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Alani, Mya T., Tony, Sana, Anshu, Kendall, Rishika, Aiyana

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Bryan, Alex, Varun, Nia W., Elijah, David, Hannah, Nitheesh, Omar

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Wesley, Morgan, Jenn, Xenia

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Edgar, Santi, Medha, Adrienne, Vaasu

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Kayden, Sofia, Iyin

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Isabel, Kelsie, Ridhi, Ailany, Charlie, Ezra, Carmen

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Jordin, Abhinav, Fernanda, Evan, Shashank, Ma'Layah, Nia B., Bryce

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Alandria, Santi, Mrinmoy, Aditya, Rowan,

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https://www.understood.org/en/school-learning/learning-at-home/games-skillbuilders/4-surprising-benefits-of-video-games

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Navya, Noah, Maya

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https://www.uvpediatrics.com/topics/video-games-pros-and-cons/

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When we ask "Where might we find extraterrestrial life", the first place many scientists turn to, because of its similarity to the Earth, is Mars. Mars may have been like the Earth in its past. Although no signs of life on Mars have been found, scientists will continue to search because they are aware of the potential for life in extreme environments.
What is Life?
This tour wouldn't be complete without looking at...What is life? Does this sound like a strange question to you? Of course we all know what is meant by the word "life", but how would you define it?

Do all living things move? Do they all eat and breathe? Even though we all seem to know what is meant by saying something is "alive", it's not very easy to describe what "life" is. It's almost as hard as describing where life came from.

Even the biologists (people who study life) have a tough time describing what life is! But after many years of studying living things, from the mold on your old tuna sandwich to monkeys in the rainforest, biologists have determined that all living things (at least living things on Earth) do share some things in common:

1. Living things need to take in energy

2. Living things get rid of waste

3. Living things grow and develop

4. Living things respond to their environment

5. Living things reproduce and pass their traits onto their offspring

6. Over time, living things evolve (change slowly) in response to their environment

Therefore, in order for something to be considered to "have life" as we know it, it must possess these characteristics.
Life on Earth...Life Elsewhere?
Life as we know it on earth requires a certain environment to survive. Even so, there are creatures on earth which seem to be able to survive in harsh environments, where the temperatures are very cold, or where there is little water or oxygen. It is environments like these which are similar to those found on other planets.

Sophisticated life forms are relative newcomers on Earth compared to bacteria. Because the environment of other planets is more primitive, life on other planets (if it exists) may be primitive and unsophisticated. If not, life would have developed the ability to withstand otherworldly environments as well as finding material for nutriment. We might have to imagine what such creatures would be like.

In 1996, scientists mistakenly thought that they had discovered life on Mars. But, there has not been any concrete evidence as of yet of life anywhere in the solar system besides Earth.
Life on Mars?
In July, 1996, it was announced that Dr. David McKay, along with a team of scientists at Johnson Space Center (a division of NASA), had discovered possible fossils of bacteria in a meteorite named ALH84001 that came from Mars. It was found in the Allen Hills in Antarctica in 1984 after having landed there 12,000 years ago. While many scientists were excited at first, much of the proof offered fell apart. NASA said that after two years of study "a number of lines of evidence have gone away".

Several different chemicals and molecular structures were exciting because they looked similar to byproducts of life on Earth. However, these chemicals and structures can also be created without life. Some are even present in deep space on comets, and scientists do not think that they came from Martian life anymore.

Small spheres were observed in the meteorite which the scientists in 1996 claimed were the fossilized remains of bacteria. However, they are roughly 1000 times smaller than the smallest bacteria on Earth, so don't resemble any life thought to be possible. Organic (carbon containing) compounds were found with the spheres, but it turned out that the organic compounds became a part of the meteorite after it landed on Earth (possibly when water seeped in a couple times over the 12,000 years the rock laid in Antarctica). Carbon 14, an isotope found on Earth is present in the organic compounds, but not in the spheres.

The environment of Mars in the past was very different than it is today. Conditions then may have been favorable for the existence of life. Even though the Mars meteorite does not prove life once existed on Mars, it does not disprove the possibility.
The Search for Life on Mars
The Viking program of the 1970's was the first to return data that there is currently no evidence of life on Mars.

As part of a more thorough search, the Mars Surveyor Program was put in place. Five spacecraft in all were to be sent to Mars between 1996 and 2005. Those spacecraft were to include the Mars Global Surveyor, and the Mars Climate Orbiter and Polar Lander. Unfortunately, the Mars Climate Orbiter and Polar Lander have been lost. Scientists still hope that after all the information is gathered, they might know more about the evolution of Mars and its potential to harbor life.
Life that Survives in Harsh Environments
So far we've taken a look at what life is and at some of the negative results in looking for life in a Martian meteroid and on the planet itself. It doesn't seem like there is life now on Mars. But maybe there is life that could live in an extreme environment like on Mars...or maybe Mars was different in the past. This is what we'll look at now.

On Earth, we know that there are many kinds of life which can live in difficult environments. An example of one such creature is shown in this picture. These are smokers, and they live on the bottom of the ocean floor. There it is very cold, it is completely dark, and there is a lot of pressure (think of how your ears feel when you dive to the bottom of the swimming pool).

Maybe lifeforms like these could live on Mars or other planets with extreme environments.
Mars in the Past
In the past, Mars was much different than it is today. Liquid water used to flow on the surface, as shown in this picture. Both the Earth and Mars should have been frozen in their early history because the sun was weak at first, but both planets show that water was flowing, which suggests that they both must have had thick atmospheres in place to keep the surface warm. In this environment life may have once existed.

The atmospheres on both planets came out of volcanoes. There were not many volcanoes on Mars, and those volcanoes were never very active. Compare this to the Earth where volcanism continues today.

The volcanic eruptions produce a lot of water. The water eventually falls to the ground or into the oceans. Mars is small, and so cooled off very rapidly. Mars was sufficiently cold for water to be absorbed into the ground and freeze like tundra in the Canadian northwest. Today scientists estimate that a large amount of water is frozen into the surface of Mars. They estimate this happened by 2.8 billion years ago.

So it is not likely that Mars will become a haven for life in the future...unless it is life unlike that which we know?
What Would Life Need? What would life need to exist on Mars?

Warmth?
It seems that the temperature on Earth (room temperature, so to speak) is just right for life. More importantly, chemical reactions take place at just the right speed in temperature ranges found on Earth. The speed at which chemical reactions take place is relevant to the formation and existence of life. Really extreme temperatures such as -300 F or 5000 F won't work. Thus an habitable planet can't be too cold or life won't be able to get started. Billions of years might pass before the relevant chemicals are exchanged because the chemical reactions take too long. And a planet can't be too hot or molecules won't stay together long enough to form solid matter.

Oxygen?
seems to be essential for life

Water?
water is a source of oxygen
Protection from Ultra Violet rays
Ultra Violet light breaks molecules apart

Exploratour - Life in the Solar System
Conclusion
In spite of Mars' similarity to Earth in size and closeness to the sun, the environment of Mars seems unfriendly toward life as we know it on Earth. Mars is small, so there is not much gravity. For this reason, much of the atmosphere of Mars has drifted away. With little atmosphere, and no ozone layer, there is less protection from the ultraviolet radiation of the sun, which is very harmful to life.

With little atmosphere, there is a only a small buffer between the surface and space itself. This means that the temperature above the surface is cold. With little atmosphere, there is also little pressure, which sophisticated life forms such as humans need to keep blood from boiling. (Remember what happened to the characters of the movie "Total Recall" when they encountered the surface of Mars)!

The Viking lander, which carried the first experiments designed to detect life on Mars, did not find evidence of even the simplest organic molecule. The Mars Pathfinder came up with negative results when looking for signs of life on Mars. We know, however, that there are life forms on Earth which can survive in very harsh environments. It's possible that if life ever existed on Mars or if it will ever exist on Mars, it will look very different from life as we know it!

Related Resource

Windows to the Universe
http://www.windows.ucar.edu/

Windows to the Universe

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NASA - National Aeronautics and Space Administration

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When we ask "Where might we find extraterrestrial life", the first place many scientists turn to, because of its similarity to the Earth, is Mars. Mars may have been like the Earth in its past. Although no signs of life on Mars have been found, scientists will continue to search because they are aware of the potential for life in extreme environments.

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Should children be allowed to play video games?

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Should children be allowed to play video games?

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by: Should Children Be Allowed To Play Video Games? (ukessays.com)

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Lots of kids love video games. In fact, they like them so much that they might hear something like this from mom or dad: "Enough! Find something else to do!"

It can be good advice, even if you were about to get to the next level. Why? Too much of anything is just too much. It's true that some studies have shown certain video games can improve hand-eye coordination, problem-solving skills, and the mind's ability to process information. But too much video game playing may cause problems.

It's hard to get enough active play and exercise if you're always inside playing video games. And without enough exercise, kids can become overweight.

Overdoing video games also could affect other important stuff, like friendships and how well a kid does in school. And kids who play violent video games might act more aggressively.

But here's the good news: Playing video games some of the time can be OK. Choose quality games, and limit screen time - which includes TV, computer, smartphone, tablet, and video game time combined - to a reasonable amount.

A good game will be the right one for how old you are. Games are rated like movies and your mom or dad can help figure out which ones you should use. If you can choose one that gets you up and moving, that's even better.

You might challenge your mom, dad - or even your grandma - to swing the bat in a game of baseball or try out some fancy moves in one of the dancing games. Could your grandma be a dancing queen? Time to find out!

Date reviewed: August 2019

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Lots of kids love video games. In fact, they like them so much that they might hear something like this from mom or dad: "Enough! Find something else to do!" It can be good advice, even if you were about to get to the next level. Why?

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https://www.dontpayfull.com/blog/shelter-vs-breeder-should-you-buy-or-adopt-a-pet

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https://www.petakids.com/save-animals/never-buy-bunnies/

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https://topdogtips.com/reasons-not-adopt-rescue-dog/

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While estimates vary, approximately three to four million dogs and cats are euthanized ("put to sleep") each year in the United States because too few people spay or neuter the pets they have, too few adopt their new pets, and too many give up their pets.

By adopting a pet from an animal shelter or rescue group, you'll help save the lives of two animals-the pet you adopt and a homeless animal that can be rescued because of space you make available.

Animal shelters and rescue groups have plenty of healthy, well-behaved animals waiting for a home.

Adopting a pet from an animal shelter is much less expensive than buying a pet.

Although many shelters and rescue groups have purebred animals, an adopted mixed-breed pet may be healthier than a purebred pet and, therefore, cost less overall.

If you're thinking of adding a pet to your household, there are many good reasons to adopt instead of buy one.

While the estimates vary, approximately three to four million dogs and cats are euthanized ("put to sleep") each year in the United States because too few people spay or neuter the pets they have, too few adopt their new pets, and too many give up their pets. Because space at shelters is limited, staff members must make the difficult decision to euthanize healthy animals that aren't adopted within a certain amount of time.

The number of euthanized animals could be reduced greatly if more people adopted pets instead of buying them. By adopting from an animal shelter or rescue group, you'll help save the lives of two animals-the pet you adopt and a homeless animal that can be rescued because of space you make available.
You'll Get a Great Pet
Animal shelters and rescue groups have plenty of healthy, well-behaved animals waiting for a home. Most shelters examine and vaccinate animals when they arrive, and many shelters spay or neuter them before adoption. In addition to providing medical care, more and more shelters and rescue groups screen animals for specific temperaments ("personality" characteristics) and behaviors to match pets with prospective owners.

It is a common belief that animals end up in shelters because they were abused or behaved badly. In truth, most animals in shelters are there because of "people reasons": divorce, moving, lack of time, and financial constraints are among the most common reasons why pets lose their homes. Adopted pets are just as loving, intelligent, and loyal as purchased pets.
You'll Save Money
Adopting a pet from an animal shelter is much less expensive than buying a pet at a pet store or through other sources. Buying a pet can easily cost $500 to $1000 or more; adoption costs range from $50 to $200. In addition, animals from many shelters are already spayed or neutered and vaccinated, which makes the shelter's fee a bargain.

Although many shelters and rescue groups have purebred animals, an adopted mixed-breed pet may be healthier than a purebred pet (purebred pets are more likely to have genetic problems) and, therefore, cost less overall.
You Won't Support Puppy or Kitten Mills
Puppy and kitten mills are factory-style breeding facilities that put profit above the welfare of animals. Most animals raised in these mills are housed in poor conditions with improper medical care. They are often in poor health and have ongoing behavior and health problems due to lack of human companionship and inbreeding. Mill animals are sold to unsuspecting consumers in pet stores, over the Internet, and through newspaper classified advertisements.

By adopting instead of buying a pet, you can be certain that you aren't supporting puppy or kitten mills.
You Can Choose a Pet of Any Age
Although puppies and kittens are cute, they can require a lot of work to train. An adult or older pet that is already trained may be a better fit for your lifestyle. For example, adopting an adult dog that is already housetrained and knows basic commands is often much easier than adopting a puppy.
You're Likely to Have a Support System
Most pet stores don't provide any support if you have questions or problems with your new pet. However, rescue groups do provide support for new owners because keeping pets in good homes is in the best interest of these groups.
Search for adoptable pets on Web sites like Petfinder.com and theshelterpetproject.org or contact your local shelter for adoptable pets in your area.

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While estimates vary, approximately three to four million dogs and cats are euthanized ("put to sleep") each year in the United States because too few people spay or neuter the pets they have, too few adopt their new pets, and too many give up their pets.

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Old movie: Flying saucers have invaded our planet!

AMELIA MOSLEY, REPORTER: For a long time, people on Earth have imagined what extra terrestrials might actually be like.

GIRL ONE: They'd look like us and they'd be all normal and that but they'd maybe think differently to us and maybe speak differently, but they'd look exactly like us.

BOY ONE: They'd be about the size of a toddler, but they'd have like tentacles or something.

BOY TWO: Kind of a brownish, greenish alien with like three eyes and trumpets for ears.

BOY THREE: Like a giant bug with like bones at the front. And then it would have tentacles and it would grab us and eat us and run around the city destroying everything in sight.

Orson Wells, War of the Worlds: Just a minute, Ladies and Gentlemen, I think something is happening!

Ok so the whole idea of aliens might seem like something out of an old sci-fi movie, but the search for them is very real. Scientists reckon with billions of galaxies out there, there's a very good chance life exists beyond our planet. But finding it? Well that's another matter.

Enter - the men in black. One of the smartest people in the world, British scientist Stephen Hawking, has teamed up with one of the richest, Russian billionaire Yuri Milner; their mission is to discover if we're really alone in the universe.

STEPHEN HAWKING: Mankind has a deep need to explore, to learn, to know. It is important to us to know if we are alone in the dark.

The Breakthrough project will run for ten years and cost about 100 million US dollars. It'll use two of the world's most powerful telescopes, including one right here in Australia, for the biggest alien search that's ever been attempted. The radio telescopes will scan one million of the closest stars to Earth and one hundred galaxies for any signs of life.

Of course, they'll be way, way too far away to actually see an alien, but we might be able to pick up some clues that let us know they're there.

Scientists believe that if aliens really do exist they could be using the same radio frequencies we do. They might even be trying to send messages our way.

The project will capture years and years of data, so scientists will open it all up to the public to help sift through it. Of course, with so much space out there we may never find our alien neighbours. And if we do, scientists say we'll have to think before making contact in case they're not very friendly. But the search team will be taking suggestions on how to greet them anyway.

So if there is life out there - what kind of message would you send?

BOY: I would tell them that they should come here and play our sports and video games.

GIRL: I would ask them about how long their lifespan is, what environment they live in what colour they are and if they're blue.

GIRL 2: I would tell them about the animals we have here in Australia.

BOY 2: I'd say it's a nice place, it's got nice beaches. And you should come try our world sport, soccer.

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Old movie: Flying saucers have invaded our planet! AMELIA MOSLEY, REPORTER: For a long time, people on Earth have imagined what extra terrestrials might actually be like. GIRL ONE: They'd look like us and they'd be all normal and that but they'd maybe think differently to us and maybe speak differently, but they'd look exactly like us.

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Do your homework

So you've decided to add a new pet to your family. First, you should answer some questions: What kind of pet will be the best fit for your household? Do you have enough time to devote to the daily needs of a dog? Is there someone in your household who is allergic? What about a non-traditional pet such as a rat or another small animal?

Lots of choices

Each year, millions of pets enter shelters and rescues in the United States. Some are victims of cruelty and may have behavioral or medical issues, but many more are surrendered by loving families who can't access affordable, pet-friendly housing or veterinary care. Shelters and rescues have many animals that have already been housetrained and or have learned to live with other animals. While adult cats and neonatal kittens make up a large portion of animals looking for a home, you can also find dogs, rabbits, guinea pigs, companion birds and even horses at local shelters. Breed-specific rescues have purebred dogs.

Look locally

National websites are a great place to start, but not every shelter or every pet is listed on them, so it's important to check the individual websites of your local shelters and rescues. Then visit in person-sometimes all it takes to find your perfect match is to look directly into an animal's eyes and fall in love! If you can't find who you're looking for right away, don't be discouraged. Your local shelter or rescue can connect you with other shelters and rescues in the area and may be able to tell you how to find a responsible breeder.

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Adopting pets from animal shelters or rescues

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So you've decided to add a new pet to your family. First, you should answer some questions: What kind of pet will be the best fit for your household? Do you have enough time to devote to the daily needs of a dog? Is there someone in your household who is allergic?

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https://www.petakids.com/save-animals/dog-adoption-guide/

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https://www.esrb.org/ The Age Rating system could be helpful

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https://www.thoughtco.com/year-round-education-6742#:~:text=Students%20tend%20to%20forget%20a,needed%20during%20the%20school%20year.

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Jayda W.

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•https://www.scholastic.com/parents/school-success/school-involvement/pros-and-cons-year-round-schools.html

•https://www.verywellfamily.com/the-pros-and-cons-of-year-round-school-621001

•https://kids.lovetoknow.com/wiki/Do_Kids_in_California_Go_to_School_All_Year_Round

•https://parenting.firstcry.com/articles/year-round-school-pros-cons-for-kids/

•https://www.theedadvocate.org/top-3-reasons-the-us-should-switch-to-year-round-schooling/#:~:text=Students%20will%20do%20more%20than,shorter%2Dcalendar%2Dyear%20schools.&text=They%20also%20develop%20better%20relationships%20with%20other%20students.

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https://worthydog.org/adopt/why-rescue/

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Ask most anyone whether life exists on other planets and moons, and the answer you'll get is a confident "yes!" Going back decades (and in many ways generations), we've been introduced to a menagerie of extraterrestrials good and bad. Their presence suffuses our entertainment and culture, and we humans seem to have an almost innate belief-or is it a hope-that we are not alone in the universe.

But that extraterrestrial presence on regular display is, of course, a fiction. No life beyond Earth has ever been found; there is no evidence that alien life has ever visited our planet. It's all a story.

How did life begin on Earth? Does life exist beyond our home planet? How do we search for it? Credit: NASA

This does not mean, however, that the universe is lifeless. While no clear signs of life have ever been detected, the possibility of extraterrestrial biology - the scientific logic that supports it - has grown increasingly plausible. That is perhaps the single largest achievement of the burgeoning field of astrobiology, the broad-based study of the origins of life here and the search for life beyond Earth.

By exploring and illuminating the world of extreme life on Earth, by experimenting with how life here began, by understanding more about the chemical makeup of the cosmos, by testing for habitability on missions to Mars, Jupiter's moon Europa, Saturn's moon Titan, and beyond, an enormous body of science is being assembled to analyze and explain the origins, characteristics and possible extraterrestrial dimensions of life. And unlike the ETs and star-ship invaders of popular culture, these discoveries are, and will be, real.

Turning Science Fiction into Science Fact
Consider: Both the rovers Curiosity and Perseverance have clearly determined that ancient Mars was significantly more wet and warm, and was an entirely habitable place for microbial life. All the ingredients needed for life as we know it - the proper chemicals, a consistent source of energy, and water that was likely present and stable on the surface for millions of years - were present.

Did microbial life then begin? If so, did it evolve? Those questions remain unanswered, but this much is known: If a second genesis occurred on Mars (or on Jupiter's moon Europa, Saturn's moon Enceladus, or anywhere else in our solar system), then the likelihood increases substantially that many other forms of life exist on those billions of exoplanets and exomoons now known to orbit distant stars and planets. One origin of life on Earth could be the result of a remarkable and inexplicable pathway to life. Two origins in one solar system strongly suggests that life is commonplace in the universe.

Sounds of Space

Cassini's magnetometer detection of an atmosphere on Enceladus.

Consider, too, the revolution in understanding that has taken place since the mid-1990s regarding planets and moons in solar systems well beyond ours. Since ancient times, natural philosophers, then scientists, and untold interested others predicted, assumed even, that many other planets orbited their stars. By now more than 5,000 exoplanets have been officially identified - via NASA missions such as the Kepler Space Telescope, the Transiting Exoplanet Space Telescope (TESS), the Hubble Space Telescope as well as ground-based observations - and billions more await discovery. And that's just in our Milky Way galaxy.

With advances in the instruments and knowledge that make possible the exoplanet hunt, the focus has been increasing refined to identify planets lying in habitable zones - at distances from their host stars that would allow water to remain at least periodically liquid on a planet's surface. The search for exoplanets was born in the fields of astronomy and astrophysics, but it has always been intertwined with astrobiology as well. As with so many NASA missions, the broad and intense drive to find and understand habitable zone planets and moons both greatly enhances astrobiology and is informed by astrobiology.

Our experience with finding distant planets also makes you wonder: Will the search for the current or past presence of extraterrestrial life someday be viewed as a parallel to the earlier search for exoplanets? Men and women of science, as well as the lay public, intuitively assumed planets existed beyond our solar system, but these planets were identified only when our technology and thinking had sufficiently advanced. Is the discovery of ET life similarly awaiting our coming of scientific age?

The Past As a Guide to the Future
Astrobiology research is taking place because its time has come. Scientists across the country and around the world are diving into origin-of-life and life-beyond-Earth issues and developing exciting and cutting-edge work. But NASA also has an astrobiology "strategy" describing where the agency sees promising lines of research - from the highly specific to the wide and broad - that the agency might support. A sampling of examples:

* What were the steps that led inanimate materials - rocks, sediments, organic compounds, water - to come together and build living organisms, with replicating genes, cell walls, and the ability to reproduce?

* What led to the proliferation of new life forms on Earth?

* How do water and essential organic compounds arrive on planets and moons, and how do they interact with the planets and moons they land on?

* Is it possible to learn from chemicals and minerals on the surface of planets whether microbes might live there, including beneath the planet's surface?

* Is it possible, likely even, that life exists elsewhere based on elements other than carbon and a system different than DNA? Could such life even exist here on Earth, but is as yet undetected?

Sounds of Space

The Huygens Probe Landing on Saturn's Moon Titan

These and so many other lines of research shed light on how to identify and find extraterrestrial life, as well as how to understand the origin of life on Earth. The two issues are inseparable.

The World of Astrobiology
While the United States and NASA have pioneered many lines of astrobiological study, we are hardly alone - as is only proper for an effort to address such enormous and universal questions. Few astrobiology missions launch without significant international partnership, and the trend is for ever greater interdependence. The much-anticipated mission to bring to Earth the rock and grain being now being cached by the Perseverance rover in Jezero Crater will feature major roles for both NASA and European Space Agency (ESA).

The Chinese Space Agency now has a rover on Mars as well, and is planning for the Tianwen-3 mission to collect Mars samples for transport back to Earth. Another high-profile example is the ExoMars mission headed by the European Space Agency (ESA), which includes a series of missions, the first phase of which was the Trace Gas Orbiter that launched in 2016. One of the major efforts of the Trace Gas Orbiter is to look for methane on Mars, a key question for NASA as well. Astrobiology cooperation is often intellectual as well as operational.

The next step for ExoMars is the delivery of the Rosalind Franklin rover to the Martian surface, which initially included input from the Russian Space Agency (Roscosmos) and NASA. The ExoMars rover cooperation was suspended in March 2022, but efforts are underway to find alternatives.

Astrobiology may sometimes seem most defined by high-profile missions, but often those missions represent years of prior theoretical and laboratory work. And once data from missions have been obtained, more lab analysis and testing are necessary. The data is then challenged and critiqued by colleagues before the results can be released as a significant finding. For instance, it took almost two years of intensive lab work and data analysis before members of the Curiosity science team could announce that they had teased out from Mars drill samples the presence of long-sought organic compounds, the building blocks of life as we know it.

Looking for Life
At the heart of astrobiology is yet another basic and unanswered question: What actually is life? One might think after centuries of study that issue would be resolved, for life on Earth at least. Actually, it's getting increasingly complicated to come up with an answer that takes in all the "lifeforms" discovered and that might have once existed on our planet. One frequently used definition of life is "a self-sustaining system capable of Darwinian evolution." But there are literally several hundred more.

Ironically, some astrobiologists argue that we really won't know what life is until we find an alternative to the basic structure found on Earth - the same DNA, metabolism and carbon-based blueprint shared by all known life. In other words, ET life could tell us what life really is.

A corollary to this line of thinking is the ever-present concern that a rover or lander has, or will, come across an example or signature of life present or past and not know it. This reality helps explain the emphasis that astrobiology puts on understanding the origins and logic of early life on Earth. In addition to its inherent importance, origin-of-life research guides the search for extraterrestrial life.

That NASA is very much in the business of the search for life beyond Earth is by now well known to the public, while the agency's mission to make progress in understanding the origins of life on Earth is less well understood. Some, however, no doubt wonder why NASA investigates biological questions at all. Isn't the primary focus of the agency to use robots and astronauts in space capsules to travel in space and explore destination such as the moon and Mars?

Actually, today's NASA has a much broader portfolio, one that includes the study of classic astronomical topics such as the very early universe and the formation of galaxies, stars and solar systems - all of which will be explored with greatly expanded precision by the James Webb Space Telescope. The JWST was also adapted to allow for newly possible explorations of exoplanets and their atmospheres, which are of paramount interest to astrobiologists.

The search for life beyond Earth is so intertwined with other NASA goals (and is so interdisciplinary by nature and design), it can never really be separated or isolated from them. The Cassini mission to Saturn discovered plumes spitting out of the moon Enceladus, and the Hubble Space Telescope did the same for Europa. Both plumes tell of an inner water world, and so are important to planetary science as well as astrobiology. The Kepler mission identified thousands of exoplanets in a small segment of the constellation Cygnus, 500 light years away, adding enormously to our understanding of the inventory and nature of distant planets. Included in those discoveries are the detection of rocky planets within the habitable zones of their central stars. TESS has also substantially added to the count of exoplanets, with more than 5,000 new exoplanet candidates.

The central goal of astrobiology is to find evidence of past or present life beyond Earth, if it ever existed. But there are countless mysteries about planets and moons, about solar systems, about galaxies and about the makeup of the space between them that inevitably will be confronted and hopefully unraveled along the way. Ultimately, the search for extraterrestrial life is possible only as part of an exploration of the makeup, the dynamics, the history and the many as yet unknown wonders of the cosmos.

Written by Marc Kaufman

Marc Kaufman is an experienced journalist, having spent three decades at the Washington Post and the Philadelphia Inquirer, and is the author of two books on searching for life and planetary habitability. He also writes the Many Worlds blog.

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Ask most anyone whether life exists on other planets and moons, and the answer you'll get is a confident "yes!" Going back decades (and in many ways generations), we've been introduced to a menagerie of extraterrestrials good and bad.

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Factmonster is part of the FEN Learning family of educational and reference sites for parents, teachers and students.

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My son loves video games. He spends hours every day in his room playing them. Is there any educational value to video games? Some seem like they could help him learn strategy. But I worry that others may be too violent.
- Scottie
Some games might improve kids' hand-eye coordination and problem-solving skills. Video games that require kids to actually move or manipulate the game through their own physical movement can even get sedentary kids moving - but not as much as if they actually played outside or did sports. Other games don't have such benefits, and violent video games have been shown to increase kids' aggressive behavior.

Like a lot of aspects of raising kids, when it comes to video games, the healthiest approach is moderation.

For kids and teens 5 to 18 years, experts recommend that parents place limits on time spent using any media. This includes playing video games on gaming consoles, tablets, or smartphones. Using media should not take the place of getting enough sleep or being physically active. So consider setting limits to keep game-playing from interfering with schoolwork, household chores, and the physical activity your son needs every day.

Also, make sure that your son is playing games suitable for his age group. All video games are rated and labeled by the Entertainment Software Rating Board. Steer clear of any rated "M" for "mature." Those are for ages 17 and older, and can contain heavy-duty violence, strong language, and sexual content.

Keep the video game console in a common area of the house, not your son's room. That way you can catch any inappropriate content in the games he plays, and he'll be in a position to interact with others. Also pay attention to time spent playing games on smartphones and tablets.

Make sure your son has other appealing choices: sports, activities, chances to socialize with friends, and downtime to be creative. If you still have concerns about his video game activity, talk with your doctor.

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Can Playing Video Games Be Good for Kids?

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My son loves video games. He spends hours every day in his room playing them. Is there any educational value to video games? Some seem like they could help him learn strategy. But I worry that others may be too violent. - Scottie Some games might improve kids' hand-eye coordination and problem-solving skills.

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Our priority at MoneySmartFamily is to help readers improve their finances and we partner with companies that could help you. Some links on this page are from our partners. Read how we earn money here.

Why You Should Adopt a Pet Rather than Buy One

We think you should adopt a pet rather than buy one for several reasons. Learn how to find the best pet and get the best deal when you adopt it.

Are your kids asking you to adopt a pet for your family? Or are your kids grown and you want a furry friend as a companion?

Many people think pet adoption is an expensive luxury. But don't panic! Actually, getting and keeping a pet doesn't have to cost as much as you think!

You could go to Craigslist or OfferUp. But whatever you do, stay as far away from breeding mills as possible! But your best option is to adopt your next pet from an animal shelter or rescue group. (see Shelter & Rescue list at the end of this article)

Because of the care that pets receive there, you save money both in the short-term and long-term.

And you will get your money's worth and more!

What Does A Rescue Pet Adoption Cost?

Frankly, that's a little like asking "How much does a car cost?"

The cost of pet adoption depends on so many factors.

The age, breed, and health of the pet affect how much the fee will be. It could be as little as $25 or as much as $200 or $300. If they ask more than that, there's a possibility that this "shelter" is actually a mill in disguise and you need to take your business elsewhere and possibly inform local law enforcement.

If you want a puppy or kitten, you might be charged a bit more as everyone wants one of those. That's just how supply and demand works.

Would you settle for an adolescent or young adult pet? They've still got a lot of love to give and really need a good home. Not only do they cost less due to lower demand, but there's a very good possibility that house training, micro-chipping, and sterilization has already been taken care of.

Also, remember to ask which shots this animal has had and which ones are needed.

Watch for Special Discounts at Shelters

Some facilities will occasionally run specials where they reduce or even waive the fee, particularly with older animals.

Give a local shelter a "like" on Facebook to be informed of when this is happening.

While an older animal might have had some house training, he may also be very set in his ways. Make sure you can live with a dog or cat's firmly settled habits before you take him in. Often a pet is relinquished because the owner can no longer care for the animal rather than any misbehavior on the animal's part. So don't worry too much about adopting an unmanageable pet.

Even on the rare occasion, a shelter gets an animal with behavior problems, they try to straighten them out before offering them up for adoption.

Ask What Your Adoption Fee Includes

When you pay the fee, ask what it covers. A place that's on the up and up will be happy to give you a full list.

Typically, this includes being spayed or neutered, a check-up from the vet, vaccinations, heartworm or other relevant tests, parasite control, and (more commonly with dogs than cats) microchipping.

They may also add the cost of feeding the animal and transportation. Volunteers and donations do much to take the edge off the financial demands animal shelters take on, but there's only so much they can do.

Medical Costs Sometimes Spent On a Rescued Pet

If we break this down, you can see what an incredible bargain adopting a rescued pet is. You're getting an amazing amount of value for a very small price.

Spaying and neutering can run $200 for a dog and $145 for a cat.

A vet exam can cost about $70 for a dog and up to $130 for a cat.

A vaccination can cost anywhere from $15 to $30 depending on the type.

Heartworm testing can cost $15 to $35 for a dog

screening for feline leukemia or FIV can run $30 to $50.

A flea and tick treatment can be anywhere from $50 to $200

Deworming will cost between $20 to $50

A microchip costs about $50

Some vets will do package deals for checkups, deworming, and vaccinations, so be on the lookout for that.

if your dog is healthy enough, you can get a sizable discount on future vet visits by donating their blood, which could save the life of another dog in need.

A free animal usually hasn't had any medical care at all. Go ahead and pay the fee! Not only are you getting a bargain, but the fee also goes to the care of other animals.

The Cost of Keeping Your Pet

According to the ASPCA, the first year of pet ownership can cost $1000. This estimated amount covers mostly one time purchases and there are still ways to save money.

Start-Up Expenses Can Add Up

Collar and tag can be between $5 and $10.

A scratching post will cost about $30. (It's that or a new sofa!)

Obedience training for a dog can cost about $110. While that's far cheaper than repairing or replacing anything your dog damages, you can save a bit by borrowing DVD's or books on dog training from your local library.

Litter Box-A good quality litter box should cost about $25. Avoid those fancy, newfangled, electronic self-cleaning litter boxes. The cat needs something bigger and quieter, the kids need some chores to do and you need to watch the budget. This electronic gizmo just doesn't seem worth the cost.

Many pet stores have a frequent buyer's reward program. Look into this and take advantage of coupons when you can.

For more information, you can find books for your particular animal breed at the public library.

Planning for Ongoing Expenses

And now on to everyday expenses. Feel free to splurge here if your budget can afford it.

Dog Food-A year's worth of food for a dog is worth about $120 to $400 depending on the size and breed.

Cat Food-A year's worth of food for a cat is about $145

Kitty Litter- A year's worth of cat litter can cost $200 but you can save by buying in bulk.

A cat is an obligate carnivore and cheap fillers can cause her to hit the litter box more often.

A dog is a more omnivorous creature, but they are what they eat.

Don't try to save money by feeding your cat or dog only table scraps. It's not healthy for them.

Occasional treats can help with obedience training.

If you're talented in the culinary realm, why not consider making treats for your pet? There are plenty of recipes available online and in books. Just make sure your resident cookie thief (every home has one) knows exactly what's cooking.

Medical Care, Licenses, and Toys

You can save on medical exams at the vet by purchasing pet health insurance which can be $45 annually for a dog and $30 for a cat. Even then, it's recommended that you set some money aside in case something unexpected happens. Consumer Reports rated Healthy Paws Pet Insurance as the best value when compared to several other companies.

Steve & Annette from MoneySmartFamily.com have found some great deals on pet meds from Allivet (their vet encouraged them to buy from Allivet).
Related Topic: Pet Medical Savings Tips
If it is necessary for your area, the pet license fee can cost $15.

Spot and Puff need toys and treats too!

For a cat, this can be $25 a year, though she might be happy with wads of paper, a laser pointer, and balls of yarn.

For a dog, this can be $55. Don't try giving him an old shoe because dogs can't tell the difference between them and your new shoes. Squeaky toys are inexpensive and stuffies go cheap after the holidays.

Old tennis balls are usually free at tennis clubs or found by walking around tennis courts in the evening.

The pooper-scooper looks handy, but really a good plastic bag will do the job just as well at a fraction of the cost.

More Reasons to Adopt from a Rescue

Many times, the animal you get from a shelter will be a mixed breed. Don't think of her as a mutt! Think of her as a hybrid!

Breeding mills tend to produce puppies and kittens that look nice but are inbred to the point that they're just not healthy.

A mixed-breed animal has all of the best qualities of every breed they're related to, resulting in a long-lived and hardy pet that may not require many vet visits.

The people at a pet rescue have trained these animals how to behave in a family environment, so a lot of obedience training is already taken care of. What's more, you're dealing with people who just want to give an animal a good home so if you need advice, they'll give it for free.

And since this person knows your new pet it will be individually tailored advice suited for your particular pet. You can't buy that!

Involve Your Entire Family in the Pet Adoption

If you do decide to add a fur-bearing friend to the family, sit down and talk it over.

Explain to your children that a pet is a living being that must be fed, cleaned up after, and taken good care of.

A cat is usually cheaper to care for than a dog, but a small dog might be about on par.

Plan out a household budget and decide who will take care of the various pet-related chores and when.

Have the whole family visit the shelter or rescue and get to know the dogs and cats and start the process of selecting the one that will go home with you.

There are workers at the shelter who will be more than happy to assist and answer any questions you might have such as background, health, and whether or not this pet would be good to have around children.

Take all the time you need to come down to a final decision.

Talking With Your Kids

Of course, if it's your children who want the pet, you should encourage them to pay for some of the expenses their new friend accrues.

You can handle the big things like vet bills and picking up pet food while grocery shopping.

Toys, treats, sweaters, combs, leashes, and other little things can be bought by your kids out of their earnings.

Your kids will not only learn about managing money but about caring financially for another the way you do for them.

Best Child's Age For Pet Adoption

The ASPCA recommends waiting until age 6 or older before letting them handle a dog.

The child should be comfortable around animals and be able to show them the respect proper for any living being. If your children can handle basic chores without being reminded, they may be ready to take care of a pet.

You know your child, so you know what they're capable of handling. Please be sure to supervise the tasks as the kids are learning. This way your pet will have their needs met, and your kids will learn to do the job well. Trusting that a young child will always check water, litter, and food could result in devastating consequences for pets and children.

Related Article: Picking the right pet for your family.

Other Money-Saving Advantages to Pet Ownership

There are other ways of having a pet that may save you money.
You'll have three bonuses as well:

Exercise: Who needs a gym membership when you can take Fido for a brisk walk?

Pest Control: Who needs an exterminator when Whiskers occasionally likes a snack that moves?

Opportunities for Care: Your children will not only be merely entertained, but they will learn about the care and nurturing of another living creature.

And, of course, there are the rewards of having a pet that no money can buy.

1. An adorable little friend who will give you undying love and loyalty.

2. Peace of mind knowing that the money you spent on the adoption fee went to a good cause.

3. The joy that you're helping to reduce the overpopulation of pets.

And most importantly, you've saved an innocent life. If you'd like to read about more reasons to adopt, consult this infographic. (see a list of the top shelters in the top 15 cities in the US below)

Some of the best Shelters in the US are:

Best Friends Pet Adoption CenterLocation: New York
Address: 307 West Broadway, New York, NY 10013
Website: https://ny.bestfriends.org/

San Antonio Humane Society
Location: San Antonio, TX
Address: 4804 Fredericksburg Rd., San Antonio, TX 78229
Website: https://sahumane.org/

Pets Without Parents
Location: Columbus, OH
Address: 629 Oakland Park Ave Columbus, OH 43214
Website: http://www.petswithoutparents.net/

Animal Humane Society
Location: Found at multiple locations throughout MinnesotaWebsite: https://www.animalhumanesociety.org/

For the full list of the animal shelters in every state please refer to this link.

Written by Mary Nielsen. Mary is a cat lover and founder of FelineLiving.net

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Should You Adopt a Pet Rather Than Buy One? Pet costs & Finding One

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Have you thought about whether you should adopt a pet rather than buy one? We've outlined the costs here. Millions of pets are looking for forever homes - could you be the one to give them stability and love? Check out our list of some shelters in the largest U.S.

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https://kidsthatdogood.com/news/7-reasons-adopt-pet-kids-seniors/

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Plastic is an amazing man-made material - it's cheap to produce and has many uses! But half of the plastic we produce is designed to be used just once and then thrown away - and even plastic that can be reused or recycled gets chucked out, too!
Much of our unwanted plastic ends up in the ocean - around 8 million tonnes of it every year, in fact! And because plastic takes 400 years to break down, it stays there for a long, long time, putting our friends beneath the waves in serious danger. Let's dive in and take a closer look...

700...

different species of animals are believed to be severely threatened because of plastic pollution in the ocean.

tonnes of a gas called carbon dioxide (CO ₂) is absorbed by the ocean each day because of rubbish. The ocean has always sucked up CO ₂ from the air as part of nature - but our waste means more is being absorbed than before. As a result, the water is becoming more acidic, which could make it harder for fish to breath and for creatures like crabs, lobsters and coral to grow their shells.

of all dead animals found in beach cleanups worldwide have been entangled in plastic bags.

animals and birds were found trapped by marine debris (such as old ropes, nets, mesh and wires) during a recent international coastal cleanup.

5 trillion...

pieces of plastic (not including microbeads - minuscule plastic balls found in toiletries like face washes and toothpaste) are estimated to be floating in the world's seas.

of seabirds eat plastic rubbish, mistaking it for food.

of fish found during a recent expedition had plastic in their stomachs.

of sea turtles worldwide have accidentally eaten plastic rubbish in the ocean.

The facts and figures are pretty shocking, right? The good news is that people around the world are working to together to reduce plastic waste. Join the mission and check out our 10 tips to reduce plastic pollution!

What did you think of our Plastic in the Ocean feature? Will you be helping to solve the plastic problem? Leave a comment below and let us know!

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Plastic in the Ocean - National Geographic Kids

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Get facts and figures on how plastic pollution is harming marine life. How much plastic is in the ocean? Why is plastic pollution dangerous?

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Growing up, I was known as "the girl who cares about animals." It was true. I was vegan and a PETA kid, and all I ever wanted to do was help animals or talk about helping them.

One day when I was out with my mom, we stopped by a pet store to grab food for our adopted cats. Walking through the store, I noticed all the small and furry animals for sale. Two large rats were crammed into a cage that was smaller than a shoebox-they couldn't even turn around. After telling my mom about these miserable rats in the cramped cage, we bought them and took them home with us, thinking we were helping them by giving them a better life.

It never crossed my mind that we could be harming animals by taking the rats home. I didn't think about the two other rats who would be replacing them in that same tiny cage in just a short while. Although my mom and I thought we were doing the right thing and "saving" these rats, who I named Willard and Oliver, we actually doomed future rats to be sold by contributing to the profit of the pet trade.

Another factor I didn't consider was where Willard and Oliver may have come from. When I found out years later that most small animals sold in pet shops are obtained from cruel mass-breeding warehouses, I was shocked.

Let's throw it back to 2012, when PETA investigated one of these warehouses: Global Captive Breeders, LLC (GCB), a company in Lake Elsinore, California, that bred and sold reptiles and rats for the pet industry. More than 16,000 rats, mice, snakes, lizards, and other animals were kept there, and thousands of them were neglected, left to suffer, or cruelly killed.

Rats were routinely grabbed by the tail and slammed into metal posts, racks, tables, and walls when workers attempted to kill them. Some rats, even newborns, were frozen alive, shot with a BB gun, or drowned when the tubs used for housing them flooded-which happened often. Snakes, skinks, monitor lizards, and other reptiles at GCB were so neglected that in many cases, management didn't even notice when they died―and animals were left to suffer in agony for days.

This sort of cruelty is the norm, not the exception, in the pet industry. Another PETA investigation found that a supplier to large stores such as Petco and PetSmart killed animals in makeshift gas chambers, forced mice to live in extremely crowded cages, and even slammed a bag of hamsters against a table in an attempt to kill them.

Please, learn from my mistake and understand that you're not helping animals by purchasing them from pet stores.

What You Can Do

Always adopt animals from open-admission animal shelters (check Petfinder.com to find shelters in your area) if your family has the time, space, and financial means to provide a new furry or scaly family member with years of top-notch care.

Never buy animals from a pet store or breeder. Every dollar spent purchasing an animal from a pet store encourages the store to continue buying animals from cruel companies like GCB. Every animal purchased from a pet store or breeder also means one home fewer for animals waiting in a shelter.

If you see an animal in a pet store who looks sick or injured, find a manager and ask that the animal be taken to a veterinarian immediately. If he or she refuses, call local authorities. If the authorities are unresponsive, call PETA at 757-622-7382.

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Buying Animals from Pet Stores Isn't 'Saving' Them

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Growing up, I was known as "the girl who cares about animals." It was true. I was vegan and a PETA kid, and all I ever wanted to do was help animals or talk about helping them. One day when I was out with my mom, we stopped by a pet store to grab food for our adopted cats.

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here is a link from brain pop it is very useful and informational!
https://www.brainpop.com/science/space/aliens/

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Adding a new pet to your family is always a big decision. It takes time and patience to find a companion with just the right temperament to take home. Whether you decide to adopt or ultimately purchase a pet, local animal shelters and rescue groups should always be first on your list of places to search. There are a lot of good reasons why you should adopt a pet rather than buy. Here we go over the many benefits of adopting.

You're saving a life.

Millions of animals are euthanized each year in shelters (an unknown total number in Canada, and an estimated 3-4 million in the United States). Adopting pets from shelters helps curb pet overpopulation, reducing the likelihood of future animals ending up in shelters.

An adopted pet already has good manners.

A common myth about rescue pets is that they must have been relinquished by their owners for bad behaviour. In fact, shelter pets usually have already been trained. The most common reasons people actually give up cats and dogs are:

2. Landlord not allowing pet

3. Too many animals in the household

4. Cost of pet maintenance

5. Owner having personal problems

Unlike a brand new kitten or puppy, a slightly older pet is likely to already be housetrained and may have learned other good habits from their previous owners. Any animals with behavioural problems or health issues will have accompanying documentation, and shelters take special care to ensure they are only adopted to a home that can handle their special needs.

You're saving a lot of money, and the money you do spend goes to a good cause.

One of the reasons to adopt a pet is that it will save you hundreds of dollars compared to the cost of buying one, especially when you factor in the healthcare, vaccinations, microchipping and even desexing that shelters will perform before you take your new pet home. The small adoption fee will help animals and pet shelters with their operating costs so that they can continue to support other pets in need. Often there are deals during certain times of the year such as Black Friday offering even more money-saving opportunities.

Mixed-breed animals can be healthier than pure breeds.

While not all animals in a shelter are mixed-breed, many of them are. Mixed breed animals benefit from what is known as "hybrid vigour", or the protective effects that come from a diverse genetic background. These animals are less likely to suffer from health problems associated with inbreeding that can, unfortunately, affect purebred animals.

You can pick just the right age of pet for you.

Rescue kittens and puppies are adorable, but they aren't the best pets for everyone. Not everyone can handle the task of training a new puppy or keep up with the high energy of a . A fully-grown animal is easier to integrate into a busy routine. Senior pets are often ideal companions for people looking for pets that can match a slower pace of life.

You can avoid supporting puppy and kitten mills.

New legislations are making it easier to avoid purchasing from kitten and puppy mills, but they, unfortunately, have yet to be stamped out entirely. With shelter cats and dogs, you can be completely certain that you are not supporting one of them.
For a brief overview about why you should adopt a pet rather than buy take a look at the clip below! Disclaimer: healthcareforpets.com and its team of veterinarians and clinicians do not endorse any products, services, or recommended advice. All advice presented by our veterinarians, clinicians, tools, resources, etc is not meant to replace a regular physical exam and consultation with your primary veterinarian or other clinicians. We always encourage you to seek medical advice from your regular veterinarian.

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Why You Should Adopt a Pet Rather Than Buy | Healthcare for Pets

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Whether you decide to adopt or ultimately purchase a pet, local animal shelters and rescue groups should always be first on your list of places to search. There are a lot of good reasons why you should adopt a pet rather than buy. Here we go over the many benefits of adoption.

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https://pethelpful.com/dogs/7-Top-Reasons-to-Adopt-a-Pet

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https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Roswell_UFO_incident

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Zeenat Shabrin

9056

As soon as you step into a pet store, you're likely to spot tiny puppies loitering around, or kittens who are purring softly, curiously looking at you. Such sights are more than enough to get anyone to rush to the cage and then pick one or few of these for our homes. But when you come to terms with the background, as to what happens to these cute little munchkins so that they can be made available to us, you might rethink your decisions. We can only suggest, but we do hope you understand the hidden implications behind buying pets instead of adopting them! We are here to show you multiple reasons as to why adoption is of far greater good than shopping for the specific pet that you're looking for!

1. You Can't Buy Happiness, It Comes To You!

Yes, this is the most obvious one. The biggest motto to remember here is "Money can't buy you happiness". The love you receive from animals is unconditional. So whether you purchase a tiny puppy or you rescue an abandoned one, the degrees of love will be the same. They don't show the difference then why do we feel that buying the breed that you prefer might give you more happiness? A confusing assumption we'd say.

2. You Will Indirectly NOT Be Supporting Animal Cruelty!

When you buy a dog or rabbit from a pet store, you're actually supporting the cruel puppy mills that are literally "breeding factories" that put profits way before the welfare of dogs. Animals from puppy mills are housed in shockingly poor conditions. Without any proper medical care, they fall sick often and are behaviourally troubled as a result. The breeding mothers are kept in isolated cages with meek hopes of any form of companionship. And after they're no longer profitable, breeding dogs are simply discarded - either killed, abandoned or sold at an auction.

3. You Get To Pick Your Own Companion

Animal shelters and rescue groups are brimming with happy, healthy pets just waiting for someone to take them home. Most shelter pets that are abandoned have been dumped there for no fault of theirs. Thus they are eager to shower love on whoever accepts them. Isn't it a great deal that you get the chance to pick which life you want to save?

4. Most Shelter Animals Are Already House -Trained!

As mentioned earlier, dogs are abandoned because of many human problems. Either the family is moving, or they aren't able to take care of the dog. Old age or some form of a disease in the pets is a very common reason why these pets are left to fend for themselves. They have spent a considerable amount at homes already and thus they are intrinsically disciplined. If they've spent a lot of time at the shelter, they would have been trained by the officials there too. So, less work for you!

5. These Animals Deserve A Forever Home Too!

As we humans want to be loved and find companionship in our family and friends, why should we take away that right from all these homeless, abandoned animals. They were treated wrongly, and not given this right to happiness and by giving them some space in our hearts and homes, we are giving them what they deserve!

6. You Are An Environmentally Responsible Individual!

You recycle paper and plastic so it doesn't end up in landfills. Recycled materials can actually come to our use in some many more ways. A "recycled" pet can make something even better: She can make you happy. We owe it to the environment to not promote more animal cruelty and health hazards by letting puppy mills exist. But instead by giving life to some breathing animal in the shelter.

7. You'll Find A Permanent Best Friend!

Not only do animals give you unconditional love, but they have been known to be psychologically, emotionally and physically beneficial for us humans. By being involved in showing care and compassion towards animals, there is a sense of purpose and fulfillment that takes over our hearts making one feel less lonely and isolated. This holds true for all age groups.

8. Millions Of Animals Are Eagerly Waiting!

While it's a common cliche that there are too many animals and not enough homes, it's also a real time hazard. Homeless animals are at serious risks on the streets. They can get hit by a car, die of starvation or even abused by the rest. So many animals are brought to shelters on a daily basis. Wouldn't you like to help them in a way that is mutually worth it?

9. Kindness Makes You A Better Person!

They say if a man is kind to animals, he has a great character. One has to selflessly love another and especially when it comes to loving another species, you learn and discover a lot about yourself. You feel happier and compassionate and that is feeling most people are also anxious to feel. The best part about this is the love is returned manifolds.

10. You Will Always Feel Proud For Having Saved A Life!

Everyday, when you come back home from work or school, it's an ecstatic feeling for both you and your pet. They wait all day for you to come back home. A sense of joy takes over you when you realise that you actually made those little ones feel worthy, you'll definitely feel pride seeping into your heart. The heart that chose an animal that needed a home rather than an animal that was created for homes.

Read: 11 Reasons To Visit An Animal Shelter At Least Once In Your Life!

Read More: Zoom Into Zoos : What Really Happens Inside Our Favourite Childhood Space!

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Zeenat Shabrin 9056 As soon as you step into a pet store, you're likely to spot tiny puppies loitering around, or kittens who are purring softly, curiously looking at you. Such sights are more than enough to get anyone to rush to the cage and then pick one or few of these for our homes.

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https://www.scottsdalepethotel.com/why-you-should-adopt-a-pet-instead-of-buying-from-a-breeder/

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https://www.humanesocietysav.org/adoption/top-5-reasons-to-adopt/

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You've finally made your decision! It's time to hear the pitter-patter of little toenails on your wood floors again. You're excited to expand your family and add a new fur kid to your brood.

Now that you're ready for a new pup, your next step is deciding on where to start. Should you go to a shelter or a breeder?

Many people fall into one camp or the other on this question. I tend to stay somewhere in the middle.

You see, I've had dogs from reputable breeders and I've had shelter dogs. I honestly have to refrain from taking sides; since I've had successful, loving members of our family come from both origins.

For example, I had a shelter German Shepherd protect me like a top police dog when a bad guy showed up with evil intentions when I was home alone.

I also had an American Staffordshire Terrier that I adopted as an adult from a responsible breeder become my top therapy dog.

During her career, she brought joy and emotional therapy to hundreds of children in the hospital and had one of the most solid temperaments that I've ever seen.

A great dog can come from anywhere!

However, to help you become the most informed pet parent possible, here are some considerations on where you should focus your search for your new friend.
QUICK RECOMMENDATION: If you're thinking about adding a new puppy to the family I highly recommend picking up a copy of The Puppy Primer. This book was required reading before we raised our service dog puppy, Adelle.
Contents & Quick Navigation

Getting A Puppy From a Breeder

While I got my dog from a breeder as an adult, this is rarely the case. Breeders normally are in the business of selling puppies.

Getting a puppy from a responsible breeder can be a great way to add a new furry friend into your home.

You just have to make sure that you find a good breeder who cares more about furthering the breed than making a quick buck.

Pros of Buying from a Breeder

1. You can see your puppy's parents and have a good idea what your puppy will look like as an adult. You'll also be able to see the environment where the pup spent the first few months of life.

2. You know exactly what you're getting in terms of the dog's breeding and lineage. No surprises!

3. You will have the opportunity to mold your puppy as it grows.

4. If you're buying from a good breeder, the puppy will already come socialized, be comfortable with household noises and traffic, and may even know some basic training commands.

5. Many breeders offer genetic health testing to confirm that your puppy is unlikely to develop any inherited diseases.

6. Most breeders not only breed for conformation, but for solid temperaments. While this doesn't guarantee your dog won't grow up to be a nut, it improves your chances they will be a solid adult.

7. Breeders are essential if you plan to take your dog to the show ring. They must be papered to compete.

Cons of Buying from a Breeder

1. You're buying a puppy. They are a lot of work, just like a human baby. Prepare for the perils of potty training and corralling little life forms whose sole purpose is to poop, pee and chew all over your home. They will also need to be fed multiple times per day and taken out at all hours.

2. You are responsible for the training of your puppy. They are a blank slate; be sure that you know what to write on it.

3. Breeders are usually much more expensive than getting your dog from a shelter. Depending on the location and breed, most breeders run from $500 to $1500 for a pup.

4. Puppies need multiple vet checks and vaccinations during their first year of life. In addition to this expense, you will need to cover the cost of sterilization. This means that you could pay higher upfront costs just getting your puppy to adulthood.

5. Finding a truly reputable breeder that cares more for about quality than quantity can be difficult.

A Word About Backyard Breeders

Anyone can throw a male and female dog together to produce puppies. This doesn't mean that they should. When dogs are bred without the proper knowledge of genetics, you often get unhealthy dogs with issues.

Most backyard breeders don't do any research on breeding. They just think that two dogs would pair well together and take it from there.

Novice breeders are also unprepared for the amount of work required to care for puppies and the cost of vet care.

They may want to watch the miracle of birth. However, once they have ten extra dogs running around making messes and chewing up the carpet, they get overwhelmed. These puppies often end up in shelters.

If breeders aren't breeding to improve the breed standard, they are just adding to the huge pet overpopulation problem.

Puppy Mills

Puppy mills are commercial dog-breeding facilities where dogs are simply tools to run a business. I wouldn't even put them into the category of "breeder."

However, it's important to understand this awful practice in depth so you don't unknowingly support it.

It is estimated there are over 10,000 puppy mills in the US. Sadly, fewer than 3,000 are regulated by the US Department of Agriculture. This means that a lot of abuse goes unchecked.

Many puppy mill owners keep their adult dogs in cramped, soiled cages standing on wire so that the urine and feces can fall through the openings.

They usually deny them adequate mental stimulation and physical exercise. Many never leave their kennels except to be bred.

These dogs are also not given decent veterinary care. They live truly awful lives devoid of kindness or empathy.

While the puppies from these dog factories come out looking pristine by the time they reach the customer, they start life in horrible conditions. Many puppies die before they are weaned.

Often, since there is no genetic guarantee, you will find some issues that develop as the puppy gets older due to irresponsible breeding practices, such as bowed legs or hip dysplasia.

The adult dogs often never escape; and may eventually be allowed to starve or are killed when they are no longer able to produce puppies to cut down on the cost of feeding them.

This practice is illegal. Yet, if you look at past cases of these operations that were blown open by under-cover agents or whistle blowers, it is sadly all too common.

Even if the puppy mill follows the rules, they are not required by law to treat these dogs as pets. They are only regulated - often very loosely - by the government to provide for their basic physical needs.

If you take issue with dogs not being able to live with a family, but simply living their entire lives in cramped cages used as tools to create a product, then please don't use your dollars to support this practice.

Sadly, most pet store puppies come from puppy mills. Please do some research on this before buying your puppy from a pet store to ensure you aren't supporting this abusive system.

If you buy dogs that are bred by people more concerned with turning a quick dollar than furthering the breed, you also contribute to that problem by rewarding the behavior.

If enough people stand up to this practice and they can no longer make a profit, they will stop this abuse.

Puppy mills are a horrible place for dogs to spend their lives. We should demand better for these poor animals than simply being puppy factories for the greedy.

What To Look For in Reputable Breeders

Thankfully, just as far as the pendulum swings left into the abusive puppy-mill practices, it swings to the right to the responsible breeders.

Some breeders I've met claim my highest respect due to their knowledge of the breed and their love for their dogs. To them, their puppies represent their passion and life work; they are not simply a product.

Good breeders won't breed their dogs unless they believe they are improving the overall breed. They stand for high quality, not quick quantity.

A good breeder will have the following characteristics:

They will encourage you to come to their facility and meet the parents and see where the puppies are raised.

When you come, the premises will be clean, spacious and well maintained. Their dogs will be happy, friendly, well groomed, socialized family members.

The breeders should be raising the puppies in their home and interacting with them daily.

Good breeders should also have you sign a contract that you will spay or neuter your dog unless you plan to actively involve them in dog shows or working trials.

They will ask you to sign a contract saying that you will return the dog back to them if you are unable to keep the dog at any point in their life.

They continue to help after the sale by answering questions and providing support.

They offer a written contract and health guarantee.

They are very knowledgeable of the genetic issues found in that particular breed and show proof that the puppy's parents and grandparents have been professionally evaluated in an effort to eliminate these issues from the gene pool.

They are only breeding one or two breeds of dogs, and are very knowledgeable about their particular breed.

They don't always have puppies on hand. You don't want a breeder pumping out puppies like a factory and not giving their dogs a break from parenthood. Good breeders will have a waiting list for their next available litter.

They provide breed-specific enrichment for their dogs in the form of toys, activities and environment. They meet both their physical and psychological needs.

They have good references from not only a local vet, but from other families who currently own one of their puppies.

Responsible breeders are either actively working their dogs in sports such as tracking, hunting, obedience trials or agility, or showing them in conformation in the ring. They make their dogs prove their prowess at their desired event before they breed them.

They will only sell their puppies to people that they meet in person to ensure they get quality owners. They won't ship them off to pet stores and an undetermined fate.

They should question you about your experience with dogs and your home environment before agreeing to sell you a puppy. They don't just sell their pups to the first person with cash. They truly want their pups in good homes.

They will be active with top training and show agencies like the AKC, and will often be on their referral lists.

While it may take some time to find a reputable breeder, it is worth it to support someone who is working to further the breed standard, not simply creating more puppies at high prices to fill their pocketbook.
QUICK RECOMMENDATION: While the information in this article can apply to any dog breed we do focus on Labrador Retrievers. If you're interested in a Lab we highly recommend purchasing The Complete Labrador Handbook.
Getting Your Dog From a Shelter

In an ideal world, there would be no need for shelters and every pet would have a loving home. Unfortunately, this is not the case for the 3.9 million dogs and 3.4 million cats that enter US animal shelters each year.

While many of these animals go on to find loving homes, 1.2 million dogs and 1.4 million cats are not so lucky and are euthanized each year because there is no space or money to house them.

Shelter Dog Myths

Before we go into the benefits and challenges of adopting a shelter dog, I wanted to address some common misconceptions about shelter dogs in general.

All Shelter Dogs Are Mutts

While it is true that many shelter dogs are of a questionable gene pool, this is not always true. Many people buy papered dogs from breeders or pet stores, only to decide later that they can't keep them.

The Humane Society estimates that purebred dogs make up about 25% of shelter populations.

There are also breed-specific rescue organizations that focus on rescuing their chosen breed, such as Labradors, from shelters. You can also do breed-specific searches on general internet searches such as Petfinder.

Shelter Dogs Are There Because Something is Wrong with Them

While some dogs end up in shelters because of behavioral problems, most are victims of divorce, evictions, job loss, overseas deployments, or their families are simply unwilling to move with them or no longer have time for them.

Many owners are also unaware of the veterinary costs associated with keeping a dog, and turn their dog in after they become ill with a very treatable issue.

Some dogs end up in shelters when their owners pass away and the family is unable to take the dog in.

Shelter Dogs are Too Old

Yes, there are many adult dogs in shelters. However, there are also plenty of puppies. Dogs of all ages are waiting for their forever homes in kennels across the country.

Also, don't discount senior dogs. If you have a lower-energy household, the constant attention, potty-training and chewing from a puppy can be a much greater hassle than a fully-trained senior dog content to lie quietly at your feet.

Also, the old adage isn't true - you can teach an old dog new tricks!

You also may not be able to commit the 10 to 15 years needed when you take on a puppy. Adopting a senior dog will ensure you can have the joy of owning a pet, but not take on a 15-year commitment.
QUICK NOTE: We found our 10 week old Labrador Retriever Australian Shepherd mix puppy, Linus at the Carson Animal Shelter. Puppies are adorable, but a lot of work. If you're thinking about getting a puppy make sure you first read a good book that teaches you the basics like The Puppy Primer.
Shelter Pets are Dirty

Many shelters have groomers come in and groom the dogs on a regular basis. Volunteers often also come to brush and train the dogs. Shelter workers also make sure the dogs are treated for pests like fleas and ticks.
QUICK NOTE: However, while some shelters are immaculate and keep their pets in great shape we have learned that this is not always the case. Some shelters and rescues do not have the funding to keep all their pets clean and well groomed all the time. Sometimes these dogs are the most appreciative when you adopt them and become wonderful lifelong pals.
Pros of Adopting a Shelter Dog

There are many good reasons to adopt a shelter dog.

You are saving two lives. You're saving the life of the dog that you adopt and the next dog that needs that space in the shelter or rescue by opening up a new kennel.

Most adult shelter dogs have all of their vaccinations up-to-date. You won't have to go through that expensive puppy year, unless you adopt a puppy. Also, shelters usually spay or neuter all of the dogs leaving their facility, saving you those extra expenses.

It's much less expensive to adopt than purchase from a breeder. Most shelters charge $150 adoption fee. This covers the cost to house and feed the dog, have them sterilized and microchipped, and have their medical evaluation and necessary medications. That's a pretty good deal by today's rates!

Some shelters also give you a voucher for a reduced or free first vet visit.

Many adult dogs have lived in a home previously and are already potty trained. Some may even have more advanced levels of training.

Shelters and private groups often will take the dog back if it's not a good match for your home.

When you adopt an adult dog, you have a good idea of their temperament and size. With a puppy, their future is a gamble.

Most shelters give a temperament evaluation before placing the dog. The staff can advise you of a personality that would best fit your family.

Most hereditary issues show up in dogs before their second birthday. If you adopt a dog after this time period, you have less of a chance of having hereditary illnesses.

While it hasn't been fully proven, most vets attest that mixed breeds often have less inherited diseases. However, this isn't always the case. Mutts can get dealt a bad DNA hand as well.

QUICK UPDATE: When we adopted Linus from the shelter his adoption fee was $37 and it included vaccination, microchip, neutering, and a couple dog toys. This was over 15 years ago. I just checked the Carson Animal Shelter website and the adoption fee is now up to $125 for a dog or puppy.
Cons of Adopting a Shelter Dog

Just like people, dogs react differently when going through traumatic situations based on their personality. Some pooches just roll with the punches while others suffer emotional scars from their abandonment or abuse. Many shelter dogs come from very bad pasts. More sensitive dogs may require extra patience to bring them out of their shell.

You may not know the exact breed of your dog. However, this is only a bad thing if you plan to show. Mixed breed dogs are just as smart, capable and beautiful as purebreds. In fact, one shelter is creating a fun campaign to celebrate the one-of-a-kind nature of mixed breed dogs - giving them unique breed names.

What About Puppies?

There are a few things you need to consider when deciding if a puppy is right for you. It's a relevant consideration in this article, because you will almost always get a puppy when you buy from a breeder.

However, puppies are also found in shelters. No matter their origin, you need to be prepared for puppyhood.

Here are a few questions you need to ask yourself before committing to a puppy.

Do you have the additional money for vet care to keep the puppy current on their shot schedule?

Do you have extra money to get the puppy spayed or neutered?

Depending on the age of the puppy, do you have the time to take the pup out multiple times during the night, to let them out multiple times during the work day, to feed them 3 to 4 times daily, to help them through the teething process, to channel the youthful exuberance, to deal with extra barking, whining and general lack of maturity, and to invest in their training?

Are you ready to commit to this puppy for the next 10 to 15 years or more?

Will you accept the adult version of this puppy, even if they don't grow into the dog you were expecting?

When you get puppies you are getting potential, but not a guarantee.

Make sure that you are prepared for the training, growing pains and costs associated with bringing a puppy up to become a well-rounded canine citizen.

Conclusion

There is no one right way to find a new family member. Buying a puppy from a reputable breeder or adopting a mutt from the shelter both bring different rewards and challenges.

The good news is that both options still get you to the same final place. You'll have an amazing family member who will love you unconditionally for the rest of their life!
FINAL RECOMMENDATION: You can find a Labrador Retriever at the animal shelter or from a breeder. Whether you choose adoption or breeder you should learn as much as possible about Labs before bringing one home. There's tons of information right here on Labrador Training HQ. And if you are looking for a good book we recommend The Complete Labrador Handbook
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Top Picks For Our Dogs

1. BEST PUPPY TOY
We Like: Calmeroos Puppy Toy w/ Heartbeat and Heat Packs - Perfect for new puppies. Helps ease anxiety in their new home.

2. BEST DOG CHEW
We Like: Bones & Chews Bully Sticks - All of our puppies love to bite, nip, and chew. We love using Bully Sticks to help divert these unwanted behaviors.

3. BEST DOG TREATS
We Like: Crazy Dog Train Me Treats - One of our favorite treats for training our service dog puppies.

4. BEST FRESH DOG FOOD
We Like: The Farmer's Dog - A couple months ago we started feeding Raven fresh dog food and she loves it! Get 50% off your first order of The Farmer's Dog.

For a list of all the supplies we get for our new service dog puppies check out our New Puppy Checklist on the PuppyInTraining.com blog.

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Adoption From Shelter Vs. Buying From a Breeder: What's Best For You?

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You've finally made your decision! It's time to hear the pitter-patter of little toenails on your wood floors again. You're excited to expand your family and add a new fur kid to your brood. Now that you're ready for a new pup, your next step is deciding on where to start.

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What Are Single-Use Plastics?

Put simply, single-use plastics are goods that are made primarily from fossil fuel-based chemicals (petrochemicals) and are meant to be disposed of right after use-often, in mere minutes. Single-use plastics are most commonly used for packaging and serviceware, such as bottles, wrappers, straws, and bags.

Though plastic-a chain of synthetic polymers, essentially-was invented in the mid-19th century, it wasn't until the 1970s that its popularity skyrocketed. Manufacturers began replacing traditionally paper or glass staples with lighter or more durable and affordable plastic alternatives; plastic jugs replaced milk jars, for instance. Since the 1950s, 8.3 billion metric tons of plastics have been produced, and half of that in the past 15 years alone.

There are many uses for plastic that are not only reasonable but important, such as surgical gloves, or straws for people with disabilities. But these cases make up a small fraction of single-use plastic. According to a 2017 study, more than half of non-fiber plastic, which excludes synthetic fabrics like polyester and nylon, comes from plastic packaging alone, much of which is for single-use items.

Why Is Single-Use Plastic Bad?

Single-use plastics are a glaring example of the problems with throwaway culture. Instead of investing in quality goods that will last, we often prioritize convenience over durability and consideration of long-term impacts. Our reliance on these plastics means we are accumulating waste at a staggering rate. We produce 300 million tons of plastic each year worldwide, half of which is for single-use items. That's nearly equivalent to the weight of the entire human population.

Reducing plastic use is the most effective means of avoiding this waste (and the impacts linked to plastic production and use). Carrying reusable bags and bottles is one great way to avoid single-use plastics in our day-to-day lives; more on preventing plastic waste can be found below.

Recycling more plastic, more frequently, reduces its footprint. Polyethylene terephthalate, one of the most commonly recycled plastics and the material that makes up most water and soda bottles, can be turned into everything from polyester fabric to automotive parts. But a whopping 91 percent of all plastic isn't recycled at all. Instead it ends up in landfills or in the environment. Single-use plastics in particular-especially small items like straws, bags, and cutlery-are traditionally hard to recycle because they fall into the crevices of recycling machinery and therefore are often not accepted by recycling centers.

Left alone, plastics don't really break down; they just break up. Over time, sun and heat slowly turn plastics into smaller and smaller pieces until they eventually become what are known as microplastics. These microscopic plastic fragments, no more than 5 millimeters long, are hard to detect-and are just about everywhere. Some microplastics are even small by design, like the microbeads used in facial scrubs or the microfibers in polyester clothing. They end up in the water, eaten by wildlife, and inside our bodies. They've even made their way up to the secluded Pyrenees mountain range and down to the bottom of the Mariana Trench. For wildlife, microplastics can be particularly dangerous; when eaten they can easily accumulate inside an animal's body and cause health issues, like punctured organs or fatal intestinal blockages.

Single-Use Plastics and Pollution

Although single-use plastic pollution accumulates most visibly on our streets, in fact our water suffers even more. Litter can be the first stage in a waste stream that enters waterways as plastics tossed on the street are washed away by rain or travel via storm drains into rivers and streams. Our waterway plastic pollution is particularly concentrated: Just ten rivers carry 93 percent of the world's total amount of plastic that enters the oceans via rivers each year.

In 2015 researchers from the University of Georgia estimated that between 4.8 million and 12.7 million metric tons of plastic per year make their way into the oceans via people living within 30 miles of a coast. The majority of this pollution-dominated by single-use plastic waste-comes from countries lacking infrastructure to properly manage waste, particularly in Asia. India, for example, generates 25,940 tons of plastic waste every day but collects only 60 percent of it. (It's also important to remember that waste management is just one part of the global materials cycle. For instance, a lot of the plastic produced in Asian countries is for products that serve U.S. demand-and the United States often sends plastic waste back to these countries for recycling.)

Marine animals bear the burden of this influx of garbage into their habitats. Beached whales have been found with stomachs full of plastic trash. And recent studies found plastic in the guts of 90 percent of the seabirds tested and 100 percent of the turtles. Alarmingly, scientists estimate that there will be more plastic than fish in the ocean by weight in 2050. Not only is plastic estimated to kill millions of marine animals and seabirds each year, but it's also contaminating seafood that humans have relied on for millennia, particularly with microplastics in animals' guts.

Our addiction to plastic also has negative impacts on the climate. A recent report showed that plastic production contributes to planet-warming greenhouse gas emissions at every point in its life cycle. The process of drilling for plastic's source materials, oil and gas, leads to methane leaking and flaring and is often combined with clearing forests and wetlands that otherwise would have sequestered carbon. Refineries where crude oil is turned into plastic make up one of the most greenhouse gas-intensive industries in the manufacturing sector. And "cracker plants"-which break, or "crack," ethane molecules, a component of natural gas, into the chemical building blocks of plastic products-are energy intensive and highly polluting. In 2015 a mere 24 of these ethane cracker facilities in the United States had the combined carbon output of 3.8 million passenger vehicles. And the recent fracking boom, resulting in a surplus of oil, is fueling a subsequent rise in cracker plants, too. That's bad news for our carbon reduction goals: if plastic production continues unabated, its greenhouse gas emissions could reach 1.34 gigatons per year by 2030 -equal to adding nearly 300 new coal-fired power plants-even as the need to curb global climate change becomes more urgent.

Plastic pollution-whether in our oceans, piling up on our coastlines, or contributing to our climate crisis-impacts vulnerable communities first. Even if plastic doesn't end up in the ocean, recycled plastic is often exported from high-income countries to developing countries to process. But the sheer amount of plastic waste inundates communities until they are drowning under thousands of tons of plastic trash. This is the case particularly in Southeast Asia, which has begun to import much of the plastic that used to go to China for recycling. Not only does the waste destroy the land itself, but when plastic is incinerated (as is the case for unrecyclable plastic at some illegal facilities) its toxic fumes quickly become a health hazard for residents, leading to everything from skin rashes to cancer. Such is the case with many environmental crises: the worst effects are pushed onto overburdened communities with the fewest resources to fight back.

Should We Ban Single-Use Plastics?

Plastic is putting a strain on waste management systems, our oceans, and vulnerable communities the world over. A wave of single-use plastic bans is sweeping the country and the globe-most often on plastic bags, straws, stirrers, and takeout clamshells. (Some places are going so far as to ban single-use plastics entirely; most notably, India intends to go this route by 2022.) Among the U.S. cities to outlaw plastic straws are Malibu, Berkeley, Seattle, and Miami Beach. Plastic bag bans-ideally accompanied by a fee on paper bags-are also catching on. New York State and Hawaii just passed theirs, set to go into effect in 2020, and California's bag ban, which was passed in 2014, has been shown to have reduced plastic bag usage by 85 percent (with some customers opting to pay a 10 cent fee for thicker plastic bags) and has reduced coastal pollution.

What do the bans accomplish? They prevent millions of tons of plastic from entering the waste stream each year. And when it comes to waste that lasts forever, every ton counts. In New York, 23 billion plastic bags are used by residents each year. Not only does banning single-use plastic reduce pollution, but it also reduces demand for plastic production that's contributing to global climate change. But beyond these impacts, the bans have cultural effects. Companies are forced to innovate, rethinking their designs and sourcing sustainable materials. And they help shift consumer mind-sets, as people begin to recognize that exorbitant and avoidable waste is not sustainable.

Large producers of single-use plastics can make a big environmental impact. As part of the Break Free From Plastic movement, Greenpeace volunteers conducted an audit of plastic pollution along coastlines, sifting through tens of thousands of individual pieces across 42 countries to identify the pollution's sources. They discovered that Coca-Cola, PepsiCo, and Nestlé products were found most often. Coca-Cola has said that it alone produces three million tons of plastic packaging each year, equivalent to a terrifying 200,000 plastic bottles per minute. Policies like bottle bill laws-which generally require retailers to add a fee on individual bottles, which can then be partially redeemed by customers when they recycle-are a way to increase corporate responsibility for waste while providing a monetary incentive to recycle. In Taiwan, which was once overflowing with so much trash that it spurred public protest and the nickname "Garbage Island," companies now either manage their own waste or subsidize government-run infrastructure. Accompanied by high social accountability and musical garbage trucks, that strategy has proved wildly effective: the island now reports recycling rates above 50 percent.

Some companies are taking initiative on their own. McDonald's swapped its plastic straws for paper at its United Kingdom and Ireland restaurants. Disney is eliminating single-use plastic straws and stirrers at all its theme parks, resorts and properties. And Starbucks, which uses an estimated one billion plastic straws per year, is phasing them out in favor of paper ones. These actions are a response to calls for change and shifting consumer habits.

Avoiding Single-Use Plastics

Individual choices -and the collective shifts they bring about-add up quickly. Making just one simple swap, like purchasing a reusable water bottle, can spare the environment hundreds of plastic bottles each year. Here are a few more tips for ridding your life (and your community) of single-use plastics for good.

Always pack a reusable bag when shopping. (And yes-reusable totes are better for the environment than plastics, recent media claims aside.)

Cook more often, to reduce your use of plastic-heavy takeout containers.

Buy in bulk. Avoid individually packaged goods, like snack packs.

Though buying online sometimes has a lower carbon footprint than shopping in a store (skip the express delivery option, if you can), online shipments are still chock-full of plastic. Your best bet to reduce your footprint and plastic waste? Walk, bike, or take public transit to buy in-person.

Avoid plastic wrap altogether by storing leftovers in reusable containers. Try reusable and compostable beeswax wrap for an easy and decorative option.

Buy a metal or bamboo reusable straw. Pack it alongside reusable cutlery (like wood, bamboo, or metal chopsticks) for sustainable eating on the go.

Talk to the owners of the restaurants you frequent. Ask if they have nonplastic alternatives to plastic straws, stirrers, or bags.

Speak out in support of local plastic bans, whether by calling your local government representative, submitting an op-ed to your city's newspaper, or simply starting conversations with neighbors.

Let companies that make your favorite products know that you care about the packaging. Tweet, call, or send letters to these companies to ask them to switch to more durable, recyclable, compostable, renewable, and/or recycled-content packaging with less fossil fuel-derived plastic.

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Here's everything you need to know about the most ubiquitous (and avoidable) kind of plastic waste: the kind made to be tossed in mere minutes.

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Opinion | The Big Debate: Should single-use plastics be banned?

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Plastic bans are increasing around the world, a necessary step to save our environment, writes Sarah King of Greenpeace Canada. Angela Logomasini of the Competitive Enterprise Institute argues that, although well meaning, such bans create more problem than they solve.

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This article was created in partnership with the National Geographic Society.

Nakuru, KenyaIn the open-air Wakulima Market thin plastic shopping bags have disappeared, banished by Kenya's national bag ban. Produce sellers in this busy agricultural hub 95 miles northwest of Nairobi now pack perishables in thicker bags made of synthetic fabric.

As James Wakibia, citizen activist, leads the way along narrow walkways that snake around vegetable stalls, he shrugs at the irony. Plastic bags replaced by plastic bags. He is the 36-year-old face of the social media campaign that prompted the ban in 2017 and says an imperfect ban is better than none.

"Okay, they are polypropylene, but they're reusable and they're not the thin bags that can be carried by the wind," he says. "The UN says that Kenyans were using 100 million bags a year by supermarkets alone, so we have saved 100 million bags. I would rate success at 80 percent."

Often described as the world's number one consumer product, as well as the most ubiquitous, shopping bags are now among the world's most-banned. As of last July, the United Nations counted 127 nations that have banned or taxed bags‒and bag regulations have proliferated so quickly, especially at the local level, that even an Al Qaeda-backed terrorist group joined in‒banning plastic shopping bags last summer as "a serious threat to the well-being of humans and animals alike."

This spring, the European Union took steps to ban plastic bags as part of a sweeping effort on plastic items found most commonly on Europe's beaches. In the United States, New York this month became the second state, after California, to ban plastic bags‒and at least 95 bills relating to bags were introduced in state legislative sessions this winter, more than any other year. (Hawaii has a defacto statewide bag ban because every county banned them.)

Yet as bag bans spread around the globe, their effectiveness-despite Wakibia's sunny appraisal of Kenya's effort-remains an unanswered question. Bag bans have spawned bans of other plastic products, including plates, cups, cutlery, straws and bottles, as part of an expanding effort to reduce single-use plastics, which make up about 40 percent of the plastics manufactured worldwide. But whether bans can significantly reduce plastic waste, which leaks into the oceans at an average rate of 8 million tons a year, remains to be seen‒especially when considering that plastic production is forecast to double by 2040, and may account for 20 percent of the world's oil production by 2050.

Even the most ardent proponents of bans are aware of the limitations.

"As important as banning single-use plastic bags is in terms of reducing it as a source, it's not going to change the world," says Mark Murray, executive director of Californians Against Waste. "The main point, frankly, is to communicate to policy makers, the public, and to the industry that we've got to do something serious to reduce plastic packaging and if you all can't figure out how to do it, we're going to start banning your products one at a time."

From marvel to menace

It took less than four decades for plastic bags to make the transition from marvel to menace. Plastic bags were born in the post-World War II explosion of manufactured plastic household goods and became popular in the 1970s. By the end of the 1980s, grocery stores in the United States had switched from paper to plastic; plastic bags proliferated after that by the millions.

Firm statistics about the number of plastic shopping bags manufactured today are elusive‒even the American Progressive Bag Alliance, an industry trade group, says it does not know the figure. The UN estimates that between one and five trillion bags are produced worldwide. Even using the lowest figure, that translates into bag use of two million bags per minute, according to the Earth Policy Institute.

The proliferation of bags was enough to overwhelm even western nations' waste collection systems. And, it hasn't helped that flimsy film bags are among the least recycled plastic products, even though polyethylene can be easily recycled. In the United States, few sorting facilities accept them, as they tend to jam up machinery not suited to processing film.

Plastic bags are in the top five items found in beach and river cleanups and the harm to wildlife has been well documented. Once in the sea, they can quickly degrade. In a dramatic experiment at Plymouth University in Britain, Richard Thompson, a marine scientist who coined the term microplastics, and two of his students fed pieces of a plastic bag to amphipods, tiny shrimp-like crustaceans, and found critters could quickly shred a single bag into 1.75 million microscopic fragments.

Bags are also consumed whole by sea turtles, dolphins and whales. In the last month alone, two more dead whales, stomachs crammed with bags and other plastics, washed up on beaches, adding to a growing tally. In Kenya, it's cattle and elephants.

Momentum for ban builds

Bangladesh passed the first bag ban in 2002, putting the lie to the argument against bans and taxes because they disproportionately harm poor nations and poor people, who rely on free, inexpensive and sturdy sacks to carry goods and store belongings. The African continent now leads the world in bag regulations, with 34 countries adopting taxes or bans‒31 of them in sub-Saharan Africa, the world's poorest region. Kenya's penalties are the world's most punitive, with manufacturers, importers, distributors, and users facing up to $38,000 in fines or four years in prison.

In Denmark, which passed the world's first bag tax in 1993, residents use, on average, four plastic bags per year. By contrast, in the United States, which is the largest generator, per capita, of plastic packaging waste, Americans use almost one bag per person daily.

Fighting back against bans

Political opposition to bans in the United States has gained a boost from a handful of studies that highlight the limitations of bans. In California, for example, Rebecca Taylor, an economist at the University of Sydney, found that shoppers in cities that banned bags before the 2016 statewide ban took effect used fewer shopping bags, leading to a reduction of about 40 million pounds of plastic waste. But she found in her study that sales of trash bags rose, offsetting the reduction in plastic bags to 28 million pounds.

In the United States, the bag industry has sought legislation that would improve recycling. Meanwhile, it has invested in bins placed at store entrances in hopes that shoppers will drop off used bags that will be remade into new bags, completing the circle. But trying to persuade consumers in a nation with a nine percent recycling rate to take the extra steps and cart used bags back to stores may prove to be a Sisyphean task.

"We spend literally hundreds of millions of dollars in the recycling of plastic retail bags, including stretch film, dry cleaner bags, bread bags, ice bags‒you name it," says Matt Seaholm, the executive director of the American Progressive Bag Alliance, which bills itself as the frontline against bans and taxes. "That includes buying stuff from places that are collecting it. We would love more stores to be involved. We would love more stores to promote it more. We would love stores to have cashiers who tell folks they can bring their bags back."

Mixed success in Kenya

In Kenya, the bag ban has faced a sequence of rocky challenges. The Kenya Association of Manufacturers unsuccessfully opposed the ban in court, warning that as many as 100,000 jobs in the plastics manufacturing industry could be lost.

Once it took effect, the ban prompted the creation of "bag cartels" that smuggled illegal plastic bags from neighboring Uganda and Tanzania.

Geoffrey Wahungu, director general of Kenya's National Environment Management Authority, conceded in an interview that the government failed, at first, to consider what alternative products could be used to replace plastics that were banned. Eventually, plastics used to wrap various fresh foods, such as meat, were exempted from the ban, along with other products.

Although the arrest of a roadside fruit seller caught with his apples in a plastic bag was featured in media accounts, most of the enforcement has focused on distributors, not lone sellers or consumers. Even so, enforcement has been spotty and incomplete, as has a clear accounting of the numbers of arrests and fines levied so far.

"The ban had to be drastic and harsh, otherwise Kenyans would have ignored it," says Walibia, the activist.

On that, he may have a point. Litter still collects in abundant amounts on the Kenyan landscape. Still, the country appears in some ways visibly cleaner. Bags that once hung like windblown shrouds from tree branches are fewer in number, as are clumps of bags that clogged drainage systems and created breeding pools for malaria-bearing mosquitoes.

"Everyone is watching Kenya now because of the bold step we took," Wahungu says. "We are not looking back. We are not relenting."

But the government moved to widen the ban, it is confronting new challenges. The government now wants to ban non-woven shopping bags, those very "eco-friendly" bags that replaced the flimsy bags in 2017. The ban was to begin this month, but has been blocked by the court while manufacturers seek to stop it.

National Geographic is committed to reducing plastics pollution. Learn more about our non-profit activities at natgeo.org/plastics. Learn what you can do to reduce your own single-use plastics, and take your pledge.

The National Geographic Society and Sky Ocean Ventures have launched the Ocean Plastic Innovation Challenge, which asks problem solvers around the globe to develop novel solutions to tackle the world's plastic waste crisis. Have an idea? Submit your solution by June 11 at oceanplastic-challenge.org.

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Plastic bag bans are spreading. But are they truly effective?

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Kenya has the strictest penalties for bag use, but the consumer alternatives to plastic have come with growing pains.

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It seems to be the summer of plastic bans. Starbucks, Hyatt, the city of Seattle and others have all committed to phase out plastic straws. Stafford Township in New Jersey passed a plastic bag ban just last month, joining dozens of other American cities and states imposing taxes or bans on single-use plastics.

But is this a good thing?

Not if that's all we do.

The Case for Banning Plastic

Use of single-use plastics (think wrappers, straws and bags) has skyrocketed over the last few decades. But as I explained recently, our ability to recycle these plastics at scale remains poor. Globally, 8 million metric tons of plastic trash leak into our natural spaces each year, harming wildlife, mucking up the ocean and jeopardizing people's livelihoods.

So it's understandable why bans are becoming popular. The beaches of New Jersey, for example, bring in billions of tourism dollars each year, creating jobs and funding local municipal needs. These sprawling, sandy spaces and the busy boardwalks that line them are an important part of local life. There are clear personal and economic incentives to keep these beaches clean, which make plastic bans politically palatable despite the inconvenience.

Monmouth County, New Jersey, which earned nearly $2.5 billion in tourism revenue in 2016, adopted what Clean Ocean Action called the most comprehensive plastic ban in the United States. The law was passed in May 2018, just before the start of beach season, and prohibits local businesses from distributing plastic bags, straws and Styrofoam containers. Local coverage of the ban indicates that it was well-received by residents and business owners. Monmouth Beach Mayor Sue Howard explained that, "If you live on the Shore, and you walk on the beach, and you see plastic straws and Styrofoam containers, you know what the damage is."

Where Plastic Bans Fall Short

It's encouraging that local governments are focusing on passing laws to fight plastic litter. Unfortunately, while these laws may reduce the most visible form of plastic pollution, it could be at the expense of other environmental impacts. That's because, somewhat ironically, disposable plastic bags require fewer resources (land, water, CO ₂ emissions, etc.) to produce than paper, cotton or reusable plastic bags-by a wide margin.

For example, Denmark's Ministry of Environment and Food found that you would need to reuse a paper bag at least 43 times for its per-use environmental impacts to be equal to or less than that of a typical disposable plastic bag used one time. An organic cotton bag must be reused 20,000 times to produce less of an environmental impact than a single-use plastic bag. That would be like using a cotton bag every day for nearly 55 years. (Note that these figures aggregate the bags' impact on water use, CO ₂ emissions, land use and more, but they do not include their impact on plastic pollution.)

Banning plastic straws is also increasingly popular. Starbucks recently announced that it would phase out use of plastic straws by the year 2020. Straws don't provide as much utility as bags, so for many this is an easy adjustment.

But these bans leave the impression that they solve the plastics pollution problem without much discussion of  systematic  solutions. As a society, we should think holistically about the products we use and their impacts. We can't just ban bad products-we must invest in alternatives.

How Consumers, Governments and Businesses Can Beat Plastic Pollution

That same Danish study suggests that the most eco-friendly bag option for consumers is polyester, reused at least 35 times. This keeps plastic pollution out of our natural spaces and reduces the per-use environmental impacts of the bag to the lowest-possible levels. However, it will take a lot more than reusable bags to solve the plastics pollution problem. Right now, only about 9 percent of plastics are recycled globally.

As of January 1, China refused to import most recyclable materials from the United States and other developed countries, claiming the materials exceeded acceptable contamination levels. This has backed up the flow of disposed paper and plastic, causing serious problems for local waste management companies. However, there may be an ironic upside to China's decision. For too long, the easy option of shipping excess recyclables to China has resulted in underinvestment in in optimizing plastics, maximizing their recovery and reducing waste.

Governments at the state and federal levels need to team up with private industry to address more systemic issues. We need to invest in redesigning plastics so that they can be readily broken down into their molecular units and remanufactured into new plastics of the same quality, the essence of a closed loop system. We need better recycling technology that can address the major obstacle of recycling plastics: about 25 percent of plastics collected are contaminated and therefore unusable. We need to reinvest government budgets in the infrastructure and associated policies needed for these systemic solutions. Once these technologies are deployed at a large scale, we can start recapturing the economic value of plastics, incentivizing their recovery and recycling, while minimizing plastic pollution and overconsumption of natural resources.

We need a wider array of smart public policies, a recycling infrastructure that's right-sized for the problem, better recycling technology and new business models. Banning single-use plastic bags and straws without significant further action is putting a finger on a spigot at a time when we need to suppress the tidal wave.

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Banning Straws and Bags Won't Solve our Plastic Problem

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It seems to be the summer of plastic bans. Starbucks, Hyatt, the city of Seattle and others have all committed to phase out plastic straws. Stafford Township in New Jersey passed a plastic bag ban just last month, joining dozens of other American cities and states imposing taxes or bans on single-use plastics.

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The very thought of sending kids to school year-round makes some parents cringe. They balk at the idea of kids attending schools with no summer break. They question the value of a continuous school year interspersed with several short breaks. While the schedule is definitely not what the majority of adults grew up with, it's not nearly as onerous as some people think. Rather than giving kids less time off, a year-round schedule offers the same 180 days of schooling as the traditional calendar, created long ago to ensure children were home to help their parents harvest crops.
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Kids in year-round schools attend classes for anywhere from six to nine weeks in a row, broken up by two- to four-week vacations. That, say some educators, keeps the learning process ongoing with minimal disruption. A Duke University study even suggested kids attending year-round schools are at a slight advantage, because they don't forget what they learned during the long summer break.

Schools in fast-growing areas transition to year-round schedules as a way to ease overcrowding. When that occurs, kids are placed on multi-tracks, and alternate tracking in and out of the school, a process that keeps the buildings in constant use.

Frequent breaks are a mainstay of year-round schooling, but they aren't for everyone. Patricia McCracken, who grew up attending a year-round school in Virginia Beach, Virginia, says she found the two-week breaks, which occurred every six weeks at her school, to be disruptive. "It was really hard to get involved in the work because as soon as you geared up, you had to gear back down again."

Mary Brown, a middle-school teacher in Wake County (where three-week breaks occur every nine weeks), says she doesn't see that as a problem at her school. "Our schedule offers the kids a break from school right when they need it," she says. Earlier this year, after their first three-week break, she says, the kids seemed refreshed. "They didn't have the bored, glazed-over look of kids who had been in school for weeks on end with no break in sight."

Juggling different school schedules is one of the toughest problems parents of children in both year-round and traditional schools face. Many high schools don't employ a year-round calendar because of sports schedules. And teens want to be able to take summer jobs.

The year-round schedule can make finding appropriate childcare a problem too. Because her mom was a teacher in a traditional school, McCracken says, "It meant my sister and I were basically latchkey kids for two or three years because it was impossible to find a babysitter for two weeks every six weeks." As year-round schooling becomes more common, however, communities are meeting the demand by offering track-out programs for kids who aren't in school.

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Find out about families that swap a shorter summer break for learning time that's more continuous.

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Most scientists are positive about the chances of life existing in the universe. What we don't know is if there's intelligent life. "For most of the history of life on Earth it was very simple life. It was bacterial life for billions of years in fact," says Tim. And it was a series of chance events that led to the development of even multicellular life on our planet. For alien life to make contact, it needs to be physically - and technologically -advanced.

5. Intelligent lifeforms may be living in conditions that make communication difficult

With 300 billion stars in the Milky Way, many with solar systems, and ten billion years or more in which a civilisation could have arisen in this galaxy, it is difficult to believe that no lifeform ever reached the point where it could travel across interstellar distances. As the great Italian physicist Enrico Fermi said, it's hard to explain why aliens haven't made it to Earth. But there are ways of explaining why this hasn't happened, says Maggie: "Our biggest problem is we only have one example of life, and that's life on this planet."

We have to think outside the box. For example, she says, "If you live by a star which is quite active, you might live below the ground... It doesn't mean that intelligent life isn't out there but you might not have the means of transmitting because you live below the surface."

6. Or we may be trying to communicate to each other using opposing methods

As soon as big telescopes like the one at Jodrell Bank Observatory were built, scientists realised that if there was a civilisation out there with a similar bit of technology, we might be able to pick up signals sent from one to the other. "We've now used radio telescopes to listen out for signals from extra-terrestrial civilisations since about 1960," says Tim who is Director of Jodrell Bank. However, there are so many different ways in which a lifeform might send signals, we could spend our lives looking for them and get nowhere. It's possible that we just haven't hit upon the right method.

7. Stars are so far away, it could take thousands of years for an extra-terrestrial message to reach us

As well as method of communication, distance poses a huge obstacle. For a new project called Breakthrough Listen, scientists are searching a million of the nearest stars, but they're also looking at stars that are in the middle of our Milky Way, 25,000 light years away. A message sent from one of these stars would need to travel in the region of 25,000 years before it even reached us. If alien life is out there, it could take thousands of years before we hear a peep from it.

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BBC Radio 4 - The Infinite Monkey Cage - 10 reasons why aliens probably exist (but won't be visiting us anytime soon)

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Most scientists are positive about the chances of life existing in the universe. What we don't know is if there's intelligent life. "For most of the history of life on Earth it was very simple life. It was bacterial life for billions of years in fact," says Tim.