surfing, skateboarding, extreme skiing, and mountain biking (to name just a few), require significant technical ability as well as strength and endurance. Plus, alternative sports can help your kids develop positive qualities like discipline, persistence, and determination.

Kids in Ski Jumping or Snowboarding

BMX, skateboarding, and bungee jumping aren't the only extreme sports kids flock to. Even though ski jumping might seem like a new adventurous activity, it made its Olympic debut way back in 1924.

Of course, this doesn't mean kiddos were climbing up mountains, whooshing down slopes, and flying into the air on two skis a century ago. While this soaring sport isn't exactly new, its youth appeal has spiked in recent years. According to Women's Ski Jumping USA, five to eight years old is the age average for ski jumpers to start the sport!

Like ski jumping, snowboarding is a winter-time extreme sport that has skyrocketed in popularity. Again, snowboarding became Olympic-official in 1998. Almost a decade later, in 2006, then-19-year-old Shaun White made his first bid for the gold. But White certainly wasn't the last teen to take this extreme sport up a level and put it center stage.

Seventeen-year-old Chloe Kim became the youngest women's Olympic halfpipe competitor to nab the gold in 2018 at the PyeongChang games. With role models like White and Kim to follow, a whole new generation is getting into the halfpipe!

Not only do today's kiddos follow these, and other top athletes, but during the Olympics, they can watch the extreme antics of snowboarders on YouTube, TikTok, and just about every other social media site.

Kids and Sport Injuries

How dangerous are extreme sports? As a parent, your child's safety is priority number one. And that's why you're not so sure about your kiddo's extreme activities. Even though extreme sports do often come with, as the name implies, extreme risks, these aren't the only athletics that can result in serious injuries.

According to Stanford Medicine Children's Health, each year over 3.5 million children (14 and under) are injured during sports play. This includes more than 775,000 kiddos who require ER treatment. The majority of the injuries requiring hospital-level care are the result of collisions, falls, overexertion (during informal recreational activities) or object-related impacts.

When it comes to the most injuries per sport, football takes the top spot-with nearly 215,000 five- to 14-year-olds treated in hospitals in one year. This number is higher than what you find with some extreme sports. But in general, more children play this type of traditional team sport than engage in extreme activity.

A 2015 study published in the Orthopaedic Journal of Sports Medicine looked at the prevalence of head and neck injuries in extreme sports. The researchers found that between 2000 and 2011 there were more than four million total injuries from these types of activities (this includes adult injuries).

Over 11 percent of these were head and neck injuries. Of these head and neck injuries, the extreme sports with the highest number of incidents included skateboarding, snowboarding, skiing, and motocross.

Fear is probably the number-one reason many of us avoid taking risks. For athletes in extreme sports, conquering fear is part of the adventure of sport. When a skateboarder is practicing tricks on a 15-foot ramp (commonly called a half-pipe), or a mountain biker is flying down a rock-strewn single-track trail, and he makes a mistake and falls -- well, it's going to hurt a little. Okay, maybe a lot.

But the athletes we spoke to didn't complain about injuries. In fact, most have enjoyed relatively injury-free experiences in their sports. Brian Krause, a competitive skydiver for the U.S. Army's Golden Knights, has taken thousands of jumps out of airplanes without so much as a sprained ankle.

But Matt Donovan, a pro downhill mountain bike racer from Massachusetts, said that when he first got serious about racing, his season was "very injury-laden. I had two concussions, a separated shoulder, a broken hand, multiple cuts, and lacerations. And I cracked a rib."

There are two kinds of sports injuries:

1. Chronic Repetitive or Overuse Injuries

Overuse injuries can cause stress fractures, muscle tears, or progressive bone deformities.

2. Acute Injuries

Acute sports injuries occur as a result of trauma from contact with a major force. Acute sports injuries include fractures, broken bones, dislocations, and more serious spinal and brain injuries.

Is It Wrong to Let Children Do Extreme Sports?

Should safety concerns stop your child from trying an extreme sport? There's no one-size-fits-all answer to this question. If your adventure-loving kiddo is all about skateboarding, snowboarding, parkour, BMX biking, or any other high-octane activity, you will need to think about:

Your Child's Age and Developmental Level

Is your child developmentally ready to handle the challenge? What is their skill level when it comes to basic coordination and athletic tasks like running, jumping, and balancing? Can you trust them to act responsibly, follow an instructor's directions, and wear safety equipment correctly?

Your Child's Motivation

Does your child want to become the next Tik Tok star? If your tween has dreams of easily twisting a BMX bike around in mid-air like their fave influencer or thinks videos of teens crashing their skateboards into just about anything and everything is hilarious, they may struggle to stay safe while engaging in an extreme sport.

The Instructor or Coach

Who will teach your child about the sport? A YouTube video or IG video are not a substitute for the real deal. Only a qualified instructor or professional should instruct your child.

The Safety Equipment

Do you know what safety equipment your child will need? Will they wear it? You may need to learn more about the equipment standards before you allow your child to participate in extreme activities.

What types of equipment do children need? The specific items depend on the sport. These could include a helmet, shoulder pads, shin pads, elbow pads, or wrist guards.

According to Seattle Children's Hospital, skiers and snowboarders should wear a helmet that meets ASTM, CEN, or Snell standards. Skateboarders should wear one that conforms to the ASTM F1492 standard. Children who ride bikes or scooters should wear a helmet that meets CPSC or Snell standards, knee pads, and elbow pads.

When is an extreme sport too extreme? If you don't feel comfortable with your child engaging in the activity or don't feel that they can follow safety directions, it's okay to just say no. Some sports are not age-appropriate for younger kids, and you should wait until they're a bit older to try them out.

It's also okay to talk to ask questions, talk to a pro, or take your time gathering facts, stats, and any other info about the adventurous activity! Learn more about extreme sports by taking our quiz here.

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Kids and Extreme Sports: Should They Be Allowed?

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Should kids do extreme sports? BMX riders, snowboarders and X Game stars weigh in on the benefits and risks of kids doing extreme sports.

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Newsela | Instructional Content Platform

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Newsela is an Instructional Content Platform that supercharges reading engagement and learning in every subject.

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About this film

The Story of Bottled Water, released on March 22, 2010 (World Water Day), employs the Story of Stuff style to tell the story of manufactured demand-how you get Americans to buy more than half a billion bottles of water every week when it already flows virtually free from the tap. Over five minutes, the film explores the bottled water industry's attacks on tap water and its use of seductive, environmental-themed advertising to cover up the mountains of plastic waste it produces. The film concludes with a call for viewers to make a personal commitment to avoid bottled water and support public investment in clean, available tap water for all.

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Credits

The Story of Bottled Water was co-created and released by The Story of Stuff Project and a coalition of partners, including Corporate Accountability International, Food & Water Watch, Polaris Institute, Pacific Institute and Environmental Working Group. The movie was produced by Free Range Studios.

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The Story of Bottled Water - Story of Stuff

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About this film The Story of Bottled Water, released on March 22, 2010 (World Water Day), employs the Story of Stuff style to tell the story of manufactured demand-how you get Americans to buy more than half a billion bottles of water every week when it already flows virtually free from the tap.

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Learn more about the Association for Zoos and Aquariums’ members, educational programs, and conservation efforts, as well as the kinds of facilities we support.

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/ CBS News

Extreme sports bring excitement, and are starting to draw big bucks.

But are the athletes putting too much on the line?

The daring participants say extreme sports are all about the thrill, the rush of adrenaline they get. They're climbing higher, jumping farther and moving faster, all in the name of personal glory.

Still, when things go wrong, they pay a heavy price.

Humans aren't supposed to fly, but Jeb Corliss comes pretty close.

His extreme exploits have a huge following. One video of him in action alone has gotten almost 9 million views.

Corliss hurt in stunt jump
Uncertainty clouds recovery of skiier Sarah Burke

On Monday, Corliss was seriously injured on Table Mountain in Cape Town, South Africa. Moments after he stepped off a cliff -- a 3,500-foot drop -- he hit the wall, breaking both his legs. He had to be taken by helicopter to a hospital.

Only a day before that, another extreme athlete, ice climber John Roberts, died after a 60-foot fall in Colorado.

And last Tuesday, free-skier Sarah Burke was critically injured during a training run in Utah.

All of these athletes take risks and are at the leading edge of extreme sports -- a one-time bit player on the sports scene that has exploded in recent years, thanks in part to social media and TV coverage.

The extreme athletes known as "Birdmen" even attracted the attention of "60 Minutes" in 2010.

Sponsorships have helped extreme athletes soar to new heights. Corliss has eight sponsors, including camera company GoPro.

GoPro CEO Nick Woodman says what Corliss does is risky, but not nearly as risky as most people would think, because he's so good at it.

Corliss jumped without permission from South African authorities, a jump that not only put him in danger, but his rescuers, as well -- one of the many reasons why big brands tend to shy away.

"A lot of big brands, (and) rightly so, don't want to take that chance. You don't want to see blood spattered all over a logo that you've invested millions and millions of dollars in," says sports marketer Joe Favorito.

But, Favorito adds, athletes who are determined will find a way. "What they're trying to do is offset costs and take it to another level as, quote, a professional athlete," he said. "And people think, when you're associated with sponsors, that makes you a professional. Sometimes, it makes you become a little more risky."

Professional skier and base-jumper JT Holmes knows how dangerous extreme sports can be. He knew Burke, and watched his close friend, Shane McConkey, die after jumping off a 2,000 ft cliff. Holmes was also the subject of the Steve Kroft "60 Minutes" story on "Birdmen," and was a stunt man for the film "Transformers." Holmes insisted on "CBS This Morning" that he engages in extreme sports because they're "just good, clean fun." He admitted he thinks about the possibility the activities could kill him. "Certainly," Holmes said. "Every single jump, every single ski run, you have to be aware of the (possible) consequences and, if you're going to choose to put yourself in these perilous situations, you need to be prepared."

To see the entire interview, click on the video below.

Trending News

Jeff Glor

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They've become big business, but a death and some injuries have led some to question whether they're worth the money, thrill

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It's pumpkin time, and zoos think that's a smashing idea

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It's pumpkin time, and zoos think that's a smashing idea

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Newsela | Instructional Content Platform

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Newsela is an Instructional Content Platform that supercharges reading engagement and learning in every subject.

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Newsela | Instructional Content Platform

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Newsela is an Instructional Content Platform that supercharges reading engagement and learning in every subject.

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Overconfidence and a lack of training and a habit of not wearing safety gear, especially helmets, help cause more than 40,000 head and neck injuries nationally a year in sports like skateboarding.

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Real sanctuaries are safe, comfortable places for animals to live after they've been rescued from not-so-nice places like circuses or laboratories. People can sometimes visit these sanctuaries, which is an awesome way to learn about and see animals without supporting businesses that hurt them, like roadside zoos or wildlife parks. Roadside zoos and wildlife parks use animals to make money. It's confusing because they sometimes call themselves "sanctuaries" or "rescues" to bring in more customers, because they know that people don't want to visit roadside zoos, but they're being dishonest when they do that.

It's important not to get these horrible places confused with actual sanctuaries. But how can you tell the difference? It's easy! There are a few simple questions you can ask about a place to figure out whether it's helping or hurting animals the animals who live there.

You can find answers to these questions by browsing a facility's website and social media pages (your parents can help):

1. How are animals housed?

Real sanctuaries make sure that an animal's living space is as close to their natural habitat as possible. Animals should live with others of their own kind so they can have friends. It's mean to keep them all alone in small, dirty pens with concrete floors and nothing to do-and you should stay away from places like that.

2. What kinds of activities do the animals get to do?

The animals' living area should have lots of ways for them to play and enjoy themselves! For example, there should be a large structure for chimpanzees to climb on, water for bears to soak and splash in, and large fields for roaming and exploring. Animals need these things if they're going to be healthy, happy, and comfortable.

Animals should also live with others of the same species so they can communicate with each another easily and form relationships and groups. In many sanctuaries, the animals who already live there help teach the newcomers how to get back in touch with their natural instincts and enjoy life again.

3. How big is the facility?

Animals should be given enough space to explore, roam, climb, and forage. And a real sanctuary NEVER takes the animals out of the facility to show them off.

4. Are visitors allowed to touch or hold the animals?

True wild-animal sanctuaries (with big cats, bears, primates, or wolves) NEVER allow visitors to touch or hold the animals, even babies, and that includes taking photos with them. This would be scary for the animals and dangerous to the visitors, too!

5. Where did the animals come from?

The animals who live there probably came from a place where they were mistreated, so they have a sad and painful past. The staff will want to share each animal's story so that visitors can learn about the various places that hurt animals (like laboratories, circuses, and roadside zoos). Real sanctuaries provide animals with a permanent home for the rest of their life. They NEVER trade, borrow, or loan animals.

6. Does the facility breed animals?

Sanctuaries NEVER breed animals, meaning that they don't make any of the animals have babies. Places that do breed animals are using them to make money-that's not right, and that's not a sanctuary.

7. What is it like to visit a sanctuary?

Most sanctuaries only allow very limited visits. Usually a guide takes people on a small tour of the place and doesn't let them walk around by themselves.

8. Is it accredited?

True sanctuaries are accredited by the Global Federation of Animal Sanctuaries (GFAS), a group that makes sure sanctuaries follow strict rules to protect the animals who live there, like the ones listed above.
*****
All living, feeling beings deserve a comfortable place to live where people aren't always staring at them. A true sanctuary puts the needs and wants of the animals first. So if you care about animals, NEVER visit a roadside zoo or a wildlife park, and explain to your friends and family why places like that are bad for animals!

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8 Ways to Tell a REAL Sanctuary From a Roadside Zoo | PETA Kids

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Roadside zoo or animal sanctuary? This list will explain the difference-so you can figure out if a place is hurting or helping animals.

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NC Zoo’s ‘adoption’ program benefits animals, zookeeper training

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NC Zoo’s ‘adoption’ program benefits animals, zookeeper training

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This is an archived article and the information in the article may be outdated. Please look at the time stamp on the story to see when it was last updated.

The N.C. Zoo is one of only two state-operated zoos in the country. While more than 60 percent of its operating budget comes from the state, all of its conservation, research and education programs - and even the animals exhibited at the park - are purchased with private funds raised by the North Carolina Zoological Society.

Karen Brown with the Zoo Society says the "Adopt an Animal" program features a list of animals that can be "adopted" for a year.

Those who "adopt" an animal get a certificate, a photo of the animal and a fact sheet about the species.

Funds raised through the program benefit the Zoo's Animal Enrichment Program, which allows the Zoo to pay for additional training for zookeepers as well as purchase treats for the animals.

Some of the most popular animals for "adoption" are the African elephant, the polar bear, the zebra, the giraffe and the chimpanzee.

For more information about "adopting" zoo animals, visit nczoo.com or call the Zoo Society at (336) 879-7250.

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NC Zoo's 'adoption' program benefits animals, zookeeper training

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The N.C. Zoo is one of only two state-operated zoos in the country. While more than 60 percent of its operating budget comes from the state, all of its conservation, research and education programs - and even the animals exhibited at the park - are purchased with private funds raised by the North Carolina Zoological [...]

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*the start of the clip may be one that you want to steer students toward during Session 12 “Who Said What? Studying Perspective”

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Smithsonian's National Zoo: We Save Species

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Are there animal care problems at the zoo

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Are there animal care problems at the zoo

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/ CBS News

WASHINGTON - The National Zoo has a reputation as a leader in animal care, science and cute photo opportunities such as the naming of Bao Bao the baby panda earlier this month.

But a CBS News investigation has learned that behind the scenes, there are insider allegations of mismanagement involving animal care. Five sources with more than 35 years' combined experience at the National Zoo have raised concerns to CBS News about recent animal injuries, deaths and escapes.

The sources don't want to be identified for fear of retaliation. They say problems began last year when the zoo decided to double the population of the Cheetah Conservation Station, adding a half dozen new species but no extra space. Besides cheetahs, the CCS also houses zebras, gazelles and other species.

CBS News asked animal biologist and ethicist Marc Bekoff to look at the complaints. He was an independent reviewer of a 2005 National Academy of Sciences investigation of the zoo that found "systemic problems at the highest levels."

Of the newly raised issues, Bekoff said: "I call it 'fetch and pray.' You get the animals and then you pray that the project will work out."

The CCS' new animal mix didn't always work out. Issues identified by the zoo sources include two newly acquired hornbill birds that were kept in an indoor shack for seven months because their exhibit yard wasn't ready. Only after a volunteer complained were the birds allowed in an outdoor space. But the wallaby that had to share its yard with these new arrivals became frightened, according to sources, bloodied its nose and spent much of its time frightened and hiding.

One of two new red river hogs quickly became malnourished and died of an infection. The other hog, along with oryxes and sitatungas (two types of antelopes), sometimes became overly aggressive when mixed together, and some were injured in vicious fights.

It's not unusual for animals to spar, but the zoo sources say management failed to predict easily foreseeable conflicts between species and genders, and had ineffective backup plans for separating and protecting the animals when the conflicts arose.

"It's no surprise to me as a field biologist that so many of them do not work out," Bekoff told CBS News. "They're just too hastily put together and they're not well thought through."

Zoo spokeswoman Pamela Baker-Masson says the National Zoo meets the highest industry standards and the animals always receive the best care.

"We take great care in introducing our animals to these various habitats and transitioning them. Ideally, these things wouldn't happen, of course," said Baker-Masson. "I think my colleagues were very well aware and they know these species and they know how to take care of these species. ... Every single animal has a very specific course of action and a plan."

Bekoff says the zoo's plans appear to have been inadequate. "They should only be able to get the animals when it can be shown that they can properly house them and care for them."

Two animals in the CCS, a Dama gazelle and a pregnant kudu (another type of antelope), died when they got spooked on separate occasions and ran into barriers in their confined spaces, breaking their necks.

The gazelle death happened last month after a zebra attacked a veteran zookeeper. The commotion apparently frightened the gazelle, which is on the endangered species list. Zoo sources say it wasn't found for hours. The pregnant kudu died last June. Zoo sources say as the animal lay suffering with a broken neck, workers were unable to quickly locate necessary veterinary records.

Baker-Masson says Dama gazelles and kudus are skittish animals by nature and were housed in adequate spaces that met the requirements of the American Zoological Association, which recently re-accredited the facility.

As for the hornbill birds that were keep indoors for eight months, Baker-Masson says the space was "more than adequate and it gave the staff a very good amount of time to prepare and work with the hornbills" but "ideally they would have [had] access to their outdoor yard space more quickly."

Bekoff calls the lengthy indoor confinement "totally unacceptable."

"There's not one single excuse that I would accept," he said. "Basically this is a form of animal abuse and animal neglect. ...They get an 'F' in this project.'

Zoo sources also expressed concern about two escapes from the CCS: a vulture whose wings were allegedly not properly clipped and a red panda who managed to climb out of its exhibit. Both animals were later recaptured and zoo officials say the failures that allowed the escapes have been fixed.

CBS News has learned that the zoo convened a task force last summer to investigate the internal complaints about animal care at the CCS. The task force made findings last August and Baker-Masson says some of its recommendations are already being implemented.

Zoo officials refused CBS News' repeated requests to release the task force report even though, under public records law, it's considered public material.

As to why the National Zoo is withholding the information, Baker-Masson provided a number of rationales. First, she said that the task force report was still only a draft, four months after it was scheduled to be completed. However, when CBS News asked for the draft, she would not provide that either.

Later, in an interview, Baker-Masson said that the task force report is finished, but that the zoo isn't ready to release it.

"We're more than happy to [release the task force report]," Baker-Masson told CBS News. "But we have to do it in a thorough and process-oriented way that makes sense."

She acknowledged that some of the concerns investigated were founded.

"Absolutely," Baker-Masson said. "Anytime a concern is raised, it's looked at very seriously and we have to examine, you know, what changes are appropriate for that particular species, what changes are appropriate for the staff, what changes are appropriate for the facility itself. So yes, absolutely, some changes have been made."

Another incident the zoo is keeping mum about is the November zebra attack on the zookeeper. Baker-Masson says that AZA standards require that there always be a barrier between a keeper and zebras, which can inflict serious bite wounds. But the zoo says three weeks after the attack, it still has not identified how the zebra got to the keeper and it would not release the incident report or other public information about it. The injured zookeeper was recently released after several weeks in the hospital.

Sharyl Attkisson

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Are there animal care problems at National Zoo?

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Behind the scenes, there are insider allegations of mismanagement involving animals at famed D.C. facility

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I would like to begin by defining “zoo.” It is a park-like area in which live animals are kept in cages or large enclosures for public exhibit. Hold on, large enclosures? More like tiny cages. As zoo funds are cut, cages become smaller wi

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*may be one that you want to steer students toward during Session 12 “Who Said What? Studying Perspective”

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This piece is a response to "The Modern Zoo" from the May 2008 issue of Teen Ink. I volunteer at the Cleveland Metroparks Zoo and have gotten to know its keepers, veterinary staff, and other workers. According to the writer of "The Modern Zoo," staff torture animals, do not provide adequate living space, and keep the animals merely to entertain. In my three years of volunteering, I have never seen, nor had any reason to suspect, any foul play at my zoo. The allegations in "The Modern Zoo" that all zoos are inhumane and cruel is false, I believe.

According to the article in Teen Ink, "Zoos claim to educate visitors. Yet we've all seen the one-sentence signs that describe monkeys. What can be learned from this? Certainly not enough to justify inhumane captivity." One-sentence signs are not the end of zoos' efforts to educate. At my zoo an entire department is devoted to educating the public about conservation of animals and our planet. If zoos didn't care about education, why would they have this? While exhibits may display signs with brief information, staff work daily at the zoo to educate visitors about conservation and other critical topics.

Some zoo employees visit schools and businesses to educate the public about how to be more responsible with our environment. This department even organizes conservation projects around Ohio, such as the community effort to remove waste from Big Creek. Volunteers spent a day restoring the creek to a more healthy ecosystem. The zoo is also part of a national conservation campaign called Year of the Frog, dedicated to saving amphibian species from extinction. Zoos put forth tremendous effort to educate people, and to say that they do not is just not true in my experience.

"Zoo animals endure inadequate living conditions with no space," claims the article. It's not fair to make this generalization. My own zoo, for example, is planning a one-of-a-kind, spacious exhibit for its elephants. The exhibit encompasses many acres, and will be large enough to support a breeding population. If zoos didn't care about adequate space for their animals, why would they waste time raising millions of dollars to build this type of exhibit? Also, my zoo cares a lot for its animals; it houses the second oldest hippo in North America and its polar bears are twice the age of those in the wild.

I witnessed a life-saving surgery on a 13-year-old wolf. Veterinarians worked for two hours to save his life. Thirteen is very old for a wolf. Zoos do care for their animals, and do what they can to keep them strong and healthy.

"These animals are simply meant to entertain," claims "The Modern Zoo." That too is false. At the Cleveland Metroparks Zoo, animals are never forced to do anything for the sake of visitors' entertainment. We believe in positive animal/ human interaction. Zoo staff never force or coerce an animal due to this policy.

The author of "The Modern Zoo" is obviously very passionate in his opinion about zoos. I am also very passionate. I have not written this to personally attack him. Rather, I am simply stating facts. "The Modern Zoo" paints zoos as cruel, inhumane facilities, but it is both unfair and untrue to claim this about all of them. Many have state-of-the-art veterinary facilities and work hard to save endangered species.

I hope that readers will see that zoos seek to protect and save endangered species, as well as educate and encourage the public to do the same.

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This piece is a response to "The Modern Zoo" from the May 2008 issue of Teen Ink. I volunteer at the Cleveland Metroparks Zoo and have gotten to know its keepers, veterinary staff, and other workers. According to the writer of "The Modern Zoo," staff torture animals, do not provide adequate living space, and keep the animals merely to entertain.

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Care2 Stands Against: bigots, racists, bullies, science deniers, misogynists, gun lobbyists, xenophobes, the willfully ignorant, animal abusers, frackers, and other mean people. If you find yourself aligning with any of those folks, you can move along, nothing to see here.

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Skip to main content

Why Zoos Matter

We at the Saint Louis Zoo are passionate about the work we do. We not only care about the work we're doing, we are fostering animals that are threatened or endangered and supporting their perpetuation into the future.

Making a Difference

The world around us is changing fast. Species of wildlife are facing global extinction on a massive scale. About 41 percent of all amphibian species and 26 percent of all mammals are now threatened with extinction, and fully half of the world's primates - our closest relatives - teeter on the edge of existence. We face the loss of one in eight of all bird species. Overall, the extinction rate has increased a hundred-fold over the last century, and today we estimate that over 18,000 species face oblivion. Zoos are in a unique position to make a difference. Zoos are focused on offering the very best possible nutrition, enrichment and environment for animals in their care.

The many committed people at zoos care deeply about animals, working with an incredible variety of species, from one-celled creatures to elephants. Our research on behavior, reproductive biology, nutrition, animal health and genetics is valuable to wildlife managers, field researchers and other scientists.

For example, the Saint Louis Zoo has been doing a mother/infant bonding study with antelope and other hoofed animals at Red Rocks for 14 years. The data we've gathered - how often and when a species typically nurses, who initiates nursing, proximity, grooming, nuzzling - has provided information to field researchers that would be hard to come by otherwise.

We are animal experts

Zoo professionals are experts on breeding small populations of endangered species. That knowledge, too, has become valuable to scientists working with wildlife populations. Nowadays animals in wild habitats are often found in small, fragmented groups because of agriculture, logging or other human activity.

We collaborate with organizations worldwide on conservation breeding, habitat preservation, community development, public education and research.

Explore our conservation efforts

From Fence to Field

In 2004, the Saint Louis Zoo established the WildCare Institute to work in conservation hotspots locally and around the globe.

From Forest Park and Missouri streams to the Horn of Africa or the coastline of Peru, the Zoo is taking a holistic approach to wildlife conservation. While the Zoo has been involved in helping save endangered species for decades, our goal today is create a sustainable future for wildlife and for people around the world. Ultimately, we need to help save the ecosystems on which animals and humans depend. WildCare Institute addresses three key ingredients in conservation success: wildlife management and recovery, conservation science, and support of the human populations that coexist with wildlife.

Connecting people to animals

People learn at zoos. They learn in our formal classes, lectures, camps, teacher workshops, distance learning, zoo tours, overnights and outreach programs. Informally they learn from keeper chats, docent volunteers, interpreters, signage and special exhibits. Most important, they learn from observing zoo animals.

On a scale of 1 to 10, our visitors rate their educational experience at the Saint Louis Zoo as a 9.1.

Unique Experiences.

Zoos are a place where families can have unique experiences together every time they visit. Today's families are more conscious than ever of the need to teach their children about the natural world and respect for living creatures.

Why do people come to the zoo?

Why do zoos matter?

Because we care.

We want to keep this planet's amazing wildlife around for future generations.

Donate to our Conservation Fund

If you'd like to contribute financially to our conservation efforts, you can make a donation through the Saint Louis Zoo.

Learn more

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The Saint Louis Zoo is dedicated to saving species and bringing people and wildlife together. Home to over 16,000 animals, many of which are endangered, entry is free every day for everyone, an important part of our commitment to people and animals - always.

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Idaho zoo "adopts" national park in Mozambique, saves zebras

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Idaho zoo "adopts" national park in Mozambique, saves zebras

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Newsela | Instructional Content Platform

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Newsela is an Instructional Content Platform that supercharges reading engagement and learning in every subject.

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7 Reasons Why Animals in Captivity Deserve Freedom

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7 Reasons Why Animals in Captivity Deserve Freedom

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7 Reasons Why Animals in Captivity  Deserve Freedom | Animal Videos | Kids Videos | @PETAKids

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Zoo Orders Huge Shoes for One of Its Elephants

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Zoo Orders Huge Shoes for One of Its Elephants

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Newsela | Instructional Content Platform

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Bei Bei (bay-bay) the giant panda is now over 60 pounds-and growing! But he wasn't always so giant. The one-year-old cub, which lives at the Smithsonian's National Zoo in Washington, D.C., was about the size of a stick of butter when he was born. Cared for by zookeepers and his mom, Mei Xiang (may-SHONG), Bei Bei has spent the last several months going through a major growth spurt.

At birth Bei Bei was blind, furless, and weighed less than a third of a pound. Within 48 hours, white fur began to grow on parts of his wrinkly skin. Two weeks later, dark fur started cover the rest of his body.

Up until then, Bei Bei's mom had been cuddling with the infant almost nonstop to keep him toasty. But Bei Bei's new coat kept him warm enough to allow Mei Xhang to slip out of her den for food breaks. Mei Xhang was never gone for long though. Whenever Bei Bei called out, she quickly returned to nuzzle or nurse the infant.

Bei Bei is now in basic training, learning to come when keepers call to him. Next he'll master standing, lying down, presenting his paws, and opening his mouth on command-all actions that will make it easier for veterinarians and zookeepers to give Bei Bei checkups.

Before long the cub will stop drinking his mother's milk and eat nothing but bamboo. But even as he grows, he'll stay with his mom for another two years. By the time he's four years old, Bei Bei will weigh about 250 pounds. At that point he'll move to a panda reserve in China, where he'll enter a breeding program to help his species survive. No wonder this panda is such a big deal!
Text from "Exclusive: Watch Bei Bei the Zoo Panda Cub Grow Up" by Jennifer S. Holland for National Geographic News, adapted by Allyson Shaw, NG Staff

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See pictures and read about Bei Bei the giant panda cub on National Geographic Kids.

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No longer are zoo habitats with green tile walls and floors, looking more like a large bathroom than an animal's natural environment, the norm. Today, many zoologic institutions strive to create habitats for their collections that are hospitable and stimulating.

In his Oct. 11 AVMA Animal Welfare Forum presentation, "Steering the ark toward Eden: facility design for animal well-being," zoo design expert Jon C. Coe explained how zoological habitats can enhance animals' lives.

In the 1970s, large, lushly landscaped displays modeled after natural settings replaced the sterile, tiled enclosures. The shift toward naturalistic settings was followed by a rather hands-off approach to husbandry. Naturalistic displays were considered by many to be stimulating enough for the captive animals.

Coe noted that, although this approach worked well, it did not stop animals from growing bored with their environment. Boredom can have harmful effects, he added.

"Some people think the key to zoo animal welfare is to provide large, natural enclosures," said Coe, senior principal at CLR Design in Philadelphia. "An exhibit may look great, but it isn't doing much for the animal unless it also incorporates a choice of behavioral opportunities, variety, and novelty."

Behavioral and physical problems were once thought to be unrelated to an animal's environment. Yet there is growing evidence of a link between these problems and a lack of physical activity and inhospitable habitats. Research has also shown that providing captive animals with choices through an enriched environment lowers stress levels.

Several zoo exhibits over this past decade have done just that. The Woodland Park Zoo in Seattle and Sea World Florida allow some of their animals to search for and catch their food. Orangutans at the National Zoological Park in Washington, D.C., are able to travel across the zoo on overhead ropes to visit friends and potential mates.

One recent innovation brought to the United States from Europe is the rotating exhibit. In traditional displays, animals might spend their entire lives in the same space. The rotation concept allows the animals to visit several areas each day. Gorillas at the Louisville Zoo, for instance, can choose between large, naturalistic outdoor habitats or a circular arrangement of indoor rooms.

Rotation exhibits are in the works at zoos in California, Washington state, and Sydney, Australia.

Stimulating environments enhance animal well-being by promoting activity and curiosity, resulting in improved physical and mental fitness. These exhibits aren't inexpensive, however, because additional staff with greater expertise are needed, and mechanical failure is a risk. But the benefits to animal well-being far outweigh the costs, according to Coe.

In addition, zoos in Honolulu and Australia are planning elephant exhibits featuring large pools in which the animals can participate in low impact aerobic exercise.

Coe advocates more research into these activity-based zoo exhibits to more accurately assess their effects on animal health and well-being. He envisions the next stage in the evolution of zoologic designs to be when the "monkeys really do run the monkey house."

In today's paradigm, animals are entirely dependent upon their human keepers. Yet for millions of years, ancestors of today's captive animals prospered in a world of fierce competition. Indeed, it has been demonstrated that captive primates can lower their stress levels by taking control of the situation.

Coe is looking forward to the day when captive species can acquire their food through foraging or simulated hunting, and can customize their own environments, as when bears and elephants trigger fans or cooling showers without the aid of their human keepers.

These kinds of environments, Coe noted, will have their greatest applicability in wildlife sanctuaries and those institutions that reintroduce animals into the wild.

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Designing zoo habitats that promote animal well-being

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Many zoologic institutions strive to create habitats for their collections that are hospitable and stimulating.

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These photos of unexpected animal friendships will melt your heart.

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Check out our wish list on Amazon.com

What is environmental enrichment?

Animals in zoos don't have the same opportunities for physical and mental stimulation that wild animals do, so zookeepers provide the animals with objects or changes to their environment that will stimulate the behaviors of healthy wild animals.

Enrichment gives animals something to think about, encourages exercise, and gives animals a degree of control of their environment by giving them choices. Basically, enrichment helps keep life interesting and challenging.

Imagine that you are sitting in your room, feeling a little bored, and you suddenly notice a strange new something hanging from your ceiling. Somethingbrightly colored, kind of round, with - could it be - a snickers bar inside?

Chances are you'd be figuring out a way to check out this new thing pretty fast. Could you stand on a desk or chair, do you need a ladder, could you knock it down? You'd be using your natural human problem solving skills to try to figure out what this new thing was and what to do about it. That is enrichment!

Types of enrichment

Zookeepers provide different types of enrichment to stimulate all of the senses and encourage a wide range of natural behaviors. Categories of enrichment include foods & feeding, sensory, novel objects, environmental as well as behavioral & social. Click on one of the following for more information.

Measuring our success by monitoring behavior

Planning effective enrichment starts with researching the natural history of the species. Knowing how wild animals navigate their environments, what foods they eat, what their primary senses are etc can aid in planning appropriate habitats and activities for our Zoo animals. Setting behavioral goals and planning how to achieve them is only the beginning.

Monitoring the behavior of our animals is part of the equation too. Knowing where and how the animals are spending their time can aid in planning new initiatives or in evaluating whether the activities we are doing are effective.

For example, behavioral data collected on our three brown bears can tell us how much time each bear spends fishing, climbing, or sleeping as well as how they interact with each other and their environment.

Animals have individual personalities and preferences. If enrichment is placed in the trees versus the pool, which bear is likely to get it? Enrichment planning and evaluation is aimed at meeting the needs of the species and the individual.

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Check out our wish list on Amazon.com What is environmental enrichment? Animals in zoos don't have the same opportunities for physical and mental stimulation that wild animals do, so zookeepers provide the animals with objects or changes to their environment that will stimulate the behaviors of healthy wild animals.

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Costa Rica To Close Its Zoos And Release Animals Into The Wild

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Costa Rica To Close Its Zoos And Release Animals Into The Wild

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Costa Rican Environment Ministry officials yesterday announced the closing of its two national zoos, the Simon Bolivar zoo and Santa Ana Conservation Center. But they're not just shuttering; they're going to become wild botanical gardens, with animals allowed to prance in and out as they please. And the officials plan to release as many of the current zoo animals back into the wild as possible. It's the latest in an impressive line of conservationist initiatives pushed by the Environment Ministry.

Reintroduction of zoo animals into the wild is not, actually, a simple task at all. Very few species have been successfully reintroduced; among the few winners are the black-footed ferret, California condor, and the grey wolf. But there are far more problems; many reintroduced animals have adjusted to zoo life too thoroughly to be successful in the wild (especially if they were born in the zoo). Some animals may spread microbes or viruses picked up thanks to close proximity with other animals (including humans) they wouldn't normally be in contact with. Reintroduction is far from impossible, but it's also not nearly as simple as opening a cage door and saying "you're free now!"

Costa Rica's Environment Ministry has said that animals which cannot be reintroduced will be sent to rescue centers. There's no more information than this; which rescue centers? What are the criteria for reintroduction?

Fundazoo, the national organization in charge of zoos, requested to block the closing of the zoos, arguing that the government is breaking a contract with more than a decade left on it. The more persuasive argument is that only the zoos have the specialists in zoology, nutrition, and veterinary medicine required to care for these animals during the move.

It's a fascinating idea; zoos certainly have mixed records from a conservation perspective. Many species survive only thanks to zoos, much quality research has been done at zoos, and many people have been educated about conservation and zoology thanks to zoos. But they're also still cages for animals, which is the side of the debate taken by the Environment Ministry of Costa Rica. Costa Rica, not for nothing, has become an unlikely star of the conservation movement, having already banned circuses and all sport hunting within its borders.

[via AP]

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Costa Rica To Close Its Zoos And Release Animals Into The Wild

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The silky anteater, shown here, could be climbing trees in its native forests soon.

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The Saint Louis Zoo is dedicated to saving species and bringing people and wildlife together. Home to over 16,000 animals, many of which are endangered, entry is free every day for everyone, an important part of our commitment to people and animals – always.

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Copenhagen Zoo kills a giraffe, shocks many

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Copenhagen Zoo kills a giraffe, shocks many

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Owl attacks on Dutch town- Residents in the northern Dutch town of Purmerend have been advised to take umbrellas out at night after a series of attacks by an owl. Dozens of residents have suffered head injuries over the past three weeks because of a European eagle owl. Two runners were attacked on Tuesday, with one requiring stitches for five separate head wounds. The European eagle owl's usual prey are small mammals and birds. One of the sites of the attacks has been a home for the disabled. A Spokeswoman for the home said that residents and workers had suffered at least 15 separate attacks by the nocturnal bird, which remains still on site. During the day there is no problem for the town, but at night people now only go outside armed with umbrellas, helmets and hats, to protect themselves.

Animals rescued from overcrowded zoo in Mexico- More than 100 animals have been rescued from an overcrowded private zoo in Mexico, after complaints from visitors. Mexican environmental officials raided the zoo after many visitors had complained about the potential danger. The officials found overcrowded and cramped cages piled on top of each other and unsafe conditions for visitors. Among the animals rescued were lions, tigers, jaguars, pumas, bears, buffalos and camels. The zoo in Tehuacan in the south east of Mexico City is owned by Sergio Gomez (senior Mexican politician). Officials said they had seized 101 of the 240 animals held at the zoo.their hands into the cages. However the officials say they are trying their hardest to find suitable homes for the animals.

The animals were kept in terrible and unsafe conditions and lacked proper care and had no proper ventilation, the animals were cramped together which was making the animals aggressive. Visitors were also not properly protected and said that they could insert

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Zoos step in to help save wild animals around the world

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Zoos step in to help save wild animals around the world

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Animals aren't actors, spectacles to imprison and gawk at, or circus clowns. Yet thousands of elephants, bears, apes, and others are forced to perform silly, difficult tricks under the threat of physical punishment; carted across the country in cramped, stuffy semi-truck trailers; kept chained or caged in barren, filthy enclosures; and regularly separated from their families and friends-all for the sake of entertainment. Many of them are even forced to perform until the day they die.

PETA is determined to get animals out of the entertainment business. Our dedicated staff members work full time exposing and ending animal abuse in the entertainment industry, and their work is paying off: Consider the demise of Ringling Bros. circus, for example. In addition to ending circus cruelty, these staff members work with officials to overhaul horseracing rules nationwide, spearhead hard-hitting undercover investigations and public campaigns that are crucial in turning public opinion against animal-exploiting attractions, persuade travel companies to stop selling tickets to SeaWorld and other cruel operations, persuade companies like Coca-Cola to stop sponsoring abusive forms of entertainment such as the deadly Iditarod, persuade entertainment executives not to use animals in movies or TV and to use motion-capture technology instead, chip away at abusive animal exhibitors like the Mobile Zoo, and facilitate the transfer of neglected animals from roadside zoos, traveling menageries, and other seedy facilities to reputable sanctuaries.
PETA's Victories: Animals in Entertainment
Circus acts featuring only willing human performers, TV shows and films using CGI animals, and interactive, virtual reality aquariums are captivating audiences. Meanwhile, archaic, cruel animal acts are on the decline. Thanks in part to PETA's work, public opposition to horseracing cruelty, marine parks, dog sledding, elephant rides, cockfighting, petting zoos, horse-drawn carriage rides, bullfighting, sport fishing, trophy hunting, rodeos, traveling animal acts, roadside zoos, and safari parks has never been stronger. Animal-free forms of entertainment teach audience members about conservation-something places that imprison and enslave animals, such as SeaWorld, only pretend to do.

What's Wrong With Circuses? And Is SeaWorld Really That Bad?

Animals don't like to put on shows-they're used and abused for the sake of human entertainment. To force bears, elephants, tigers, and others in circuses to perform confusing and physically demanding tricks, trainers use bullhooks, whips, tight collars, muzzles, electric prods, and other painful tools of the trade. Frustrated by years of beatings and confinement, many of them snap-countless animals, trainers, and members of the public have been injured and even killed.

Animals held captive at marine parks or in aquariums don't fare much better. In captivity, orcas and other dolphins swim in endless circles in tanks that, to them, are the equivalent of bathtubs, and they're denied the opportunity to engage in almost any natural behavior. Instead, some are forced to perform meaningless tricks. Most die far short of their natural life expectancy.

The dead bodies of tigers at pseudo-sanctuaries, bears confined to cages and pits, and bulls forced to buck and fight are stacking up, too.

There's only one acceptable thing to do with animals exploited for entertainment: Retire them to reputable sanctuaries or loving homes.

PETA has helped facilitate such transfers, as in the case of Nosey the elephant-we campaigned for her freedom from the circus for years, and now she's loving her sanctuary home in Tennessee. Charlie, a Thoroughbred horse on the brink of a fatal breakdown, was also rescued by PETA-he now spends his days grazing on grass in a large pasture with his guardian, a longtime PETA supporter and friend. And then there was Tregembo Animal Park in North Carolina, which two local animal advocates represented by PETA's lawyers successfully sued, allowing us to transfer bears Ben and Bogey to a sprawling Colorado sanctuary. Between 2013 and 2018, PETA saved more than 70 bears from cramped pens and concrete hells, helping to transfer them to true sanctuaries where they can finally play, climb, have friends, and raise their families. Some of our rescues have even helped shut down roadside zoos.

How You Can Help Animals Forced to Perform or Fight

These life-changing victories wouldn't be possible without the help of our members and supporters. Each of us can help prevent suffering and deaths by refusing to buy a ticket to watch broken animals languish in captivity or perform stupid tricks, demanding that government agencies like the U.S. Department of Agriculture do their jobs, and urging companies not to do business with animal-exploiting operations.

With the help of our members and supporters, PETA works globally to expose and end the use of animals in entertainment. Some of our efforts include the following:

Conducting groundbreaking undercover investigations and colorful advocacy campaigns to inform the public

Persuading government agencies to hold circuses, roadside zoos, marine parks, and other operations accountable when they apparently violate the law

Encouraging companies to refuse to promote or sponsor elephant rides, tiger encounters, "swim with dolphins" excursions, the Iditarod, or other animal attractions

Advocating for pro-animal legislation

Organizing spirited protests outside businesses and company headquarters to help prevent new animal-exploiting attractions from opening

Calling on roadside zoos and traveling menageries to do the right thing by retiring animals to reputable sanctuaries

Persuading county and state fairs to exclude wild animals from their attractions

This multifaceted approach yields scores of victories for animals imprisoned and used by the entertainment industry around the world.

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Animals in Entertainment: Circuses, SeaWorld, and Beyond | PETA

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Animals in entertainment suffer immensely. Find out how PETA is putting an end to elephant rides, horseraces, roadside zoos, and safari parks.

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Reintroduction programs, by which animals raised or rehabilitated in AZA-accredited zoos or aquariums are released into their natural habitats, are powerful tools used for stabilizing, reestablishing, or increasing in-situ animal populations that have suffered significant declines. Reintroductions may include animals that have spent some of their early life-stages being cared for in a "headstart" program that gives them a greater chance of survival than those born in the wild, those brought in for rehabilitation from illness or injury, those moved from one area for release elsewhere, or those that are offspring of animals that have had several generations cared for by AZA-accredited institutions.

Examples of AZA Reintroduction Programs

Asian wild horse: Equus ferus przewalskii, also known as takhi and Przewalski's horse, roamed the grassland steppes of Europe and Asia for millennia. But by the late 1960's, it was driven to extinction in the wild due to human persecution, grazing competition, and high mortality from harsh winters. Over the next several decades, zoos worldwide bred rescued individuals and worked with in-country partners to reintroduce the descendants back to the wild. Today, there are more than 500 Asian wild horses running free in Mongolia and China. In 2014, the Asian Wild Horse SSP launched the True Wild Horse Initiative to support in situ research and conservation efforts for Asian wild horses.

Black-footed Ferrets: In 1987, 18 of the remaining black-footed ferrets were placed into the care of AZA-accredited institutions as well as partner organizations and agencies. Due to the efforts of the AZA Black-footed Ferret SSP Program and their partners, these animals have successfully reproduced and thousands have been reintroduced into their historic range since 1991. Learn more about this species' road to recovery.

California Condors: In 1982, only 22 California condors existed in the wild. Conservation breeding and management of these animals in AZA-accredited institutions, overseen by the California Condor SSP, increased this population to almost 200 birds within 20 years. By 2014, their population totaled 425 animals, including 219 living in the wild. To learn more about the condor's ex-situ rearing efforts visit the San Diego Zoo website. Visit the USFWS Endangered Species Program to view a video of this success story.

Ohio River Basin Freshwater Mussels: Freshwater mussels are an imperiled group of North American animals with an estimated 43% of the species found in the Ohio River basin. In 2001, the Columbus Zoo and Aquarium, the Wilds, Ohio State University, Ohio Department of Natural Resources Division of Wildlife, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, and the Columbus Recreation and Parks Department founded the Freshwater Mussel Conservation and Research Center. This Center has developed innovative conservation methods which have yielded the exceptional propagation, culture, translocation, and reintroduction of numerous state and federally listed freshwater mussel species back into Ohio's streams, rivers, and lakes.

Golden Lion Tamarin: In 2003, the previously Critically Endangered golden lion tamarin was downlisted by the IUCN to Endangered after nearly thirty years of conservation efforts involving the Golden Lion Tamarin Conservation Program (GLTCP) at the Smithsonian National Zoological Park and the Associação Mico-Leao-Dourado in Rio de Janeiro. New populations were established in Brazil's União Biological Reserve through the translocation of 47 individuals in six isolated groups from their original isolated habitats. This reintroduction program has also contributed to the protection of 3,100 hectares of forests within the tamarins' range.

Karner Blue Butterfly: While healthy populations of the federally endangered Karner blue butterfly remain in a handful of its historic range states, the species disappeared from Ohio in 1992. In 1998, the Toledo Zoological Gardens became the first institution to breed the Karner blue butterfly for reintroduction into the wild at restored sites and later offered assistance to the Detroit Zoological Park with releasing butterflies to a site in southeast Michigan.

Oregon Spotted Frog: In 2014, the Oregon spotted frog was listed as Threatened under the Endangered Species Act, after having been lost from almost 80% of its historic range. The Vancouver Aquarium Marine Science Centre, working with the Oregon Spotted Frog Recovery Team in Canada on a headstart program, bred this species for the first time in 2010 and released tadpoles and metamorphs into native habitat. Other partners, led by the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife, are engaged in its recovery in the United States, including the Oregon Zoo, Northwest Trek Wildlife Park, Point Defiance Zoo & Aquarium, and Woodland Park Zoo.

Palila: The palila is an endangered Hawaiian honeycreeper species that has suffered population declines due to the destruction of the dry forests it inhabits. Efforts to expand the palila population back to its historic range at Pu'u Mali have included successful releases of birds bred at the Keauhou Bird Conservation Center as part of the Hawaii Endangered Bird Conservation Program run by San Diego Zoo Global, as well translocation of wild birds by the US Geological Survey.

Red Wolf: Red wolf populations had declined significantly by the 1960s due to intensive predator control programs and loss of habitat. 14 wolves out of a remnant population found along the Gulf Coast of Texas and Louisiana became the founders of a successful breeding program involving AZA-accredited institutions and the AZA Red Wolf SSP.

Wyoming Toad: The Wyoming toad was officially classified as Extinct in the Wild in 1994, when only one ex-situ population remained. This population was brought into the care of AZA-accredited institutions and, under the supervision of the Wyoming Toad SSP, it successfully managed to produce tadpoles and toadlets that continue to be reintroduced into the wild. AZA institutions and their partners continue to conduct regular releases of this species, as wild populations of the Wyoming toad are not yet self-sustaining.

More Reintroduction Projects

To learn about other reintroduction projects AZA-accredited zoos and aquariums are studying, developing, or conducting, explore the Conservation and Research Database. For reintroduction-related research projects, select "Research" as the project category, "Species and/or Habitat Conservation" as the keyword category, and "Reintroduction and Translocation" as the keyword. For field projects, select "Field Conservation" as the project category, "Ex Situ-Related" as the keyword category, and "Reintroduction" as the keyword.

Reintroduction-related Resources

AZA, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS), and the International Union for the Conservation of Nature's Species Survival Commission (IUCN/SSC) play key roles in advancing the science of reintroduction programs in which AZA Animal Programs or its accredited institutions participate. Numerous reference materials and tools have been developed to advance the science and success of reintroductions.

AZA Guidelines for Reintroduction of Animals

AZA asserts that the scientific and ethical complexity of reintroduction necessitates guidelines for those who plan, conduct, fund, regulate and publicize reintroductions and in 1992 developed a bibliography that identified a variety of documents addressing reintroduction guidelines. These guidelines are often contradictory and AZA has suggested that sincere consideration be given to all bibliographic sources and guidelines during the planning stages of reintroduction, and that reintroduction be regarded as science, with surveys of the pertinent literature, interdisciplinary participation, formulation of testable hypotheses and goals, thorough documentation, rapid publication of results, and review of the program by independent referees be incorporated. Read more about the AZA Guidelines for Reintroduction of Animals.

IUCN/SSC Reintroduction Specialist Group

The Reintroduction Specialist Group (RSG) promotes the reintroduction of viable populations of animals and plants back to their natural ecosystems, contributing to conservation efforts worldwide. The RSG manages a network of global voluntary members to provide reintroduction practitioners with tools such as reintroduction guidelines, networking resources, and publications to provide a means for distributing information on reintroduction projects. Practitioners are encouraged to explore the RSG's website for the most current resources about reintroduction and other conservation translocation efforts.

Avian Reintroduction and Translocation Database

In 2008, Lincoln Park Zoological Gardens established an Avian Reintroduction and Translocation Database (ARTD) to centralize information about the avian species, release sites, and release events that take place around the world. The database describes every aspect of the reintroduction effort for each species including the variables that impact the efficacy of releases, species biology and ecology, habitat suitability, demography, and genetics.

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Reintroduction programs, by which animals raised or rehabilitated in AZA-accredited zoos or aquariums are released into their natural habitats, are powerful tools used for stabilizing, reestablishing, or increasing in-situ animal populations that have suffered significant declines.

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The short hard life of a male Florida panther

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The short hard life of a male Florida panther

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Newsela | Instructional Content Platform

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Newsela is an Instructional Content Platform that supercharges reading engagement and learning in every subject.

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'Just For Show': Pittsburgh Zoo Issues Response To PETA Filing Complaint Over Baby Elephant's Death

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'Just For Show': Pittsburgh Zoo Issues Response To PETA Filing Complaint Over Baby Elephant's Death

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‘Just For Show’: Pittsburgh Zoo Issues Response To PETA Filing Complaint Over Baby Elephant’s Death

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The Pittsburgh Zoo and PPG Aquarium has issued a response to the latest attack from PETA.

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Smithsonian's National Zoo: We Save Species

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Smithsonian's National Zoo: We Save Species

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Smithsonian's National Zoo: We Save Species

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Zoos step in to help save wild animals around the world

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Zoos step in to help save wild animals around the world

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Read the debate as a class or in small groups.

Have students read the debate a second time. Prompt them to mark the types of support the author presents to back up each side, including:

Facts and statistics (F/S)

Quotes from experts (Q)

Stories or examples (EX)

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Water Bottles: Handy or Harmful? | Persuasive Writing | Scholastic Storyworks Magazine

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Read the debate as a class or in small groups. Have students read the debate a second time. Prompt them to mark the types of support the author presents to back up each side, including: Facts and statistics (F/S) Quotes from experts (Q) Stories or examples (EX)

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Reusable plastic bottles release hundreds of pollutants into water

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Reusable plastic bottles release hundreds of pollutants into water

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Plastic sports bottles shed hundreds of chemicals into the water they hold, a new study finds. The containers release even more pollutants after being run through a dishwasher. Although some of the chemicals might be harmful, it's not yet known whether there's any health risk from the amounts that end up in the water.

Scientists had known for years that chemicals can leach out of plastic. Some of those chemicals can be toxic. Manufacturers have removed some of the more worrisome chemicals, such as bisphenol A (BPA), from plastic products, such as water bottles. But little is known about what other chemicals might leave these products.

What's more, until recently, scientists lacked the tools to detect many of the compounds that plastics may shed. New tools now make it possible to detect some of these unknown pollutants, says Kurunthachalam Kannan. He was not involved in the new study. But he's a chemist at New York University in New York City. For years, he has screened for many such pollutant chemicals in the environment.

Two chemists at the University of Copenhagen in Denmark have now used those new analytical tools to study water from sports bottles. Selina Tisler and Jan Christensen now report that these reusable water bottles released hundreds of plastic-related chemicals into the water they held - chemicals that hadn't been in the starting water. The team describes its findings in the May 5 Journal of Hazardous Materials.

Many, many migrating pollutants

Christensen, a soccer coach, noticed that players on his team regularly drank water from reusable plastic sports bottles. Sometimes the players complained their water smelled or tasted a bit like plastic. This was usually after the water had been sitting in the bottles for hours. Christensen decided to see if he could figure out why.

He enlisted the help of Selina Tisler, a scientist in his lab. At the time, she recalls, "We didn't know what we were looking for."

Selina Tisler

They let water sit for 24 hours in new bottles, in used bottles and in bottles that had just come out of a dishwashing machine. Afterward, they used mass spectrometry to test the water. That device can essentially weigh (get the mass) of various chemicals in a sample to identify them. Tisler and Christensen compared what they found in the water from plastic bottles to substances present in water that had been stored in glass.

And they found a big difference.

More than 400 different compounds had migrated from new plastic bottles into the water. Many were linked to "plasticizers." These chemicals make the bottles squeezable. Other compounds were slip agents. Manufacturers add these to make plastic products slide easily out of the molds used to shape them. "It's like how you would oil a baking pan so the cake doesn't stick to the sides," explains Tisler. Some chemicals were related to inks. These can give the bottles color or make them look shiny.

Water stored in older plastic bottles contained the highest levels of plastic-related chemicals. Running the bottles through a dishwasher worsened the leaching. After a single wash cycle, more than 3,500 different compounds ended up in a bottle's water. Many of these were related to dishwasher soap and might remain even after a second rinse. The pollutants appeared to stick more to the plastic bottles than they did to glass ones. Dishwashing also appeared to boost the release of a plastic's chemicals.

A leaching lesson

Pat Hunt does not find the new data surprising. She's a reproductive biologist at Washington State University in Pullman who has studied plastic leaching. Heat can cause chemicals to migrate out of plastics, she explains. Hot water in a dishwasher helps to clean and sanitize dishes. But plastics that are repeatedly exposed to high heat can start to break down. "Plastics just shouldn't go in the dishwasher," she concludes.

Hunt learned this the hard way.

In the late 1990s, she found that a hormone-mimicking chemical - BPA - had leached out of the plastic cages and water bottles that she used for the mice in her lab. She had cleaned and sanitized the equipment in a dishwasher. Afterward, BPA (a building block of polycarbonate plastic) tainted the animals' food and drinking water. Mice exposed to this chemical later had trouble getting pregnant.

This was some of the earliest evidence showing that BPA could mess with reproduction.

Tisler and Christensen's study turned up no sign of BPA in the water stored in sports bottles. But some of the chemicals they did detect - including some plasticizers and compounds used to color bottles - may similarly disrupt hormones.

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Moving forward

The Danish team identified some chemicals that are potentially harmful. Future studies could determine how much of each chemical is there, says Kannan. And that's important, he adds. Just because a chemical is in water doesn't mean it will cause problems. Much of the risk will depend on how much of a chemical actually gets into the body, he explains.

Hunt agrees. "This study represents a starting point," she says. It gives researchers clues about what chemicals may be present in water from reusable bottles. But it doesn't reveal what risks the now-polluted water may pose. Indeed, very little is known about many of the chemicals that were detected in the study. More research is needed to learn what these chemicals may do in the body, says Hunt.

Still, Kannan says, lowering exposures to plastic-related chemicals is probably a good idea. He recommends using glass or stainless steel water bottles over plastic when possible.

"If you do use a plastic sports bottle, fill it up and use it right away," Tisler adds. "It's best not to store water in them overnight or for long periods of time."

Power Words
More About Power Words

agent: A person or thing (it can be a chemical or even a form of energy) that plays some role in getting something done.

analytical: (in chemistry) A field that focuses on ways to separate materials into their parts or elements or to study the composition of materials.

biologist: A scientist involved in the study of living things.

bisphenol A (BPA): A building block of polycarbonate plastics and many commercially important resins. This chemical gained widespread public attention when research showed it could mimic the activity of estrogen, a female sex hormone.

chemical: A substance formed from two or more atoms that unite (bond) in a fixed proportion and structure. For example, water is a chemical made when two hydrogen atoms bond to one oxygen atom. Its chemical formula is H ₂ O. Chemical also can be an adjective to describe properties of materials that are the result of various reactions between different compounds.

consumer: (n.) Term for someone who buys something or uses something. (adj.) A person who uses goods and services that must be paid for.

disrupt: (n. disruption) To break apart something; interrupt the normal operation of something; or to throw the normal organization (or order) of something into disorder.

environment: The sum of all of the things that exist around some organism or the process and the condition those things create. Environment may refer to the weather and ecosystem in which some animal lives, or, perhaps, the temperature and humidity (or even the placement of things in the vicinity of an item of interest).

hormone: (in zoology and medicine) A chemical produced in a gland and then carried in the bloodstream to another part of the body. Hormones control many important body activities, such as growth. Hormones act by triggering or regulating chemical reactions in the body. (in botany) A chemical that serves as a signaling compound that tells cells of a plant when and how to develop, or when to grow old and die.

leach: (in geology and chemistry) The process by which water (often in the form of rain) removes soluble minerals or other chemicals from a solid, such as rock, or from sand, soil, bones, trash or ash.

mass spectrometry: A technique used to determine the chemical makeup of a source material.

migrate: (in chemistry) To move from one material, usually a solid, into a neighboring liquid, such as water.

molecule: An electrically neutral group of atoms that represents the smallest possible amount of a chemical compound. Molecules can be made of single types of atoms or of different types. For example, the oxygen in the air is made of two oxygen atoms (O ₂), but water is made of two hydrogen atoms and one oxygen atom (H ₂ O).

plastic: Any of a series of materials that are easily deformable; or synthetic materials that have been made from polymers (long strings of some building-block molecule) that tend to be lightweight, inexpensive and resistant to degradation. (adj.) A material that is able to adapt by changing shape or possibly even changing its function.

pollutant: A substance that taints something - such as the air, water, our bodies or products. Some pollutants are chemicals, such as pesticides. Others may be radiation, including excess heat or light. Even weeds and other invasive species can be considered a type of biological pollution.

risk: The chance or mathematical likelihood that some bad thing might happen. For instance, exposure to radiation poses a risk of cancer. Or the hazard - or peril - itself. (For instance: Among cancer risks that the people faced were radiation and drinking water tainted with arsenic.)

toxic: Poisonous or able to harm or kill cells, tissues or whole organisms. The measure of risk posed by such a poison is its toxicity.

Lindsey Konkel Neabore likes to write stories about the environment and health for Science News for Students . She has degrees in biology and journalism. She has three cats, Misty, Trumpet and Charlotte, and one dog, Lucky.

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Reusable plastic bottles release hundreds of pollutants into water

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Plastic sports bottles shed hundreds of chemicals into the water they hold, a new study finds. The containers release even more pollutants after being run through a dishwasher. Although some of the chemicals might be harmful, it's not yet known whether there's any health risk from the amounts that end up in the water.

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Should Bottled Water Be Banned: Pros and Cons

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Should Bottled Water Be Banned: Pros and Cons

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Should Bottled Water Be Banned: Pros and Cons | My Own Water

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We look at the topic’s pros and cons to see whether we should, or shouldn’t, ban bottled water.

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Would Banning Plastic Bottles Help or Hurt the Planet?

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Would Banning Plastic Bottles Help or Hurt the Planet?

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Plastic bottles are EVERYWHERE and are a big source of pollution. But banning them might create another problem for the environment. Here's why.

TEACHERS: Guide your students to practice civil discourse about current topics and get practice writing CER (claim, evidence, reasoning) responses. Explore lesson supports.

How did plastic bottles become such a problem
Early forms of plastic have existed since the mid-1800s. But when WWII came along, scientists diverted all their plastic technology to help with the war effort. So after the war, all this plastic needed to go somewhere, so why not the American consumer? What we got was a plastic explosion, and it's never really stopped. That's why today, it's estimated that humans have created over 8 BILLION tons of plastic, most of which still exist. See, plastic doesn't ever really break down completely or biodegrade - it just breaks apart into smaller and smaller pieces over time. These tiny bits of plastic make their way into oceans, creating a plastic soup of pollution that can get into the bellies of all kinds of marine animals like fish, pelicans, and turtles. Some research studies predict that by 2050, pound for pound, plastics in the oceans will outweigh all the fish.
What are the pros and cons around banning plastic bottles?
About 70% of plastic water bottles bought in the U.S. are not recycled, and so end up in the oceans. On top of that, plastic bottles are made from fossil fuels. In fact, the Pacific Institute found that it took about 17 million barrels of oil to produce enough plastic for the bottles of water consumed by Americans in 2006. And since then, consumption has increased by 65%, meaning Americans need over 28 million barrels of oil to fuel their plastic water bottle needs for one year.

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Would Banning Plastic Bottles Help or Hurt the Planet? | KQED

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Plastic bottles are EVERYWHERE and are a big source of pollution. But banning them might create another problem for the environment. Here's why. TEACHERS: Guide your students to practice civil discourse about current topics and get practice writing CER (claim, evidence, reasoning) responses. Explore lesson supports.

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Catonsville fifth graders take on the issue of single-use plastic bottles: a convenience at a price | READER COMMENTARY

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Catonsville fifth graders take on the issue of single-use plastic bottles: a convenience at a price | READER COMMENTARY

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Editors note: In fact, we'd like to encourage more correspondence from our younger readers up to age 18, so here's a question offered by the editor's fourth grader: What has been the toughest thing about living through the pandemic for you and why? Please email your responses, with permission from a parent or guardian, to talkback@baltimoresun.com- Jenna , with the subject line "Kid talk," and include the following information: your guardian's or parent's name and phone number, your name, your age, your grade and your school. We will compile and edit submissions for potential publication later. - Eram Erin Ledford, a language arts teacher at Catonsville Elementary, recently tasked 5th grade students with researching the benefits and disadvantages of single-use water bottles, and writing a letter to the newspaper expressing their opinions. We're happy to give them space to make their case. - Emma
The other day I saw two sellers on the road. One was selling single use plastic water bottles for $2, and the other one was selling refillable water bottles for $15. The single use water bottles was way cheaper, but yet I bought the refillable one. You might ask why, well this is going to explain why. I think single use water bottles are bad. I think they are bad because only 1 out of every 6 plastic bottles is recycled! That means the rest of the bottles are sent to landfills, so, we are throwing away lots of plastic.
- Dominic
In my opinion, I say that single use water bottles is a wrong choice. I say this because people in our country add 24 billion single bottles each year to landfills. That is just TERRIBLE!
- Daniel
In a science video I watched, called: "Would Banning Plastic Bottles Help or Hurt the Planet?" It shows that plastic doesn't completely break down but breaks down into small pieces and ends up in the ocean being eaten by fish. This explains why we shouldn't use so many single use plastic bottles because it is hurting fish and taking up space in our oceans.
- D.T.
Single use plastic water bottles may serve short term convenience, but the damage they do can be fatal. One thing to keep in mind is that plastic water bottles don't biodegrade, meaning that it never fully breaks down completely. They only break down into smaller pieces that then can get into the mouths of aquatic animals. By 2050, scientists predict that pound for pound, all the plastic in the ocean will outweigh all the fish in the ocean.
- Grace
I think single use plastic bottles should be banned from the world. I know because only one out of a six plastic bottles are being recycled. This makes it bad because the other five are not being recycled. Another reason is because about 24 billion plastic bottles go each year to landfills.
- Noah
Single use bottled water is bad. Have you ever tried sushi, fish, crab or any type of seafood, for that matter? They're unfortunately being threatened by single use bottles. I know this because, in the video "Would Banning Plastic Bottled Help or Hurt the Planet?" it states that unrecycled bottles can get thrown into the ocean and kill sea life. That is a big problem because not only does it greatly limit food sources, it can also lead to extinction to fish species.
- Wesley
I believe that one-use water bottles are the bad choice. One reason why I believe this is because that most of the one-use water bottles a person uses don't get recycled. This is bad for the environment because it gets into oceans, forests and native species and can kill off their populations and health. Another reason why I believe this is because most of us have perfectly clean drinkable water at home! Not to mention, you can use reusable water bottles instead of un-reusable ones made out of plastic, and it won't pollute the environment around you.
- Shawn
Single use water bottles should be BANNED. One reason I think single use water bottles should be banned is because if we keep adding so much plastic to our landfills each year then the landfills will overflow and go everywhere. Another reason is because bottled water is very expensive to produce. That is bad because if we keep using all of our money on single us water bottles than we might run out of money. Also, we could use the money for more important things like the military or hospitals.
- Ruby
I believe single use water bottles are bad. One reason is that in 2016 only a small portion of the single use water bottles were recycled! And that's bad for the environment. Another reason is to make single use water bottles you must use up a lot of fuel. And that means that it makes a lot of pollution in the sky.

I believe single use plastic water bottles are a bad choice. Here's why: Firstly, "1 out of 6 single use water bottles get recycled by Americans." This supports my thought on why they are bad because it's not even a quarter! Or a third! These are not good odds for recycling. Next, do you like money? I sure know I do! Well, landfills would be rich if they had a dollar for every single use plastic water bottles gets thrown into landfills because "it is believed 24 billion single use plastic water bottles get added to them each year." Wow, Americans. A way to stay single-use-plastic-water-bottle-free is to remember this saying: "Short term convenience, long term planet destruction.
- Quinn
I am writing to you with an opinion on how plastic single use water bottles are a bad choice. Coming from a girl who weirdly loves water, I have evidence support supporting my thoughts. I read an article called "Bottled Water: The Wrong Choice," where I found this quote: "The process of creating the plastic bottle is actually quite damaging to the environment." Do you really want to hurt our world? I don't! Damaging is not a positive word, it is very negative. Now continuing the hurting earth path we are on, I want the share my second point, it is about fossil fuels. I found this piece of information from a video called "Would Banning Plastic Bottles Help or Hurt the Planet?" It takes 28 million tons of oil to make the bottles each year! (Crazy!) Just imagine all that oil! Those are two reasons that support my opinion.
- Josh
I think that single-use plastic water bottles are bad for us. The process of creating these plastic bottles is bad for the environment, and the amount of fossil fuels we use to make them is absolutely tremendous. Also, almost everyone has clean tap water in their home, which must go through a series of tests to make sure it is clean and safe to drink. Bottled water does not have to meet those requirements. Companies might cut some of those tests to save money, or they just don't pay attention to if their water is actually clean. You might be drinking dirty water in those single use bottles!

If you think that's it, you're wrong. Let me tell you another reason single-use bottles are bad. Only one out of six bottles get recycled. Guess where the other five would go. To already overflowing landfills and oceans! They aren't ever going to break down in those landfills, and even if plastic was able to biodegrade, there would be too much waste under the bottles for it to even reach the ground! One million plastic bottles are used every minute. So basically, every six minutes, 5 million bottles go to landfills and the oceans, and only one million are recycled! This is why single-use bottles need to be stopped.

I think that single use plastic water bottles are a good thing. I think they are good because "they can be shipped very easily." And that is very convenient because then people can get the water very easily. The second reason is that it will be hard to make people stop drinking from these, and people will go and use other things that are not good for the ecosystems. Also, in some places, this one-use plastic bottle is all they have to drink and how they survive because in some places people do not have clean drinking water and these bottles are kind of all that they have to drink.

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Catonsville fifth graders take on the issue of single-use plastic bottles: a convenience at a price | READER COMMENTARY

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Erin Ledford, a language arts teacher at Catonsville Elementary, recently tasked her 5th grade students to research the benefits and disadvantages of single-use water bottles and write a letter to the newspaper expressing their opinions. We're happy to give them space to make their case.

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The battle between bottled water enthusiasts and tap water die-hards is finding new ground on YouTube, with dueling videos from environmental activists and the International Bottled Water Association.

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Reusable plastic bottles release hundreds of pollutants into water

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Reusable plastic bottles release hundreds of pollutants into water

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Newsela | Instructional Content Platform

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Newsela is an Instructional Content Platform that supercharges reading engagement and learning in every subject.

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Drinking water - tap, filtered, or bottled - is important for healthy hydration and plays a vital role in people's lives. Consumers choose bottled water for several reasons, including taste, quality, and convenience.

Bottled water is also an alternative to less-healthy sugary packaged beverages when consumers want to eliminate or moderate calories, caffeine, sugar, artificial flavors or colors, alcohol, and other ingredients from their diets.

Support for public water systems

The bottled water industry supports a strong U.S. public water system (although critics of bottled water would have you believe otherwise). Public water systems are important because they provide citizens with clean and safe drinking water. In fact, many bottled water companies use public water sources for their products - but those products are not just "tap water in a bottle." Once the source water enters the bottled water plant, several processes are employed to ensure that it meets the U.S. Food and Drug Administration's (FDA) purified water standard. These treatments can include utilizing a multi-barrier approach. Measures in a multi-barrier approach may include one or more of the following: reverse osmosis, distillation, micro-filtration, carbon filtration, ozonation, and ultraviolet (UV) light. The finished water product is then placed in a sealed bottle under sanitary conditions and sold to the consumer.

Sometimes, water from public water systems can be compromised after emergency situations or natural disasters (e.g., hurricanes, floods, tornados, fires, or boil alerts). During those times, bottled water is a necessary and reliable alternative to deliver clean, safe drinking water. However, tap water does provide, in most cases, a safe source of drinking water, even if occasional system failures make it necessary for consumers to search for alternatives during these times.

Differences in the regulation of tap water and bottled water, though minimal, highlight the differences between drinking water delivered by a public water system and drinking water delivered to the consumer in a sealed container.

Public water systems (tap water) provide quality water for human consumption and other uses (e.g., washing clothes, bathing, and industrial and commercial uses) through a piped distribution system to specific communities. Public water systems are granted exclusive rights to provide water to consumers in a particular geographic or municipal area. Consumers do not, therefore, have a choice of which public water system will provide water to their homes or businesses. The U.S. public water systems are regulated by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).

Bottled water is a packaged food product, regulated by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), that is sold in individual, sanitary, sealed containers. It is intended solely for human consumption. Consumers have a variety of bottled water choices available to satisfy their particular tastes and price preferences. It is sold in many different package sizes, including 3- and 5-gallon containers used with bottled water coolers, 2.5-gallon refrigerator-size containers, and "on-the go" half-liter, 1 liter, and 1.5 liter convenience-size packages. Consumers choose bottled water for several reasons: taste, quality, and convenience.

Want some fact-based information about how public water systems and bottled water are regulated? The Drinking Water Research Foundation (DWRF) report "Bottled Water and Tap Water: Just the Facts" provides a detailed side-by-side comparison of quality and monitoring regulations for tap water and bottled water.

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Drinking water - tap, filtered, or bottled - is important for healthy hydration and plays a vital role in people's lives. Consumers choose bottled water for several reasons, including taste, quality, and convenience. Bottled water is also an alternative to less-healthy sugary packaged beverages when consumers want to eliminate or moderate calories, caffeine, sugar, artificial flavors or colors, alcohol, and other ingredients from their diets.

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Bottled Water - Always There When You Need It

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Bottled Water - Always There When You Need It

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Bottled Water - Always There When You Need It

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Top Three Reasons to Avoid Bottled Water

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Top Three Reasons to Avoid Bottled Water

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Top Three Reasons to Avoid Bottled Water

Pollution

The entire life cycle of bottled water uses fossil fuels, contributes to global warming, and causes pollution.

More than 17 million barrels of oil are required to produce enough plastic water bottles to meet America's annual demand for bottled water. - Earth-policy.org, "Bottled Water: Pouring Resources Down the Drain"

"According to the Container Recycling Institute, 86 percent of plastic water bottles used in the United States become garbage or litter." - Earth-policy.org, "Bottled Water: Pouring Resources Down the Drain"

Cost

Bottled water is about 3,000 percent more expensive per gallon than tap water.

Tap water: $0.02 per gallon

Bottled water: $0.64 per gallon

- Harvard Engineering and Utilities and Poland Springs

MYTH: Bottled Water is Purer than Tap Water

"Bottled water generally is no cleaner, or safer, or healthier than tap water. In fact, the federal government requires far more rigorous and frequent safety testing and monitoring of municipal drinking water." -foodandwaterwatch.org, "Take Back the Tap"

HGSE students, staff, and faculty are reminded to refill their water bottles and reusable mugs for free at the filtered water stations and fountains across campus.

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Pollution The entire life cycle of bottled water uses fossil fuels, contributes to global warming, and causes pollution. More than 17 million barrels of oil are required to produce enough plastic water bottles to meet America's annual demand for bottled water.

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Should Bottled Water Be Banned? – Top 4 Pros and Cons

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Should Bottled Water Be Banned? – Top 4 Pros and Cons

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Americans consumed 14.4 billion gallons of bottled water in 2019, up 3.6% from 2018, in what has been a steadily increasing trend since 2010. In 2016, bottled water outsold soda for the first time and has continued to do so every year since, making it the number one packaged beverage in the United States. 2020 revenue for bottled water was $61.326 million by June 15, and the overall market is expected to grow to $505.19 billion by 2028.

Globally, about 20,000 plastic bottles were bought every second in 2017, the majority of which contained drinking water. More than half of those bottles were not turned in for recycling, and of those recycled, only 7% were turned into new bottles.

In 2013, Concord, MA, became the first US city to ban single-serve plastic water bottles, citing environmental and waste concerns. Since then, many cities, colleges, entertainment venues, and national parks have followed suit, including San Francisco, the University of Vermont, the Detroit Zoo, and the Grand Canyon National Park.

Should Bottled Water Be Banned?

Pro 1

Banning bottled water would reduce waste and protect the environment.

About 70% of plastic water bottles bought in the United States were not recycled in 2015, which means the majority end up in landfills or in the oceans, harming the ecosystem and poisoning animals.

Almost all plastic water bottles are made of polyethylene terephthalate (PET), the raw materials for which are derived from crude oil and natural gas. The Pacific Institute found that producing enough plastic for the bottles of water consumed by Americans in 2006 took about 17 million barrels of oil. Since 2006, American consumption of bottled water has increased 65% from 8.3 billion gallons in 2006 to 13.7 billion gallons in 2017, increasing the need for more plastic water bottles and thus more oil and gas.

Between 2012 and 2016, a ban on plastic water bottles in 23 US National Parks prevented (per year) up to 2 million plastic water bottles being purchased and up to 111,743 pounds of PET being produced.

A nationwide ban on bottled water would lead to an estimated 68 billion fewer plastic water bottles being manufactured, purchased, used, and discarded.
Read More

Pro 2

Banning bottled water is good for your health.

Bottled water is regulated by the Food and Drug Administration and requires weekly testing; tap water is more stringently regulated by the Environmental Protection Agency through multiple daily tests.

A study published in Environmental Science & Technology found that the chemical antimony (Sb) can leach from plastic PET bottles into the water within. After six months storage at room temperature antimony (Sb) concentrations increased on average 90% in 48 brands of water from 11 countries. Exposure to antimony (Sb) can cause nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, higher blood cholesterol, and low blood sugar.

Banning bottled water would reduce the number of plastic bottles manufactured via a process that emits harmful chemicals. Studies indicate that communities living close to PET factories suffer from increased levels of chronic illness and birth defects. In Corpus Christi, TX, where the US' largest PET factory is located, birth defects are 84% higher than the state average.
Read More

Pro 3

Banning bottled water would save money, and public water fountains are convenient and plentiful.

Mathematicians at Penn State University estimate that spending $20 on a reusable water bottle can save the average American up to $1,236 a year. For a family of four that amounts to nearly $5,000.

In San Francisco, where single-use plastic water bottles are banned, 31 water fountains have been added to public areas with 20 more planned. New York City, where Mayor Bill DeBlasio banned single-use water bottles via executive order in Feb. 2020, has 51 water fountains, with another 500 planned by 2025. With public fountains easily available, people can refill reusable water bottles.
Read More

Pro 4

Banning bottled water would protect local water supplies.

Almost 64% of the water being bottled comes from municipal supplies, which can drain water sources relied upon by local communities.

In Michigan, the state allowed Nestlé to pump and bottle clean water from the state's reserves while local residents in Flint fought for access to clean water.

In Pakistan, groundwater levels were depleted in a village neighboring a Nestlé bottled water production plant, resulting in the local water supply turning to sludge.

According to Matthew Davis, PhD, Associate Professor of Earth Sciences at the University of New Hampshire, "during droughts, bottling plants could dry up wells and wetlands or deplete the streamflows in the immediate area."
Read More

Con 1

Banning bottled water removes a healthy choice and leads to increased consumption of unhealthy sugary drinks.

Increased consumption of zero-calorie bottled water in place of high-calorie juices and sodas has cut trillions of calories from American diets.

Michael C. Bellas, Chairman and CEO of the Beverage Marketing Corporation, says "Imagine a person cutting 161 hot dogs, 126 chocolate doughnuts or 87 cheeseburgers from their diet last year. That's the kind of difference we're talking about when we quantify the number of calories saved due to this widespread shift to bottled water."

In Aug. 2017, the National Park Service discontinued its policy that encouraged national parks to ban sales of plastic water bottles stating that, "The ban removed the healthiest beverage choice... while still allowing sales of bottled sweetened drinks."

The International Bottled Water Association noted, "research shows that if bottled water isn't available, 63 percent of people will choose soda or another sugared drink - not tap water."

In Spring 2013, the University of Vermont banned the sale of single use plastic water bottles on campus. The ban resulted in increased sales of higher calorie beverages in place of zero-calorie water; sales of low-calorie (10-50 calorie) beverages increased 12%, juices increased 11%, and sugar-sweetened beverages increased 10%.
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Con 2

Other types of beverages have plastic containers that are more harmful than plastic water bottles, and bans don't necessarily reduce waste.

Plastic water bottles contain much less polyethylene terephthalate (PET) plastic than soft drink bottles that require a thicker plastic container due to the drinks' carbonation - 9.89 grams of PET v. 23.9 grams for a 16.9oz bottle.

A study by Quantis found that between 2007 and 2015, bottled water providers reduced the amount of material used in 8oz-2.5 gallon plastic water bottles by 42.8% - PET plastic is the most common material used in these bottles.

Another study by Quantis, commissioned by Nestlé Waters, found that the packaging and distribution of "sports drinks, enhanced waters and soda produce nearly 50% more carbon dioxide emissions per serving than bottled water."

Plastic water bottles make up 3.3% of all drink packaging in US landfills, which is less than both plastic carbonated soft drink containers (13.3%) and aluminum cans (7.9%).

A study on the University of Vermont's ban on selling single-use plastic water bottles found that total shipments of plastic bottles actually increased 20% as consumers increased their consumption of less healthy bottled beverages rather than switching to using reusable bottles and drinking from water fountains.
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Con 3

Bottled water is a practical emergency water supply.

If tap water is not drinkable, then bottled water is a necessary replacement, making its availability essential to public health.

Ready.gov, the Department of Homeland Security's preparedness website on how to prepare for natural and man-made disasters, recommends everyone "buy commercially bottled water and store it in the sealed original container in cool, dark place."

In Apr. 2014, officials in Flint, MI, changed the city's water supply from Lake Huron to the Flint River. Flint River water is highly corrosive - it eroded water pipes delivering tap water to residents' homes resulting in iron and lead leaching into the water, poisoning those who drank and bathed in it. Between Jan. 2016 and Apr. 2018, the state distributed free 16oz bottles of water to residents for use instead of tap water - it was estimated that a family of three used 151 of these water bottles a day.
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Con 4

Banning bottled water restricts consumers' access to a product they want, and negatively affects small businesses.

A survey by Harris Poll for the International Bottled Water Association found that 93% of Americans think "bottled water should be available wherever drinks are sold," with 31% saying that they only, or mostly only, drink bottled water.

Research by Kantor Panel Worldwide found that "40% of all water servings come in the form of bottled water."

As one blogger said, "everyone tells me that I'm wasting away money and harming the environment, but if it weren't for bottled water I honestly wouldn't drink any water at all... My personal choice is just not tap. I don't like it."

Daniel Kenn, owner of Sudbury Coffee Works in Sudbury, MA, where a plastic water bottle ban was enacted, said, "people want water, it's probably the biggest money maker in that cooler... almost every other town still allows plastic water bottle sales, which will put Sudbury Coffee Works at a competitive disadvantage when the ban takes effect."
Read More

Discussion Questions

1. Should single-use plastics, such as water bottles, be banned? Why or why not?

2. Should other single-use beverage bottles (soda, sports drinks, etc) be banned? Why or why not?

3. What other ways might we prevent plastic from ending up in the ocean? Explain your answer(s).

Take Action
1. Consider the argument that single-use plastic is a " serious climate change hazard."

2. Explore which cities and states have single-use plastic bag bans.

3. Evaluate the argument that bottled water bans harm the environment and public health.

4. Consider how you felt about the issue before reading this article. After reading the pros and cons on this topic, has your thinking changed? If so, how? List two to three ways. If your thoughts have not changed, list two to three ways your better understanding of the "other side of the issue" now helps you better argue your position.

5. Push for the position and policies you support by writing US national senators and representatives.
Sources More Environmental Debates
Should the United States Continue Fracking? - Proponents say natural gas is a bridge fuel to 100% clean energy. Opponents say we need to immediately move away from all fossil fuels.

Should Genetically Modified Organisms (GMOs) Be Grown? - Proponents say GMO foods have been proven safe. Opponents say studies have not confirmed the safety of GMOs.

Can Alternative Energy Effectively Replace Fossil Fuels? - The pros and cons of the alternative and renewable energies debate include arguments for and against solar, wind, and nuclear powers.

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Bottled Water Bans - Pros & Cons - ProCon.org

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Proponents say bottled water bans protect the environment. Opponents say bans lead to increased consumption of unhealthy sugary drinks

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Should Bottled Water Be Banned? - Top 4 Pros and Cons

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Should Bottled Water Be Banned? - Top 4 Pros and Cons

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Should Plastic Water Bottles be Allowed in Schools?

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Should Plastic Water Bottles be Allowed in Schools?

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Everyone deserves access to clean drinking water, especially students. For the majority of school districts, students rely on buying bottled water to ensure they're drinking water tastes great, while still being convenient . Though there's been an increase in the number of people who rely on reusable water bottles, the sales of bottled water remain steady. Every minute approximately one million plastic bottles are sold , with only about 23 percent of plastic bottles recycled in the U.S.

Allowing single-use bottles in schools leads to more harm than good. Through the use of FloWater's water bottle filling stations for schools, administrators can ensure their students and staff are receiving fresh, filtered water whenever they need it. Installing a FloWater Water Refill Station eliminates the need for plastic water bottles. FloWaters' customers see a massive decrease in the amount of plastic waste when students use water bottle filling stations.

Determining if plastic water bottles in schools should be allowed is currently in the hands of administrators who decide when and how they'll implement changes that will help students, the school, and the environment. What makes change easier is when there's a solution, such as FloWater, that other industries have already successfully adopted to replace the use of plastic bottles, while still keeping people hydrated.

FloWater Can Help Schools Become "Plastic-Free"

The negative effects of plastic waste on the planet isn't new information, and the problem is worsening with time. It takes hundreds of years for plastic to decompose naturally, if at all. In the meantime, landfills become overrun with plastic waste, and it spills into the ocean that ultimately affects our entire ecosystem. Most students understand the impact of using plastic water bottles has on the planet, but aren't given any tangible ways to help fix the problem.

Student's two alternatives are usually either buying bottled water from a campus vending machine or drinking from a water fountain, neither of which is desirable compared to using a purified water dispenser. Buying bottled water is costly to students and contributes to the amount of plastic waste found on school grounds. Water from drinking fountains isn't always deemed safe to drink, which makes students less inclined to use them regularly. According to customer research, 87% trust FloWater over water fountains, which has resulted in a 250% average increase in clean water consumption.

FloWater dispenses cold, purified water on-demand in far less time than it takes getting water from a drinking fountain or standard water cooler. It can fill up any size reusable water container, which makes it helpful for students and faculty to maintain their daily hydration easily . However, it's up to the schools to promote the use of a water refill station by educating students about its benefits with ongoing communication. Three of the main advantages of installing a hydration station in schools are the reduction of plastic waste on campus, availability of water free of contaminants, and a great-tasting alternative to sugary drinks and other beverages.

Reduces Plastic Waste

This generation of students is passionate about protecting the environment and taking actionable steps to do so. They need to have the resources available to make these changes. Installing a water dispenser to replace the use of plastic water bottles give s them a convenient, effective solution.

It eliminates the need for single-use water bottles and reduces the amount of overall plastic waste on campuses. Over time, if the demand for plastic water bottles begins to decrease, production would slow down as well, which would save millions of barrels of oil and fuel needed to make and transport bottled water. A change that seems small can cause a chain reaction that results in a meaningful impact.

Promotes Hydration With Purified Water

Hydration is as important to health as a good night's sleep and a balanced diet. Proper hydration allows students to focus better and stay productive longer, which leads to improved attendance and quality performance during school. The key is to encourage students to drink more water .

If schools only offer water through drinking fountains, it often deters students from drinking it as often as they should. Depending on the age of the fountain, the water dispensed may have an unpleasant taste or odor. It's also difficult to determine the number of pollutants found in the water as well. Many states have faced trouble with increased amounts of lead in their water supplies, turning people off of drinking water from the tap.

FloWater water eliminates 99% of all contaminants , including chemicals, pesticides, and other lingering particles that negatively affect the quality of water. Tap water transformed by passing through seven stages of advanced filtration to create crisp-tasting, cold water that is desirable to drink.

Offers a Crisp, Delicious Alternative to Sugary Drinks

If schools replaced plastic water bottles with a water dispenser, it provides the same convenience and less of a cost to students than a drinking fountain or buying a soda from the vending machine. It also provides a beverage that has the same electrolytes students get from sports drinks, which often have added sugars. One of FloWater's seven filters is an electrolyte enhancement, which adds sodium, magnesium, calcium, and potassium back to the water after it's strained out all pollutants and unpleasant odors and tastes. in place of vending machine options will encourage students to stay hydrated. Using a water cooler dispenser in schools

Serves a Large Capacity of Students

Filling up at a water fountain can take a long time when every second matters as students try to hurry between classes and school activities. Alternatively, vending machines can jam or run out of products leaving students with no other options to hydrate. A water refill station provides purified water automatically and dispenses at a much faster rate than the average drinking fountain or water cooler.

Each 20-ounce bottle only takes 9 seconds to fill up, which moves people through the line at a faster rate. The tanks auto-fill every time water is dispensed, so it never "run out." When not in use, the station goes into sleep mode, which saves on energy costs. It's common for schools with large student bodies to have multiple stations to accommodate the highest traffic areas and the places that are the most convenient for students to fill up on the go.

How States Are Shifting to Eliminate Plastic Water Bottles in Schools

Certain high schools and college campuses around the country have started to increase sustainability in their schools by focusing on eliminating plastic waste. sustainability efforts. The problem with plastic has increased to the point where individual states are already limiting or banning the use of plastic bags and plastic straws to help mitigate the problem.

California voters approved the statewide single-use carryout bag ban in 2016. In its place, shoppers can use reusable grocery bags at a cost or bring their own bags to use. Following this fight against plastic, the state also banned dine-in restaurants from automatically providing plastic straws to customers in 2019. Although the same can't be said for the ban of plastic water bottles quite yet, several schools across the U.S. are banning them or implementing campaigns to restrict or reduce the sales of bottled water on campuses.

A charter school in Los Angeles claims to be the country's first K-12 public school to ban single-use plastic bottles. In their place, the school has installed filtered hydration refill stations and sells reusable aluminum bottles for the same price of $1.50 , or students are encouraged to bring their own reusable water bottles from home. Colleges, including the University of Pennsylvania, have also installed hydration stations around campus to encourage the use of reusable containers over plastic water bottles in schools.

Change takes time , and while there have been great strides over the years with regards to recycling and sustainability, it's not something that will occur nationwide overnight. However, progress is made with little steps . As more people understand the value of eliminating plastic water bottles and implementing the use of water refill stations in schools, the more common it'll become.

Get Started With Eliminating Plastic Waste

To initiate change, education is important for students to understand why the change is beneficial for them. Running clean water campaigns and bringing in outside guests to speak to the students about the impact of using a water refilling station with a reusable water bottle versus one-use plastic bottles. Constant communication about it stresses the value and serves as a lesson or reminder of how much they're helping the planet.

Everyone wants a convenient solution without being costly to them, but also consistently tastes great. That's why FloWater has become popular with schools, as well as hotels, airports, gyms, and other areas where there's a large capacity of people to be served at one time. It's not a question of , should plastic water bottles be allowed in schools? It's a question of , how will students adjust when they're not? Give students a premium alternative to plastic water bottles and see how much more water they consume and how much less plastic waste is found on campus. You'll notice a difference right away.
Sources: https://www.earthday.org/2018/03/29/fact-sheet-single-use-plastics/ https://www.plasticpollutioncoalition.org/guides-schools https://abc7.com/education/puc-community-charter-bans-single-use-plastic-bottles/5272628/ https://www.everbluetraining.com/blog/college-campuses-ban-bottled-water

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Should Plastic Water Bottles be Allowed in Schools? | FloWater

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Everyone deserves access to clean drinking water, especially students. For the majority of school districts, students rely on buying bottled water to ensure they're drinking water tastes great, while still being convenient . Though there's been an increase in the number of people who rely on reusable water bottles, the sales of bottled water remain steady.

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Bottled Water: The Human Health Consequences of Drinking from Plastic

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Bottled Water: The Human Health Consequences of Drinking from Plastic

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As we continue to advocate for the reduction of plastic use beyond Plastic Free July, the issue of bottled water remains a significant problem to not only the well-being of our environment, but the quality of our health as well.

In the U.S. alone, Americans buy an estimated 50 billion water bottles a year from a growing industry projected to reach $334 billion by 2023. Many consumers purchasing bottled water are presented with the facade of a high quality product. In reality, countless companies are simply filtering municipal water and bottling it! Next time you reach for the bottle of "pure" water, think twice as popular brands may be selling you water contaminated with microplastics and toxic chemicals from their plastic packaging.

Plastic is everywhere. Most of us correlate plastic contamination to the destruction of our environment. According to the EPA, only 8.4% of plastic in the United States was recycled in 2017, but the problem continues to expand into the realm of human health. Recent studies show bottled water containing excessive levels of microplastics - small pieces of plastic debris less than five millimeters in size. According to research conducted by Orb Media, 93% of the 11 bottled water brands sampled, all showed traces of microplastics. The study included companies such as Aquafina and Evian, with Nestle Pure Life having one of the highest levels of contamination. Their research also showed bottled water contained about 50% more microplastics than tap water.

Most bottled water is sold in plastic #1, also known as polyethylene terephthalate (PET). Research shows that PET may be an endocrine disruptor, altering our hormonal systems. Although this type of plastic is BPA free, phthalates in bottles can still seep into your water, especially when exposed to high temperatures or stored for an extended period of time. Some companies, such as Poland Spring, use plastic #7 for their 3-gallon water bottles. This type of plastic contains BPA, which has been banned in countries around the world, including the European Union and China, due to its toxicity. BPA exposure is linked to multiple health effects including fertility issues, altered brain development, cancer, and heart complications.

It is not mandatory for bottled water corporations to conduct lab tests or inform consumers where their water originates. In contrast to bottled water, tap water suppliers must undergo testing to show contaminant levels, offer quality reports to consumers, meet EPA standards, and disclose their water sources. This means bottled water isn't always the safest option. Additionally, bottled water can be on average 1,000 times more expensive than tap water. So why are we still purchasing bottled water that pollutes our environment and impairs our health? As the obsession with bottled water brainwashes society, I felt compelled to ask people why they felt the need to make this purchase. Countless conversations later, I noticed a recurring theme: a desire to have safe and healthy drinking water.

Improving the quality of our municipal water is critical in order to switch to a safe and more sustainable alternative. The Clean Water for All Act acknowledges the importance and basic human right for everyone to have access to clean water. Reach out to your member of Congress to take action and express your support for this bill.

If you're not sure if your tap water is safe, check your Consumer Confidence Report, which outlines the contaminant levels of your tap water. We also urge you to reach out to your local water supplier to find out where your water comes from.

We can all do our part to reduce plastic pollution. Check out Clean Water Action's award-winning ReThink Disposable program which works with businesses, restaurants, schools, communities, and individuals to help them make the switch from single-use disposables to reusables. Not only will this save you money, it will help improve your health and keep our planet clean.

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Bottled Water: The Human Health Consequences of Drinking from Plastic

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Next time you reach for the bottle of "pure" water, think twice as popular brands may be selling you water contaminated with microplastics and toxic chemicals from their plastic packaging.

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Kids and Recycling (part 5) - How are plastic bottles and caps recycled? by CQ Goes Green

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Kids and Recycling (part 5) - How are plastic bottles and caps recycled? by CQ Goes Green

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Kids and Recycling (part 5) - How are plastic bottles and caps recycled?  by CQ Goes Green

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Bottled Water or Tap? Here’s why your choice matters.

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Bottled Water or Tap? Here’s why your choice matters.

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The main drivers behind the soaring consumption of bottled water include the growing awareness that drinking sugary soft drinks and juices is bad for our health. But it's also the result of marketing. Since the 1970s, when Perrier orchestrated a $35 million campaign to promote "Earth's soft drink," many bottled water fans believe it's safer to drink than tap water.

This is certainly true for those living in areas with water contamination concerns. The World Health Organization and Unicef that in 2017 more than 785 million people did not have access to at least basic water services and more than 884 million people did not have safe water to drink.

But for the vast majority of Americans, who consume more bottled water than any other nation, tap water is virtually identical to bottled water. In some cases, tap water can actually be safer and healthier since it is tested and regulated more frequently. The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) multiple daily tests for bacteria in public water supplies, and makes results available to the public.

Tap water in most big cities must be disinfected, filtered to remove pathogens, and tested for cryptosporidium and giardia viruses. The Food and Drug Administration (FDA), which regulates bottled water sold nationally, doesn't have to. It requires only weekly testing and does not share its findings with the EPA or the public.

Worth noting: Water sourced from private wells are not subject to any kind of screening. Some public sources are also improperly regulated-see Flint, Michigan . (Find if your local tap water is safe to drink .)

Want more reasons to swap bottled water for tap water? Here are seven.

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Bottled water or tap? Here's why your choice matters. - Stone Pier Press

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The main drivers behind the soaring consumption of bottled water include the growing awareness that drinking sugary soft drinks and juices is bad for our health. But it's also the result of marketing. Since the 1970s, when Perrier orchestrated a $35 million campaign to promote "Earth's soft drink," many bottled water fans believe it's safer to drink than tap water.

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High levels of lead, copper found in water at 19 Detroit schools

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High levels of lead, copper found in water at 19 Detroit schools

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Newsela | Instructional Content Platform

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Newsela is an Instructional Content Platform that supercharges reading engagement and learning in every subject.

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CON: Bottled water bans would not be effective and would be overturned long-term

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CON: Bottled water bans would not be effective and would be overturned long-term

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Water bottles are a quick and healthy option for people on the go, not to mention critical for people in disaster situations and in communities like Placedo, where some residents used bottled water for everything from drinking to cooking after illegal levels of arsenic were found in the water flowing from their faucets.

If bottled water is not available, 63% of people will choose soft drinks or another sugary drink, according to research from the International Bottle Water Association.

When the University of Vermont banned the sale of single-use plastics water bottles on campus in 2013, for instance, sales of higher-calorie beverages in place of water increased by 12%, juice sales increased by 11% and sugar-sweetened beverage sales increased by 10% overall, according to research from the Department of Nutrition and Food Sciences, University of Vermont, Burlington.

Bottled water sales surpassed carbonated soft drinks in 2017 as Americans purchased 13.7 billion gallons of bottled water, according to figures from the International Bottled Water Association and Beverage Marketing Corporation.

But in the same year, plastic bottle recycling declined by 3.6% to 29.3%, according to figures released by the Association of Plastic Recyclers and American Chemistry Council in Washington, D.C.

The way people dispose of plastic water bottles is problematic because residents often do not buy recyclable products or they put products in their recycling bins that are not accepted by the city's program, said Darryl Lesak, the city's environmental services director. However, he said, restricting the sale of the bottles is not a solution.

Among other programs, Lesak oversees the city of Victoria's curbside recycling program. The city only accepts plastics 1 and 2, which includes plastic water bottles. He said about 60-70% of Victoria residents regularly use the recycling program.

"There is a way to take care of those single-use bottles properly, (but) getting people to do that is the hard part," he said. "If we can't even get them to put them in the green bin, how are you going to get them to buy a multiuse bottle that they have to carry with them everywhere they go?"

Lesak said his main issue with plastic water bottle bans is that they likely would not hold up legally.

Plastic water bottle bans mirror bans on plastic bags, which gained popularity about the same time. Last year, the Texas Supreme Court ruled that cities cannot ban plastic bags, citing a state law that prohibits cities from trying to reduce waste by banning "containers" and "packages," which are terms not defined in the law but that include plastic bags, according to the court's ruling.

"While (banning or restricting plastic water bottles) sounds good, I don't know that it would ever work in terms of the legislation," Lesak said. "That is my first thought: Are you doing something that may work at first and then somebody is going to sue you over it?"

Kali Venable is a public safety reporter for the Victoria Advocate. She can be reached at 361-580-6558 or at kvenable@vicad.com.

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CON: Bottled water bans would not be effective and would be overturned long-term

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Water bottles are a quick and healthy option for people on the go, not to mention critical for people in disaster situations and in communities like Placedo, where some residents used bottled water for everything from drinking to cooking after illegal levels of arsenic were found in the water flowing from their faucets.

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In a thirsty world...Bottled water seems wasteful

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In a thirsty world...Bottled water seems wasteful

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Bottled water is essentially wasteful. Learn about the environmental impact of packaging water. Discover the true cost of bottled water

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Opinion: Turn on the taps! Bottled water industry is bad for the Earth

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Opinion: Turn on the taps! Bottled water industry is bad for the Earth

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Newsela | Opinion: Turn on the taps! Bottled water industry is bad for the Earth

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Bottled water is a big business that depletes aquifers, harms ecosystems and adds to the garbage disposal problem. Plus, tests show bottled water is no healthier than tap water.

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National parks reverse their stance on selling bottled water

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National parks reverse their stance on selling bottled water

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Newsela | Instructional Content Platform

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Newsela is an Instructional Content Platform that supercharges reading engagement and learning in every subject.

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Photo Credit: Flintwaterstud.org via twitter

Thanks to strict regulations imposed by the US Environmental and Protection Agency, clean tap water is something Americans take for granted. But such is not the case for the residents of Flint, Michigan. Their water supply is so tainted that President Obama declared a federal state of emergency in Flint releasing up to $5 million USD to help the city combat what is probably one of the biggest public health crisis of recent times.

The chain of events that led to this unprecedented situation began in 2013. In a bid to save money, city officials decided to stop purchasing water from Detroit and instead switch to a new water authority. This move they claimed would save the financially-strapped city millions of dollars. Given that the new water authority planned to bring in water from Lake Huron, the same source as used by Detroit, it appeared to be a smart move.

The plan, however, had one major flaw. While the contract with Detroit ended in 2014, the pipeline that would bring water from the new supplier was not expected to be ready until 2016. But the officials were not concerned. They had the perfect interim solution. They would save even more money by using water from the nearby Flint River. Though the river has a storied history because of past use as a dumping ground for chemicals and trash, it has since been cleaned up and, therefore, deemed 'safe' to use for the city's water supply.

Photo Credit: ACLU of Michigan

The switch, which was made in April 2014 was declared a "historic moment" by the city's former Mayor Dayne Walling. The State Department of Environmental Quality proclaimed that the water quality was so good that residents would not notice the difference.

But they were wrong. Almost immediately, residents began complaining about the water's foul taste and appearance. But city officials kept insisting the water was perfectly fine and safe, and the Mayor was even quoted saying "I think people are wasting their precious money buying bottled water."

Over the next few months, there would be numerous other safety concerns, including a citywide advisory to boil the water after e.coli bacteria were detected. Another red flag came in October 2014 when General Motors refused to use the water because it was rusting car parts. The city immediately agreed to allow the car manufacturer to tap into a different water line. However, they did nothing for the residents, because as they kept asserting, there was nothing wrong with the water!

It took another year, and numerous protests and expert opinions before Michigan Governor Rick Snyder finally stepped in and announced that the state would purchase water filters for schools. He also asked experts to check for the levels of lead in school water supplies. They were so high that the following week, the governor allocated $6 million USD to enable Flint to switch back to water from Detroit.

Photo Credit: compoundchecm.com creative commons

But that has not helped the issue. That's because the lead was not in the Flint River water, but being leached by the pipes that it flows through. Turns out that like most rivers, the water in the Flint River has a high concentration of chloride ions thanks to the run-off from large amounts of salt used to de-ice roads during winter. While safe for humans they are highly corrosive, which is why General Motors experienced the rusting. Hence, as the water flowed through the pipes, many of which were built before the use of lead was banned, it ate away at the coating, enabling the harmful lead to leach in. It is therefore no wonder that three months after the switch, authorities continue to advise residents to use bottled water for all their needs.

What's ironic is that a 2011 study had found that adding an anti-corrosive agent that would have cost a mere $100 USD a day would have eliminated about 90% of the current issues. Whether the officials forgot or just didn't want to add the chemical is currently under investigation as is the question of who is to blame for this catastrophe.

Meanwhile, the residents of Flint are left suffering the consequences of the poor decisions. In addition to dealing with the high lead levels in their tap water, they are also concerned about their health. A study published in the American Journal of Public Health in December revealed that the number of children with dangerously high lead levels in their blood has doubled since the water supply was switched. This is extremely worrisome given that early lead exposure is detrimental to young children whose neurological systems are still forming. It is known to result in lower IQ, behavioral issues and developmental delays.

Lead From Corroded Pipes (Photo Credit: Flinte

Though the damage cannot be reversed, health workers are trying to do everything they can to mitigate the effects. This includes educating parents about feeding young kids a diet rich in iron, calcium, and vitamin C - All known to fend off the harmful impact of lead exposure. They are also working with teachers to identify developmental issues earlier on so that affected kids can be channeled into special programs.

Even if all the health damage caused thus far is controlled, there is still the question of how the problem will be solved permanently. While Michigan Governor Rick Synder accepted responsibility for the debacle in his January 19 State of the State address and promised to fix things, it is easier said than done.

According to experts about half of Flint's residents are receiving water via corroded lead pipes. While changing water filters regularly can mitigate the problem, the only way to fix it is by replacing the pipes which according to Flint's new mayor will cost $1.5 billion USD - Money that will be hard to come by in this cash-strapped city!

Resources: miive.com, usatoday.com,cnn.com,nbc.com,abc.com,freep.com,fixthemitten.com

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Thanks to strict regulations imposed by the US Environmental and Protection Agency, clean tap water is something Americans take for granted. But such is not the case for the residents of Flint, Michigan.

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X Games too extreme? New questions after snowmobile accident

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X Games too extreme? New questions after snowmobile accident

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X Games too extreme? New questions after snowmobile accident - CNN

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Serious injury to snowmobiler brings increased scrutiny to the safety of X Games.

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In order for us to understand why people enjoy extreme sports, it is vital for you to understand what extreme sports are; the background, why they are called extreme and why they are categorize on the basis of enjoyment styles.

In recent years, the term extreme sports has evolved on grand scale. It can be categorized into three main types: Air, Land and Water. Now you'll start unleashing, how they work and why do people enjoy them.
These extreme sports are often subject of debates based of the fact that how a sport is called extreme. Often popular in younger-than-average crowd (though not mandatory), these sports are not inducted or sanctioned by schools. These sports are practiced mostly on individual level, while in many cases professional coaching can also be acquired.

Now we tell you the secret recipe of their buzz:

Control and physics: The reason why people enjoy these sports are that they are normally played, exercised or practiced in free or uncontrolled environment like base jumping and sky diving. It means while traditional athletes play in controlled environment like fields and gyms. Extreme athletes have to operate and display their skills in free-flowing natural environment. For this reason the aspects and understanding of laws of physics and how to apply and use them are really crucial for success.

Thrill: This is the single most attractive factor in people's interest for extreme sports. The adrenaline rush is what differentiates it from any other type of sports. The thrill that is derived in extreme sports is highest. The athletes are fully exposed and at the mercy of direct danger. The catch is how to maintain composure and apply skills when it is in extreme scenario. Extreme sports are also widely condemned for the same reason. As many don't think it is a game to put one's self in harm's way with full throttle, without understanding the intensity of consequences.

Pushing The Limits: Extreme sports as the name goes is about pushing the limits. The balance and control of regular instincts application is tried in the highest pressure scenario. The response, nerves and the grip over the un-controllable is the main zeal why people who play or watch, enjoy it.

Man against Nature: As we mentioned earlier that they are about natural elements- Air, Water and Land. These games are loved because the natural elements react to human extreme or instincts. The passion of man to overcome the natural barriers is an addiction for these athletes and spectators. Many a time these overtures have dire impacts, but the fear of danger is the prime motivator to excel in its skill.

Some of the mainstream extreme sports are base jumping, bungy jumping, sky diving, gliding, extreme skiing, mountain biking, cliff-diving, scuba diving, wind surfing. No matter what extreme sport you may enjoy know your limits, or you'll be pushed.

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In order for us to understand why people enjoy extreme sports, it is vital for you to understand what extreme sports are; the background, why they are called extreme and why they are categorize on the basis of enjoyment styles. In recent years, the term extreme sports has evolved on grand scale.

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The World's First Wingsuit Champion Is Crowned

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The World's First Wingsuit Champion Is Crowned

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The World's First Wingsuit Champion Is Crowned

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The World's First Wingsuit Champion Is Crowned has 322 reviews and 0 ratings. Reviewer hsess wrote: "nice article"

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Given the risks involved, where's the appeal in extreme sports?

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Given the risks involved, where's the appeal in extreme sports?

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They do it because they have to. They need the feeling of exertion, that head rush of air and attitude. They want what Warren Shouldice knows is hard to explain unless you flip head over skis, knees over board, and kick snow in the face of danger.

That's what drew Shouldice to freestyle aerials and helped him become a world champion after he had broken his neck and compressed his back. It's what powered the late Sarah Burke to four Winter X Games championships and made her a success in the superpipe, skiing's answer to snowboarding's half-pipe.

"It's almost no fun doing it if there's no risk involved," said Shouldice, a 12-time World Cup medalist in a daredevil game. "The trick is making it a manageable risk."

When Burke died Thursday, nine days after falling during a training run in Park City, Utah, it saddened a nation and a sporting community world-wide. Burke was 29 and happily prepping for her sport's inclusion in the 2014 Sochi Olympics. She had been injured many times before - a broken back, a torn shoulder - but nothing could dampen her love of skiing and the need to push herself to the brink of manageable risk and beyond.

Such is the appeal of many established and extreme sports, both for participants and spectators. The risks and rewards provide the thrills. Alpine skiing, particularly the ultra-fast downhill, has been a major attraction for decades. But the advent of the X Games upped the adrenalin quotient considerably.

The Games were the brainchild of ESPN producer Ron Semiao. In 1993, Semiao was looking for programming to fill the cable channel's fledgling ESPN2. He spotted a series of oddball sports that seemed to have a culture all their own and suggested to his bosses that ESPN create a made-for-TV sporting event. Two years later ESPN launched the first Extreme Games, a week-long competition that featured bungee jumping, mountain biking, skateboarding and street luge. Ratings weren't great and some critics panned the spectacle as "moronic." But ESPN stuck with it and made the games an annual event, later adding a second winter sports program. It also changed the name to X Games.

The popularity of the X Games took off and today they rival the Olympics in some respects. The X Games pull in more than 100,000 spectators and draw a television audience of around 44 million. They have also attracted major sponsors such as Ford, BF Goodrich, Sony and athletes such as Shaun White make up to $8-million annually in sponsorship deals.

The X Games are so popular, ESPN has announced plans to expand from two annual events to six, three summer and three winter. Bids from potential host cities have been flooding in, including one from Whistler B.C., which sees the X Games as a complement to the 2010 Olympics. Meanwhile rival network NBC has started a competing series called Dew Tour with PepsiCo and the Olympics have taken up some X Games sports, including Burke's specialty halfpipe skiing, which will be in the 2014 Games in Sochi.

The X Games "have gone viral," says Lee Berke, who runs consulting firm LHB Sports, Entertainment & Media Inc. in New York. "It's very grassroots in its appeal." Berke added that the X Games have won over major sponsors because the viewing audience is so young, largely 18-34, which means many have yet to form brand loyalties.

But at the root of it all is the question: why? Why do athletes gamble with their lives by doing something so inherently dangerous? Like flying upside down off a 22-foot snow wall or skiing from ridiculous heights?

Asit Rathod has a wonderful life. He's single, active, works at a sales job in Portland, Ore. But as often as he can, he climbs to the top of Mt. Hood and skis off a cliff with a parachute on his back. He's done it many times and is now eyeing bigger verticals - Mount Kilimanjaro and Mount Everest.

Ask him why he does it and Rathod's passion runs wild.

"People always say, 'Why do you feel the need to risk your life?' It's about the power of adventure. In day-to-day life, adventure has been ripped from us in the way we drive, the way we eat. You get to that place where you have to have that adventure," he said. "The risk is always the excitement."

Rathod was a good friend of Shane McConkey, who died in 2009 when he skied off a cliff in Italy and his chute failed to open. Over the past four years, Rathod has lost "six, seven good friends" to extreme-sport accidents yet he has no plans to take up something with a safer track record.

"You remember their spirit. You remember their smile," he said of his fallen comrades. "If anything, it gives you more inspiration to do what you're doing. It's like Nietzsche said, 'The secret to reaping the greatest fruitfulness and the greatest enjoyment from life is to live dangerously.'"

Jacques Rogge, the president of the International Olympic Committee, was saddened by the news of Burke's death but insisted freestyle skiing is no more dangerous than any other winter sport. "There are always risks attached to sport," he stated.

Mitigating those risks is the relentless challenge. The International Ski Federation is presently examining how to equip downhill skiers with air bags to protect them during high-speed spills. FIS has been working with Dainese, the Italian company that makes protection for mountain bikers and motorcyclists. Canadian downhillers Erik Guay and Jan Hudec have been involved in the testing. Three years into the project, FIS is hoping to have a race suit fully ready for the end of this year.

Not so high tech, yet just as important, is the way young athletes are trained for their sport. Alpine Canada is holding a series of speed skills camps to instruct young racers on how to ski safely. At Calgary's Canada Olympic Park, there are plans to expand on an acrobatics room with trampolines and foam pits for budding freestylers. The kids, ages 9 to 14, practise there first before graduating to jumping off a ramp and landing in an air bad. Eventually, after hundreds of practice jumps, they move to the snow and begin in moderation.

"What we're doing is hiring top coaches to train top athletes," said Daniel Lefebvre, COP's director of education/sport development. "You have to build their confidence."

Shouldice, who recovered from both of his bad crashes but is currently sidelined with a concussion, endorses all of that - solid training and coaching. He also believes Burke's death, whole tragic, will not adversely affect freestyle skiing.

"I don't think this is going to change anyone's opinion of freestyle," he said. "Yes, there are risks. There are risks driving to work every day, Look at the number of people in freestyle and this is our first death. A lot of sports can't say that."

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Given the risks involved, where's the appeal in extreme sports?

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It is part adrenalin rush and part risk/reward that drive people to take part in established and extreme sports

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Tony Hawk on the Dangers of Extreme Sports

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Tony Hawk on the Dangers of Extreme Sports

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Tony Hawk on the Dangers of Extreme Sports

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Extreme Sports for Kids: Would You Let Your Child Do Them?

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Extreme Sports for Kids: Would You Let Your Child Do Them?

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Kaid Jaret Olson-Weston isn't out of grade school yet, but later this month he'll drive his own custom-built monster truck at a monster truck show in Wildwood, N.J.. Lane Huszar was riding bulls by age 10. And Jay Cramer began competing in motocross races at the age of 4.

These kids are all doing what some may call extreme sports with their parents' permission. Sometimes, injuries happen: Cramer once broke his arm during racing practice when his bike sputtered just before a jump and then broke it again just months later. He is now recovering. His father said his son wants to return to racing and hopes to be cleared by doctors to participate again by Thanksgiving.

"We take every precaution we can to keep him safe," Cramer's father, Jason Cramer, told "20/20? after the first accident. He noted that his son wears a protective neck brace, a Kevlar vest and other equipment when he rides. "He could have broken his arm playing football too. It's just a risk that you take when you're involved in what could be a contact sport."

Would you let your child participate in an extreme sport? Vote below and learn more about these incredible children and their parents Friday on "20/20? at a special time, 9 p.m. ET.

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Extreme Sports for Kids: Would You Let Your Child Do Them?

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Kaid Jaret Olson-Weston isn't out of grade school yet, but later this month he'll drive his own custom-built monster truck at a monster truck show in Wildwood, N.J.. Lane Huszar was riding bulls by age 10. And Jay Cramer began competing in motocross races at the age of 4.

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The Extreme Sports Addiction [Infographic]

"The more fearful a certain sport makes you, the greater the release of chemicals. The greater the release of these chemicals, the greater the addiction-like symptoms." -Dr. Marvin Zuckerman, Professor Emeritus, University of Delaware CHASING THE HIGH WHAT IS THE E TREME SPORTS ADDICTION? What is it that drives risk-takers to pursue dangerous situations willingly and repeatedly? Who are they and what makes them keep going back for more? Does this "addiction factor" contribute to the advancement of action sports as well? Krush takes you behind the scenes of the extreme sports addiction to give you some answers! WHAT ARE THEY ADDICTED TO? THE ADRENALINE RUSH Adrenaline, aka Epinephrine A hormone released from the adrenal gland in the body when faced with stressful or dangerous situations (fight or flight response), elevating your heart rate and giving you a boost of energy and alertness. It can give people a sense of superhuman strength, HO speed, and other abilities that allow them to respond to traumatic situations. OH но The release of adrenaline (the adrenaline rush) stimulates the brain's reward system, triggering the release of dopamine... THE REWARDING BUZZ Dopamine A chemical in the brain that is responsible for the "high" or euphoric feeling you experience when you overcome danger or perceived extreme risk. When dopamine is HO released it provides feelings of pleasure and satisfaction. Chronic risk-takers or extreme sports enthusiasts tend to have a higher saturation of dopamine in the brain. HO DOPAMINE LEVEL IN RISK-TAKERS VS. NON RISK-TAKERS Normal Level Risk-taker -the amount of dopamine released in the brain due to a rewarding experience + "In high novelty-seeking individuals, the brain is less able to regulate dopamine [thus releasing a greater amount], and this may lead these individuals to be particularly responsive to novel and rewarding situations that normally induce dopamine release." -Dr. David H. Zald, Ph.D., Professor of Psychology at Vanderbilt University THE EUPHORIC FEELING DOPAMINE GIVES EXTREME SPORTS ENTHUSIASTS WHEN IT FLOODS THE BLOODSTREAM WHO ARE THESE PEOPLE ? "TYPE I" 10-15% | * Type T (for thrill-seeking) personality types of the population are classified as Type T. can be described as "risk-takers and adventurers who seek excitement and stimulation wherever they can find or create it." (Psychologist Frank Farley) * These types of people tend to seek out unique experiences, the theory being that they need to stimulate low dopamine levels. Sensation-seeking trait is about bU% genetic THE DANGEROUS SIDE OF TYPE T PERSONALITIES DRUG ABUSE ALCOHOL ABUSE GAMBLING Using stimulating drugs such as amphetamines or cocaine synthetically raises the amount of dopamine in the brain, producing a short-lived artificial high. EXTREME SPORTS ADDICTION LEADS TO PROGRESSION THE ENDLESS PURSUIT... * Sensation seekers can become addicted to the "high" they get from the adrenaline and dopamine rush. This addiction drives them to chase the next high repeatedly. * Tolerance builds as the body gets used to the same rush over and over, which is why extreme sports athletes are constantly pushing the envelope and upping the ante. "You need risk to trigger reward and the body gets used to risk. In other words, just like drug addicts who need to take more and more of a substance to get back to the level of high they desire, action sports addicts need to up their danger quotient to achieve the same effect." -Dr. Greg Berns, M.D., Ph.D., Professor of Neuroeconomics at Emory University THE SEARCH FOR THE NEXT BIG THING, THE NEVER BEEN DONE BEFORE TRICK, IS WHAT DRIVES THE CONSTANT PROGRESSION OF EXTREME SPORTS A FEW EXAMPLES... THEN NOW fmx 2X WHAT'S NEXT Ist Backflip Double Backflip 2006 2002 skydiving WIHAT'S NEXT Became a sport BASE Jumping Wing Suit Flying 128,000 ft. jump mid-1950's 2012 snowhoarding Double Alley-Oop Rodeo & Double McTwist 1260 2012 McTwists & 1080's 720's & 900's 1998 2005 3.5x SPINS 2x FLIPS WHAT'S NEXT 15 IL 11.5 t HALFPIPE WALL HEIGHTS HALFPIPE TRICKS & AIR HEIGHT WITH EXTREME SPORTS ATHLETES CONTINUING TO CHASE THE ELUSIVE HIGH AND PUSH THE BOUNDARIES, IT'S NO WONDER WE VE SEEN THE TRICKS BECOME INSANELY MORE TECHNICAL AND THE LEVEL OF RISK RAPIDLY INCREASING. WE CAN ONLY WONDER, WHERE WILL THE EXTREME SPORTS ADDICTION TAKE US NEXT? SOURCES KRUSH K http://www.jneurosci.org http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/health/7802751.stm https://dana.org/media/detail.aspx?id=23620 http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2748420/pdf/nihms85634.pdf https://dana.org/media/detail.aspx?id=23620 http://www.accessmylibrary.com/article-1G1-177868123/action-sports-participation-consumer.html http://www.time.com/time/health/article/0,8599,1869106,00.html?iref=werecommend?id=perma_share http://www.livestrong.com/article/532699-dopamine-sports/ http://news.vanderbilt.edu/2008/12/risk-takers-drug-abusers-driven-by-decreased-ability-to-process-dopamine-69546/ -seekers-chasing-a-craving/ w.psychologytoday.com/blog/the-playing-field/200803/the-addicitve-nature-adrenaline-sport .ca/2012/01/thrill- http://www. http://www. http://www.summitpost.org/living-on-the-edge-extreme-sports-and-their-role-in-society/214107 http://www.dailycamera.com/ci_13126284 http://www.springerlink.com/content/j7578873352trx0g/ http://www.webmd.com/fitness-exercise/features/extreme-sports-whats-appeal?page=2 .charlatan. "The more fearful a certain sport makes you, the greater the release of chemicals. The greater the release of these chemicals, the greater the addiction-like symptoms." -Dr. Marvin Zuckerman, Professor Emeritus, University of Delaware CHASING THE HIGH WHAT IS THE E TREME SPORTS ADDICTION? What is it that drives risk-takers to pursue dangerous situations willingly and repeatedly? Who are they and what makes them keep going back for more? Does this "addiction factor" contribute to the advancement of action sports as well? Krush takes you behind the scenes of the extreme sports addiction to give you some answers! WHAT ARE THEY ADDICTED TO? THE ADRENALINE RUSH Adrenaline, aka Epinephrine A hormone released from the adrenal gland in the body when faced with stressful or dangerous situations (fight or flight response), elevating your heart rate and giving you a boost of energy and alertness. It can give people a sense of superhuman strength, HO speed, and other abilities that allow them to respond to traumatic situations. OH но The release of adrenaline (the adrenaline rush) stimulates the brain's reward system, triggering the release of dopamine... THE REWARDING BUZZ Dopamine A chemical in the brain that is responsible for the "high" or euphoric feeling you experience when you overcome danger or perceived extreme risk. When dopamine is HO released it provides feelings of pleasure and satisfaction. Chronic risk-takers or extreme sports enthusiasts tend to have a higher saturation of dopamine in the brain. HO DOPAMINE LEVEL IN RISK-TAKERS VS. NON RISK-TAKERS Normal Level Risk-taker -the amount of dopamine released in the brain due to a rewarding experience + "In high novelty-seeking individuals, the brain is less able to regulate dopamine [thus releasing a greater amount], and this may lead these individuals to be particularly responsive to novel and rewarding situations that normally induce dopamine release." -Dr. David H. Zald, Ph.D., Professor of Psychology at Vanderbilt University THE EUPHORIC FEELING DOPAMINE GIVES EXTREME SPORTS ENTHUSIASTS WHEN IT FLOODS THE BLOODSTREAM WHO ARE THESE PEOPLE ? "TYPE I" 10-15% | * Type T (for thrill-seeking) personality types of the population are classified as Type T. can be described as "risk-takers and adventurers who seek excitement and stimulation wherever they can find or create it." (Psychologist Frank Farley) * These types of people tend to seek out unique experiences, the theory being that they need to stimulate low dopamine levels. Sensation-seeking trait is about bU% genetic THE DANGEROUS SIDE OF TYPE T PERSONALITIES DRUG ABUSE ALCOHOL ABUSE GAMBLING Using stimulating drugs such as amphetamines or cocaine synthetically raises the amount of dopamine in the brain, producing a short-lived artificial high. EXTREME SPORTS ADDICTION LEADS TO PROGRESSION THE ENDLESS PURSUIT... * Sensation seekers can become addicted to the "high" they get from the adrenaline and dopamine rush. This addiction drives them to chase the next high repeatedly. * Tolerance builds as the body gets used to the same rush over and over, which is why extreme sports athletes are constantly pushing the envelope and upping the ante. "You need risk to trigger reward and the body gets used to risk. In other words, just like drug addicts who need to take more and more of a substance to get back to the level of high they desire, action sports addicts need to up their danger quotient to achieve the same effect." -Dr. Greg Berns, M.D., Ph.D., Professor of Neuroeconomics at Emory University THE SEARCH FOR THE NEXT BIG THING, THE NEVER BEEN DONE BEFORE TRICK, IS WHAT DRIVES THE CONSTANT PROGRESSION OF EXTREME SPORTS A FEW EXAMPLES... THEN NOW fmx 2X WHAT'S NEXT Ist Backflip Double Backflip 2006 2002 skydiving WIHAT'S NEXT Became a sport BASE Jumping Wing Suit Flying 128,000 ft. jump mid-1950's 2012 snowhoarding Double Alley-Oop Rodeo & Double McTwist 1260 2012 McTwists & 1080's 720's & 900's 1998 2005 3.5x SPINS 2x FLIPS WHAT'S NEXT 15 IL 11.5 t HALFPIPE WALL HEIGHTS HALFPIPE TRICKS & AIR HEIGHT WITH EXTREME SPORTS ATHLETES CONTINUING TO CHASE THE ELUSIVE HIGH AND PUSH THE BOUNDARIES, IT'S NO WONDER WE VE SEEN THE TRICKS BECOME INSANELY MORE TECHNICAL AND THE LEVEL OF RISK RAPIDLY INCREASING. WE CAN ONLY WONDER, WHERE WILL THE EXTREME SPORTS ADDICTION TAKE US NEXT? SOURCES KRUSH K http://www.jneurosci.org http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/health/7802751.stm https://dana.org/media/detail.aspx?id=23620 http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2748420/pdf/nihms85634.pdf https://dana.org/media/detail.aspx?id=23620 http://www.accessmylibrary.com/article-1G1-177868123/action-sports-participation-consumer.html http://www.time.com/time/health/article/0,8599,1869106,00.html?iref=werecommend?id=perma_share http://www.livestrong.com/article/532699-dopamine-sports/ http://news.vanderbilt.edu/2008/12/risk-takers-drug-abusers-driven-by-decreased-ability-to-process-dopamine-69546/ -seekers-chasing-a-craving/ w.psychologytoday.com/blog/the-playing-field/200803/the-addicitve-nature-adrenaline-sport .ca/2012/01/thrill- http://www. http://www. http://www.summitpost.org/living-on-the-edge-extreme-sports-and-their-role-in-society/214107 http://www.dailycamera.com/ci_13126284 http://www.springerlink.com/content/j7578873352trx0g/ http://www.webmd.com/fitness-exercise/features/extreme-sports-whats-appeal?page=2 .charlatan.

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The Extreme Sports Addiction [Infographic]

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What is it that drives risk-takers to pursue dangerous situations willingly and repeatedly? Who are they and what makes them keep going back for more?

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M. Carroll: Extreme sports: Higher, faster and more treacherous

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M. Carroll: Extreme sports: Higher, faster and more treacherous

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Much of the chatter during Sunday's Super Bowl will undoubtedly be about how the rhetoric is heating up over long-term head injuries in football. But Coloradans needn't look any further than our own backyard mountains for discussion on a similarly dangerous development.

Snowmobiler Caleb Moore died Thursday from injuries to his heart and brain after a violent crash during last weekend's Winter X Games in Aspen in which his 450-pound snowmobile landed on top of him during a competition.

Just hours before his accident, Moore told The Denver Post that his snowmobiling career was launched "after barely a month of practice."

As a trend, most snow sports for amateurs have ostensibly gotten safer over the last decade, with helmet use up over 171 percent and 67 percent of skiers and snowboarders opting to protect their heads, according to the National Ski Areas Association. Despite that, serious injuries on the slopes have increased while the number of annual skier days has decreased by more than 6 million.

While the NSAA cites just a one in a million chance of incurring a serious injury on the slopes, the movement on the mountains is still to be better, higher, faster and more daring and treacherous recreationally, in competition, in the backcountry - and perhaps with less experience - than ever before.

There were 54 in-bounds skiing and snowboarding fatalities nationwide in the 2011-12 season, plus 51 serious injuries. In the 2002-03 season, there were 37 fatalities and 33 serious injuries.

Chris Nowinski, a former WWE wrestler and founding executive director of the nonprofit Sports Legacy Institute, which aims to advance the study, treatment, and prevention of the effects of brain trauma in athletes, says while safety is the purpose of helmets, they actually encourage risk-taking behavior "because they can limit immediate consequences like pain and lacerations."

The International Ski Federation has made significant changes in equipment rules in order to make the sport safer for professionals, but while athletes are competing at the same venues as past generations with more secure measures in place, the risks are still larger as the push in competition is to go bigger. The 100 miles per hour World Cup downhill ski barrier was broken for the first time during the Wengen downhill in Switzerland last month, for one. And Powder magazine recently questioned the future of women's slopestyle after most of the U.S. team was sidelined with injuries like concussions and a torn ACL at last year's U.S. Grand Prix.

Über-snowboarder and two-time Olympic gold medalist in the halfpipe, Shaun White is roundly praised as a showman with tremendously intricate skills, although he also has the benefit of sponsors to pay for a state-of-the-art, incredibly safe practice facility. In a 2010 "60 Minutes" profile, he gave a tour of his training camp, which includes a foam pit and 500-foot super pipe in the San Juan Mountains, which was built expressly for him by a sponsor and only accessible by helicopter. Most other athletes might have the benefit of safer equipment, but they still don't have that kind of entrée to such protective care.

Access to safer equipment also tends to make more casual snow riders feel perhaps prematurely qualified to attempt to emulate their professional icons. The popularity of events like the Winter X Games in Aspen, Burton Open in Vail and the Dew Tour in Breckenridge and extreme athletes like Tanner Hall help contribute to a precarious culture that some argue is getting out of hand.

Ted Mahon, a career skier who has skied all of Colorado's fourteeners as well as climbed Mount Everest, said that while in all sports there is a progression wherein prior generations try to build on the accomplishments of their predecessors, "in the case of skiing, the progression has gotten to a point where to move forward to the next level, the margin of error has grown very thin."

He also believes that much of the field at events such as the X Games is just too young to understand the gravity of their attempts towards X gold.

"If you're 16 and they dangle prize money, sponsorships and the chance to star in a Red Bull video, it's no wonder the kids want to do it," Mahon said.

Gadgets like GoPros, the helmet cameras that Men's Fitness magazine praises as "just the device to capture whatever it is that gets your adrenaline pumping" aid and abet tweens and adolescents who try imitating the extraordinary tricks they see in competitions and commercials in an effort to impress their actual and social-media friends - while in terrain parks. Without age minimums and extra monitoring from ski patrol in the parks, the chance of injury is great.

Still, two-time extreme skiing world champion Chris Davenport commends the ski industry as a whole, including the resorts, for trying to make the sport safer and thinks families who ski recreationally aren't doing it much different today than, say, 20 years ago. Yet he agrees there's an alarming inclination on the professional side to push the envelope to near-fatal extremes.

"You have to do the new trick, go bigger in the pipe, flip the snowmobile - this is what keeps franchises like the X Games going. Otherwise it wouldn't be as interesting."

Mahon agrees, and believes to an extent that contenders like Moore are just answering the demand of the crowds - and likely ESPN.

"People watch snowmobiling because they know there's going to be a crash. It's not such an interesting event," Mahon said. "It's actually kind of silly. Everyone's just waiting for the wipeout."

Nowinski believes the biggest concern with events like the X Games is that there's no one setting limits to the risks athletes can take.

"If the sport's leadership doesn't have a firm hand in telling athletes not to kill themselves and to take reasonable risks instead, there's no limit to how much damage they can do to themselves," Nowinski said.

National Football League commissioner Roger Goodell is attempting to make that league safer after a highly publicized spate of head injuries and suicides, even if some players and fans don't necessarily appreciate the increased number of fines and flags for hits that referees deem dangerous.

Baltimore Ravens safety Bernard Pollard told CBSSports.com that while he thinks Goodell is killing the league, he still worries "there's going to be a death on the field one day because of the direction we're taking." Ultimately, he said he agrees that something has to be done about player safety.

Tanner Hall last year told HBO's "Real Sports" that "a lot of the consequences can be death because that's just where the progression of skiing is going," but he wasn't on the same page as Pollard about whether he thought that any kind of intervention was in order.

"The answer is to keep going," Hall said.

Whether the prize is the highest ratings on ESPN, the most lucrative energy drink endorsement deal or the best amateur GoPro video to share on Facebook on Twitter, one thing is clear: Few appear to be interested in applying the brakes.
Meredith C. Carroll of Aspen writes a weekly column in The Denver Post. Contact her at meredithccarroll@hotmail.com or on Twitter @mccarroll.

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M. Carroll: Extreme sports: Higher, faster and more treacherous

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M. Carroll: Extreme sports: Higher, faster and more treacherous

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Getting Involved In "Extreme Sports": Advice From Parents Of Top Extreme Athletes

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Getting Involved In "Extreme Sports": Advice From Parents Of Top Extreme Athletes

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During the San Francisco X Games, MomsTeam talked to moms of some of the top athletes, who shared their experiences in the world of "extreme" sports and advice on what other parents should know to help them decide if these sports are right for their child.

A Generation Gap?

If you don't know much about the new sports that have kids across the country jumping, spinning and riding every chance they get, relax! You are not alone. Despite having moved into mainstream culture, they are still very generational, with most parents knowing only what they learn from their kids. As a result, parents usually have lots of questions, like: Are these sports safe? Where do I take my kids to learn? How do I buy the proper equipment? Can you really make a living as an extreme athlete and how do I know if my child is good enough to compete?

Some of what moms told us was not surprising, including the very real risk of injuries. Every parent had a story about stitches or broken bones, but, as they pointed out, so does the parent of a football or soccer player. On the other hand, we were surprised when moms told us about how close many had become to their teenagers as a result of their support and involvement in their child's choice of a non-traditional sport. Both the mothers and the athletes helped explain why many kids are drawn "alternative" sports instead of more traditional sports.

Family Support is Key

The mothers we spoke with, all who have children competing at these X Games, had to make tough decisions and sacrifices to help their kids reach this level of competition. In some cases they travel the country with their child to attend competitions, spending considerable time away from the rest of the family. The moms confess to having had concerns when their kids first began these sports about the possibility of injuries. And many of them had little knowledge, let along first hand experience, about sports like skateboarding or in-line skating. But once it became clear to them that this was what their child loved doing and that they had the talent, they committed themselves and their time to helping their children fulfill their dreams.

Debby Pastrana is the mother of 16-year-old Moto X freestyle phenom and gold medallist in the 1999 and 2000 X Games, Travis Pastrana. In this, one of the most dangerous sports at the X Games, where riders fly 35 feet in the air and perform extremely difficult tricks on a motorcycle, Debby has had to face her fears as a parent and rise above them to support her son's dream. "Its hard, it's very hard. Travis has broken over 20 bones and been in a wheelchair for two and half months when they weren't sure if he would be paralyzed. It was the hardest thing as a parent, but you see your kid who tries and it's in their heart. As a parent, if you see this in your child, you have to support it. You have to. And if you don't support them then lots of things are going to be worse. Because then they feel the friction of that and don't want to go against you. We are in it 100%, I've been with him every step of the way. When he's hurt and in rehab, he never complains, and that's when you know [that he's committed]," explained Pastrana.

On the other hand, some parents still don't see extreme sports as real athletic competition and, as a result, don't respect the path their child has chosen. One parent, who didn't want to give her name, shared with us how a lack of support can really harm a parent/child relationship. While both parents have decided to support their child's decision to become a professional bike stunt rider, one parent continues to belittle the sport and has yet to attend any competitions. This has caused a lot of pain for their child and has seriously strained family relationships.

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Getting Involved In "Extreme Sports": Advice From Parents Of Top Extreme Athletes

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During the San Francisco X Games, MomsTeam talked to moms of some of the top athletes, who shared their experiences in the world of "extreme" sports and advice on what other parents should know to help them decide if these sports are

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Everyone who knows anything about extreme sports - and, to be honest, anyone who doesn't know anything about extreme sports - understands that they are inherently dangerous. That's why they're 'extreme'. Yet thousands and thousands of people still participate in these sports, knowing that there is a chance they will be injured - so just why are extreme sports worth the risk? We look a little more deeply into the reasons why, despite the dangers, people still love to take part.
Calculated Risk
One of the reasons why people continue to participate in extreme sports, and always will do so, is that they know they are taking a calculated risk. Unlike an unplanned adventure, participants in extreme sporting events know exactly what they are getting into. They have trained for it. They know what to expect, and how to keep themselves safe. They trust in the organizers who will have run risk assessments and safety checks and put insurances in place. Extreme sports may be extreme, but they are also well regulated and that makes a big difference. There are still rules to follow, yet people can enjoy the thrill of the sport as well. It's the best of both worlds.
Freedom
Despite the somewhat controlled nature of extreme sports, there is a still a huge element of freedom involved which sets them apart from any other kind of sports that can be played. It gives the participant a chance to really show what they can do, without the constraints (to a point) that would normally be involved in less extreme sporting events. This is what appeals to some people; if their normal, day to day lives are regulated and all about sticking to specific rules, then being at to enjoy extreme sports means that they can experience a special kind of freedom, which is thrilling and liberating.
The Thrill
Perhaps the single biggest reason why people get involved in extreme sports is for the thrill of it. Adrenalin can be created in many different aspects of life, but in extreme sports, when there is an element of danger as well as the fun of the activity itself, that level of adrenalin is extremely high, and that leads to a natural rush, a feeling of pure bliss. It's something that those who take part in these fantastic sports can't find anywhere else, and they don't want to let it go - so they keep playing the games, they keep taking part. Why not? If it's fun, and gives them a beautifully alive feeling, it makes sense to keep going!
Learning Control
As well as the thrill of the activity, and the natural high that comes with it, the athlete needs to learn to keep control of themselves - if they just let themselves go wild, accidents can happen. This is something that many of the participants in extreme sports enjoy; it's a measure of their success, and a way to show themselves just how mentally strong they are, at the same time as they are being physically strong. As far as challenges go, extreme sports provide some of the very best of all.
Pushing The Limits
Extreme sports is all about pushing the limits - as the name implies, it really is extreme, and much more strenuous (both physically and mentally) than standard sporting games and activities will be. It offers people the highest pressure scenarios, and it is down to their own training and mental ability to push themselves further and further each time they take part. This - when done right - is good for us. It keeps us fit and healthy, and it keeps us active. It may be uncomfortable, and it may be scary, but that's all part of the fun, and what keeps people interesting for the long term.
Winning Against Nature
Extreme sports are often about the elements - water, air, the land, even fire in the most extreme cases - and mankind has always had a fascination about taming these elements. Extreme sports can, to some extent, allow that to happen, at least for the duration of the event. This passion to overcome natural barriers (both literally and mentally) can become something of an addiction; danger and fear has always been a prime motivator, and extreme sports allow people to go back to their most natural instincts.
Keeping Your Brain Fit
Of course, sports of any kind are good for your physical fitness, but extreme sports are also excellent for keeping your brain healthy, and that can have positive influences later on in life. The more active you keep your mind, the less chance there is of developing fatal conditions such as dementia and Alzheimer's. Your brain is what runs your entire body, so looking after it and challenging it with difficult puzzles as you would find in extreme sports is essential.
For The Spectators
There is something fascinating about watching people take part in extreme sports, which is why the spectators are such hardcore fans. Once you begin getting interested in extreme sports, it really does take hold, whether you are physically taking part, or just watching others do it. Of course, if an event is truly popular, there will be sponsorship opportunities as well, which can lead to those taking part earning a lot of money, or even becoming minor celebrities, and it means that fans can invest more time in following them. They can even spend money on buying merchandise.
What Are Extreme Sports?
If the idea of taking part in extreme sports appeals to you - as it does to hundreds of thousands of people across the world - what kinds of activities might you be able to take part in? Some examples of extreme sports include mountain biking, scuba diving, bungy jumping, sky diving, extreme skiing, cliff diving, base jumping, and make more. Whichever you choose, make sure you learn the rules and how to be safe with an instructor first - and enjoy yourself!

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Everyone who knows anything about extreme sports - and, to be honest, anyone who doesn't know anything about extreme sports - understands that they are inherently dangerous. That's why they're 'extreme'. Yet thousands and thousands of people still participate in these sports, knowing that there is a chance they will be injured - so just why are extreme sports worth the risk?

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Extreme Sports: Ranking High in Popularity

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Extreme Sports: Ranking High in Popularity

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Extreme Sports: Ranking High in Popularity | MomsTeam

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NORTH PALM BEACH, FLORIDA - There’s never an off-season for extreme sports. Whether it’s winter, spring, summer, or fall, at least one, two or more extreme sports are getting the time and attention of the American sporting public. According to SGMA

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The 10 extreme sports that will take your adrenaline levels to the top.

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The 10 extreme sports that will take your adrenaline levels to the top.

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There is no way for the lovers of intense experiences than practicing extreme sports. These disciplines will take you around the glove for a true taste of the best adventure of your life.

These sports are not for the faint of heart. While your typical discipline often includes a physical and mental demand, extreme sports take it up a notch with their unusual settings, overall rules, and risks.

The link between adrenaline and extreme sports

You might be wondering, what is it about extreme sports that make people take such incredible risks? Well, sports psychologists have done numerous researches about the topic.

The common answer to this question is adrenaline. The individuals who enjoy going through an adrenaline rush, seek for sports that provide them with this feeling. This bodily response would normally help the body to take a better and faster response in dangerous situations.

The most extreme sports in the world

What makes a sport extreme is the mix of high speed and higher risks. This involved with the performance of incredible stunts and the real or perceived dangers, separates extreme sports from your regular volleyball match.

Sky diving or parachuting can be simple in theory, jumping from a moving plane with a parachute. It may involve free-falling, which is a period when the parachute has not yet been deployed and the body gradually accelerates velocity. All of these taking place 12,000ft above the ground.

Jumping from all kinds of structures, form a building or crane, a bridge across a deep ravine, or a natural geographic feature such as a cliff, into a free fall with an elastic rope tied to your feet.

Some people take it up a notch by jumping from a type of aircraftthat has the ability to hover above the ground, such as a hot-air-balloon or helicopter.

depends solely on your creativity and your capacity of moving fast from place to place, quick problem solving and of course gymnastic abilities. This freestyle sport is all about moving through the city from one point to another while doing all kinds of pirouettes and jumps.

Also, this sport has recently become a trend, so you can watch multiple videos in apps like TikTok, where people show off their feats around the city.

Motocross is an off-road motorcycle racing. With the particularity of taking place in a closed circuit in all kinds of terrain , sometimes with the addition of hills. Not to mention the occasional acrobatic spins, jumps and tricks.

Also called mountaineering, this adventure kind of sport has the goal of climbing mountains from the bottom to the top. This often involves going through extreme temperatures, climbing through walls, and camping in great heights .

Practiced individually or in groups, rafting is all about mastering fast waters . This sport involves going through rivers using an inflatable raft. Rafting on certain sections of rivers is considered an extreme sport, while other sections are deemed to be less difficult.

Rappelling or abseiling is a controlled descent off a vertical drop, such as a rock face, by descending a fixed rope. This sport involves descending cliffs or slopes that would be too steep and/or dangerous to descend without protection.

To descend safely, abseilers use a variety of techniques to increase the friction on the rope to the point where it can be controlled comfortably. These techniques are based on speed, safety, weight and other circumstantial concerns.

Paragliding is a sport where you fly with a lightweight, free-flying, foot-launched glider aircraft with no rigid primary structure. Despite not using an engine, paraglider flights can last many hours and cover great lengths.

Surfing is a surface water sport where you use a board to ride on a moving wave of water, which usually carries the surfer towards the shore. This sport is best performed in the sea, although it can also be practiced on lakes, or rivers .

This extreme sport involves flying through the air using a wingsuit, tailored to add surface area to the human body and enable a significant increase in lift. A wingsuit flight ends by deploying a parachute. A flight can be started from any point that provides enough altitude for flight and parachute deployment.

Would you like to give any of them a try? Extreme sports are part of the most unique experiences an individual can live in the whole the world. They make big contrast from our normally calm and repetitive way of living.

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The 10 extreme sports that will take your adrenaline levels to the top.

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There is no way for the lovers of intense experiences than practicing extreme sports. These disciplines will take you around the glove for a true taste of the best adventure of your life. These sports are not for the faint of heart.

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Advantages & Disadvantages of Extreme Sports

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Advantages & Disadvantages of Extreme Sports

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The thrill of extreme sports draws in many who are looking for a little excitement. Snowboarding, surfing, skateboarding, free running and other extreme sports offer the freedom of physically and psychologically challenging yourself to perform feats that may make other athletes queasy. But many extreme sports have an element of danger beyond the risks associated with traditional sports. It is important to consider both the advantages and disadvantages of the extreme sport of your interest.

Many who participate in extreme sports claim they do it for the rush -- adrenaline rush, that is. Being in a dangerous situation triggers a release of adrenaline as a part of the fight or flight response, naturally intended to keep you out of harm's way. The adrenaline rush is marked by an elevated heart rate, dilated pupils and a change in breathing patterns. This surge of adrenaline is also accompanied by a release of endorphins and dopamine, which are associated with feelings of euphoria and pleasure. Those who participate in extreme sports chase this feeling, which they believe makes the sport more fun, and see this pleasure response as an advantage of participating in the activity.

Fun Plus Fitness

Extreme sports also provide an intense workout. Many extreme sports require you to use your full body, and as a result, can exercise multiple muscle groups at once. Extreme sports also push your body's limits, so they can help you burn calories and lose weight. For example, skateboarding for an hour can burn up to 500 calories while also improving your balance, flexibility, endurance and muscle strength. Because extreme sports are exciting, they are an easy way to get in a workout without feeling the dread of going to the gym.

A Trip to the Hospital

Although thrill-seekers crave the danger associated with extreme sports, the risk of injury is profound. It can be argued that injury is a possibility when participating in any sport. But the heights, distances and speeds that come with extreme sports drastically increase the severity of injuries that can be incurred. Those who participate in these types of activities risk broken bones, head trauma and even death. According to the United States Parachuting Association, about 21 people die every year from skydiving. Although this equates to a relatively low chance of death, it is still higher than other traditional sports.

Tickets and Trouble

Many extreme sports have been widely accepted and have designated venues for athletes to hone their skills and compete. This is the case with the X Games as well as the Olympic sports of skiing, bobsledding, snowboarding and others. But those who use public areas or private property as their field of play can get into trouble with the law. Skateboarders often risk getting tickets when performing stunts in parking lots or are asked to leave when skateboarding at parks and schools. Free runners can also get into trouble with business owners and police officers for jumping off of buildings, ledges and hand rails. For some, the thrill is not worth the trouble.

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Advantages & Disadvantages of Extreme Sports

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The thrill of extreme sports draws in many who are looking for a little excitement. Snowboarding, surfing, skateboarding, free running and other extreme sports offer the freedom of physically and psychologically challenging yourself to perform feats that may make other athletes queasy. But many extreme sports have an ...

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Should Kids Be Allowed to Do Extreme Sports?

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Should Kids Be Allowed to Do Extreme Sports?

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Extreme Sports Athletes Crave the Reward, Not the Risk

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Extreme Sports Athletes Crave the Reward, Not the Risk

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Brymer interviewed 15 extreme sports participants, 10 men and five women, in Australia, Europe and North America for the study. (The authors define extreme sports as "independent leisure activities in which a mismanaged mistake or accident would most likely result in death.") Three themes emerged: Extreme sports are invigorating, hard to describe and sometimes transcendent.

Invigorating: One mountaineer likened his sport to a "life altering powerful energy."

Hard to describe: "It's just three hours of AAAAAARRRRR (yells out)," said one skier.

Transcendent: A BASE jumper told the authors, "You do it because you are obviously hitting some sort of plane that you can't normally hit."

Daisher, too, has a unique way of explaining what he feels when he jumps.

"When you're into the 'gnar zone'" - and by that, he means gnarly, Daisher says - "that's when you just be, and you just forget about everything."

Daisher had just pulled off eight BASE jumps from the I. B. Perrine Bridge in his home of Idaho Falls, Idaho, on the day HowStuffWorks talked to him, with plans for 12 more that day. He and the participants in the study report that there is some carryover into their normal lives from their decidedly outside-of-normal activities. But the authors conclude that the real payoff is in the moment: "While benefits might transfer to everyday life, the essential element of the experience seems to be during the activity."

The most reaffirming part of the study may be this: For those involved in extreme sports and some of the Earth-shackled among us who may consider a fling on the wild side, it's worth it.

"[We should] move away from the notion that extreme sports are about risk and risk taking and therefore only open for a few people who have the required personality structure," Brymer says in his email, "to a more inclusive perspective that means everyone can get involved. In the end not everyone will want to be an extreme sports participant but adventure is very powerful and beneficial."

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Extreme Sports Athletes Crave the Reward, Not the Risk

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Brymer interviewed 15 extreme sports participants, 10 men and five women, in Australia, Europe and North America for the study. (The authors define extreme sports as "independent leisure activities in which a mismanaged mistake or accident would most likely result in death.") Three themes emerged: Extreme sports are invigorating, hard to describe and sometimes transcendent.