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Former trainer blows the whistle on killer whale captivity at SeaWorld

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How SeaWorld Is Changing Since Killer Whale Controversies | NBC Nightly News

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Killer whale shows - banned in California!

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Sea World: No More Killer Whales, But What Does That Really Mean?

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California bill would ban orca shows at SeaWorld | CNN

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A California state legislator wants to ban the orca killer whale shows at SeaWorld, in the wake of CNN's controversial documentary "Blackfish."

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Editorial: SeaWorld’s ban on orca shows should be just the start of changes

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In January 2019, Kayla died. She was a 30-year-old killer whale living at SeaWorld Orlando. If she'd been living in the wild, she'd likely have lived into her 50s, and possibly as old as 80. Still, Kayla lived longer than any captive-born orca in history.

It's not clear what she died from (SeaWorld hasn't released the results of her necropsy, and by law is not required to), but her immediate cause of death may not tell us much anyway: Often orcas technically die of pneumonia or other opportunistic infections that take hold because the animal is already weak, shows a database of necropsy reports kept by the Orca Project Corp., a nonprofit organization made up of marine mammal experts that advocates against orcas in captivity.

Seventy orcas have been born in captivity around the world since 1977 (not counting another 30 that were stillborn or died in utero), according to records in two databases maintained by cetacean experts. Thirty-seven of them, including Kayla, are now dead. Only a handful of wild-caught orcas have lived past age 30. No captive-born orca yet has.

There are currently 59 orcas in captivity at sea parks and aquariums throughout the world. Some are wild-caught; some were born in captivity. A third of the world's captive orcas are in the United States, and all but one of those live at SeaWorld's three parks in Orlando, San Diego, and San Antonio. Lolita, a 54-year-old orca who was captured in 1970 in the waters off Washington State, lives alone at the Miami Seaquarium, in a pool with an open-top roof that's less than twice the length of her body.

Another 10 wild-caught orcas are currently held in sea pens in the Russian far east while the government investigates their possible illegal capture. If they end up being sold to aquariums, likely in China, the global captive orca tally could jump to 69.

Whether it's humane to keep orcas in captivity is subject to vigorous debate. They are highly intelligent, social animals that are genetically built to live, migrate, and feed over great distances in the ocean. Orcas, whether wild-born or captive-bred, cannot thrive in captivity, says Naomi Rose, a marine mammal scientist at the Animal Welfare Institute, a nonprofit organization based in Washington, D.C. It's partly their sheer size. Orcas are massive animals that swim vast distances in the wild-40 miles a day on average-not just because they can, but because they need to, to forage for their varied diets and to exercise. They dive 100 to 500 feet, several times a day, every day.

"It's basic biology," Rose says. A captive-born orca that has never lived in the ocean still has the same innate drives, she says. "If you have evolved to move great distances to look for food and mates then you are adapted to that type of movement, whether you're a polar bear or an elephant or an orca," says Rose. "You put [orcas] in a box that is 150 feet long by 90 feet wide by 30 feet deep and you're basically turning them into a couch potato."

Rose explains that a primary indicator for whether a mammal will do well in captivity is how wide their range is in the wild. The broader their natural range, the less likely they are to thrive in confinement. This is the same reason some zoos have been phasing out elephant exhibits.

We can recreate terrestrial environments somewhat-like a savanna for example, she says-but we can't recreate an ocean. "Not one marine mammal is adapted to thrive in the world we've made for them in a concrete box," Rose says.

Those who study and work with captive dolphins (orcas are the world's biggest dolphin species) argue that it's not about space but about whether orcas are given enough enrichment and training to get adequate exercise and mental stimulation.

SIGNS OF SUFFERING

It's really difficult to prove what specifically shortens orcas' lifespans in pools, animal welfare specialists say. "The thing with captive orcas is that their health is largely shrouded in mystery," says Heather Rally, a marine mammal veterinarian at the PETA Foundation. Only people who are employed by a facility keeping orcas actually get close to them, and not much of that information is made public.

But it's clear, say welfare specialists, that captivity can compromise orcas' health. This is evident in killer whales' most vital body part: their teeth. A peer-reviewed 2017 study in the journal Archives of Oral Biology found that a quarter of all orcas in captivity in the U.S. have severe tooth damage. Seventy percent have at least some damage to their teeth. Some Orca populations in the wild also show wear and tear on their teeth, but it's symmetrical and happens gradually over decades, in contrast to the acute and irregular damage seen in captive orcas.

According to the study, the damage occurs largely because captive orcas persistently grind their teeth on tank walls, often to the point where the nerves are exposed. These ground-down spots remain as open cavities, highly susceptible to infection even if caretakers regularly flush them out with clean water.

This stress-induced behavior has been documented in scientific research since the late 1980s. Commonly called stereotypies-repetitive patterns of activity that have no obvious function-these behaviors, which often involve self-mutilation, are typical of captive animals that have little or no enrichment and live in too-small enclosures.

Orcas have the second largest brain of any animal on the planet. Like humans, their brains are highly developed in the areas of social intelligence, language and self-awareness. In the wild, orcas live in tight-knit family groups that share a sophisticated, unique culture that is passed down through generations, research has shown.

In captivity, orcas are kept in artificial social groups. A few captive orcas, like Lolita, live completely alone. Captive-born orcas are typically separated from their mothers at ages far younger than in the wild (male orcas often stay with their mothers for life), and are often transferred between facilities. Kayla was separated from her mother at 11 months old and moved between SeaWorld properties across the country four different times.

The stress of social disruption is compounded by the fact that orcas in captivity don't have the ability to escape conflict with other orcas, or to engage in natural swimming behaviors in pools.

In 2013, the documentary film Blackfish laid bare the psychological toll of captivity, through the story of a wild-caught orca named Tilikum who had killed a trainer at SeaWorld Orlando. The film included testimony from former SeaWorld trainers and cetacean specialists, who argued that Tilikum's stress directly led to his aggression towards humans (he'd previously killed another trainer at a non-SeaWorld park in British Columbia, Canada). Court records show that SeaWorld had documented, between 1988 and 2009, over 100 instances of their orcas being aggressive towards trainers. Eleven of those instances resulted in injury, and one in death. ( Read a Q&A with a former trainer who criticized SeaWorld for cruel treatment of orcas.)

Blackfish also included an interview with a former wild orca catcher, John Crowe, who described in detail the process of capturing juvenile orcas from the wild: the wails of babies trapped in the net, the distress of their family members that frantically crowded outside, and the fate of the babies that didn't survive the catch. Those young orcas' bodies were slit open, filled with rocks, and sunk to the bottom of the ocean.

A SEA CHANGE

The public reaction to Blackfish was swift and furious. Hundreds of thousands of outraged viewers signed petitions calling for SeaWorld to retire their orcas, or to shut down outright. Partner corporations like Southwest Airlines and the Miami Dolphins severed ties with SeaWorld. Attendance slipped, and its stock began a series of nosedives from which it's never fully recovered. ( Read more: How far will the Blackfish effect go?)

"We were a fringe campaign. Now we're mainstream. That happened overnight," says Rose, who has been advocating for captive orca welfare since the 1990s.

Animal advocacy groups had for years tried to take legal action against the U.S. Department of Agriculture, tasked with implementing the federal Animal Welfare Act, for failing to properly monitor the welfare of animals kept in captivity for entertainment. Efforts had never been successful says Jared Goodman, deputy general counsel for animal law at the PETA Foundation, who has participated in many of the lawsuits.

But in 2016, things began to change. California made it illegal to breed orcas in the state. Six months earlier, SeaWorld, which has a park in San Diego, announced that it would be ending its captive orca breeding program altogether, saying its current orcas will be the last generation to live at SeaWorld parks. Although 20 orcas and many other cetaceans continue to live and perform at its facilities, the company increasingly focuses its marketing on its amusement park rides.

At the federal level, Congressman Adam Schiff, a Democrat from California, has repeatedly introduced a bill to phase out captive orca displays across the U.S. In Canada, a federal bill is poised to pass later this year that would ban all captive cetacean displays-not just orcas, but all dolphins, porpoises, and whales.

LOOKING FORWARD

But there's the remaining issue of what to do with the 22 orcas in captivity in the U.S. and Canada if federal legislation shuts down captive facilities, or if captive facilities like SeaWorld agree to go one step further and retire their current orcas altogether. None of these animals could be released into the wild-they have become dependent on being fed by humans.

The Whale Sanctuary project, led by a group of marine mammal scientists, veterinarians, policy experts, and engineers, aims to establish large seaside sanctuaries for retired or rescued cetaceans. The idea is that the animals would able to live in cordoned-off habitats in the ocean while still being cared for and fed by humans. The group has identified potential sites in British Columbia, Washington State, and Nova Scotia. The logistics of making a sanctuary a reality will be complex, says Heather Rally, who is on the organization's advisory board.

"We have sanctuaries for every other species," she says. Despite the challenges, "it's absolutely the time for a marine mammal sanctuary. It's long overdue."

The Whale Sanctuary Project hopes that they might eventually partner with SeaWorld in the rehabilitation process. SeaWorld opposes the concept of sea sanctuaries-referring to them as "sea cages," and saying that environmental hazards and a radically new habitat would likely cause tremendous stress to their orcas and do more harm than good. SeaWorld has removed from its website a 2016 statement detailing its opposition, but a company representative confirms to National Geographic that SeaWorld's position remains unchanged.

Although there appears to be some hope for the future of captive orcas in the West, in Russia and China, the captive marine mammal industry continues to grow. In Russia, the 10 recently-captured orcas languish in a small sea pen awaiting their fate. China now has 76 operational sea parks, with another 25 under construction. The vast majority of the cetaceans in captivity there were wild-caught and imported from Russia and Japan. ( Read: China's first orca breeding center sparks controversy.)

China "hasn't had their Blackfish moment," Rose says. But she is hopeful it will come, because she's seen it come before.

"You would not have written this story ten years ago," she says.

Editor's Note: This story originally stated that California's law prohibiting orca breeding was passed in 2016. It was 2017. The story has also been corrected to say that SeaWorld announced it was ending its breeding program six months before the bill was signed into law, not after. This story was updated to say that there are now 59 orcas in ocean parks worldwide, not 62. Lolita's age was also corrected. She is thought to be 54 years old, not 50. The story was also updated to clarify that Tilikum killed one trainer at SeaWorld and had previously killed another trainer at a non-SeaWorld facility in Canada. A caption has also been updated to clarify the lifespan of orcas, and information about enrichment in captivity has been added.

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Orcas don't do well in captivity. Here's why.

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The marine mammals, stars of amusement park shows around the world, have long died before their time.

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SeaWorld Should Free Its Killer Whales, Animal Activists Say

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SeaWorld's announcement about its killer whales is a step in the right direction, but it should do more for its orcas, activists say

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Crazy Engineering: Making Oxygen on Mars with MOXIE

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Florida's thoughts on social media for kids

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Florida's thoughts on social media for kids

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What parents, kids are saying about Florida’s new social media law

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A new year means new laws are in effect — one of which hopes to safeguard children and teens on social media.

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How will Australia’s under-16 social media ban work? We asked the law’s enforcer

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Australia’s top online internet regulator explains how the nation plans to roll out the world’s first social media ban for kids under 16.

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Should TikTok Be Banned? What Kids Think.

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A bipartisan bill recently introduced in Congress could ban TikTok, the popular social media app, in the U.S. While adults (who likely don't even use the app) grapple with this major decision, one can't help but wonder what kids who use the app think.

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Teaching kids how to use social media smartly and safely | CNN

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Kim Brunhuber speaks with Judith Donath, author of “The Social Machine,” about how social media could be affecting the health of children. Donath says banning social media apps isn’t the solution to keeping them safe online.

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4 science-backed tips for parents on kids' social media use

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Debate: Is Social Media Bad for Kids’ Mental Health?

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Why do we have the penny? | CNBC Explains

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Make a Slug-Repelling Penny Ball for Your Garden | HGTV

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Bury Pennies Around Your Plants And See What Happens!

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Sharks are widely respected by people, but that doesn't always mean their presence is appreciated. We tend to focus on the small chance of being bitten, overlooking the valuable benefits these ancient fish have to offer.

Of more than 375 known shark species, only about 30 are known to have attacked a human, and even these species pose little risk overall. Millions of people enter the ocean every year, yet the global yearly average for unprovoked shark attacks is 75, fewer than 10 of which are fatal. The odds of a shark attack are roughly 1 in 11 million, much lower than other beach hazards like rip currents, lightning or boats.

Sharks, on the other hand, have very good reasons to fear us. Humans kill an estimated 100 million sharks every year, largely due to fishing, finning and accidental bycatch. Combined with less direct threats like climate change and overfishing of prey species, this is raising serious concerns about the future of some shark species.

And the decline of sharks is not just an academic or ethical issue. Sharks play important roles in ocean ecosystems, and have also become a useful source of biomimicry. If sharks' recent troubles don't improve soon, we could end up learning to appreciate their presence the hard way. In hopes of shedding more light on the bright side of sharks, here are a few ways they benefit people:

Sharks help regulate marine food webs.

Over the past 400 million years or so, sharks have evolved deep, interdependent relationships with their ecosystems. These systems consist of complex food webs, often with sharks at the top as apex predators. Like tigers, wolves and other top-level predators, many sharks are keystone species, which means they play such key roles that their disappearance would significantly alter the ecosystem.

Along the U.S. Atlantic Coast, for example, overfishing between 1970 and 2005 led to the collapse of several large shark populations - scalloped hammerhead and tiger sharks may have declined by more than 97 percent, while smooth hammerhead, bull and dusky sharks fell by more than 99 percent. This led to an explosion of prey species once suppressed by those predators, including hordes of cow-nosed rays that wiped out North Carolina's bay scallop fishery, researchers found.

Studies have revealed similar dynamics elsewhere, too. Off the coast of Brazil, a 2014 study found that tiger sharks, dusky sharks, sand tiger sharks, scalloped hammerheads and smooth hammerheads "are species with large ecological function values and may exert a powerful influence over lower levels" of the food web. And in Australia, a 2013 study found that as shark numbers shrank, mid-sized predators like snapper increased while smaller, algae-eating fish faded.

Sharks protect coral reefs and seagrass beds.

As they've evolved along with their ecosystems over time, many sharks have grown so influential their mere presence seems to protect the habitat. In the 2013 study mentioned above, the loss of big, predatory sharks at coral reefs off northwestern Australia correlated with a rise of "mesopredators" like snapper and a decline of small herbivorous fish. With fewer grazers around, algae can overwhelm a reef system and limit its ability to rebound from stress like bleaching.

Sharks have been shown to protect other kinds of ocean ecosystems, too, in some cases by hunting herbivores instead of helping them. That's the case in Western Australia's Shark Bay, where a long-term study of tiger sharks has found benefits similar to those of apex predators on land. When seagrass beds were struggling after a 2011 heat wave, they recovered more quickly in areas where tiger sharks roamed, since the sharks scared away grass-eating sea turtles and dugongs. The sharks don't even need to kill to have this effect; fear alone can change how herbivores forage.

"It's all about how predators and prey interact," Florida International University (FIU) scientist Mike Heithaus said in a statement. "Just the fear of sharks can be enough, in many cases, to keep a marine ecosystem healthy and able to respond to stresses."

Some sharks help mitigate climate change.

Tiger sharks' protection of seagrass may ripple far beyond the beds themselves. While seagrass beds occupy less than 0.2 percent of the planet's oceans, they account for more than 10 percent of all carbon absorbed annually by ocean water. Per unit area, these underwater meadows can store up to twice as much carbon as Earth's temperate and tropical forests, according to FIU seagrass expert James Fourqurean.

Coastal seagrass beds hold up to 83,000 metric tons of carbon per square kilometer, mostly in the soils beneath them. A typical forest on land, by comparison, can store about 30,000 metric tons per square kilometer, mostly in the trees' wood. Losing these meadows not only disrupts the local ecosystems where they grew, but also removes a valuable buffer against global greenhouse gas pollution. By protecting seagrass, sharks are thus indirectly helping fight human-induced climate change.

Sharks are worth more alive than dead.

Although large numbers of sharks are hooked or netted accidentally as bycatch, humans also widely hunt them for their meat and their fins, a key ingredient in the Chinese delicacy shark-fin soup. It's rarely a good idea to eat shark meat or cartilage, however, since the predators are especially prone to bioaccumulation of heavy metals like mercury. And despite the purported health effects of shark fins, which are relatively flavorless, there's no evidence to suggest they confer any benefits.

Shark fins can fetch notoriously high prices, yet that one-time payoff for a bland chunk of cartilage still pales in comparison with the value a live shark can generate during its lifetime. Aside from the economic effects of their ecological roles, certain shark species are tourist magnets, and as long as they're part of a responsible eco-tourism industry, they can provide a major boost for local economies.

Australia, for instance, has four major shark-tourism industries - great white, gray nurse, reef and whale sharks - worth a combined $25.5 million per year, according to a 2017 study. At South Ari Atoll in the Maldives, whale-shark tours brought in $7.6 million in 2012 and $9.4 million in 2013. Reef-shark tourism adds roughly $18 million per year to the economy of Palau, a 2011 study found, which is 8 percent of the country's gross domestic product. Each of about 100 sharks in Palau's top dive spots is thus worth $179,000 a year, totaling $1.9 million over its lifetime. If each shark's meat and fins would sell for $108, as the researchers estimated, that means tourism appeal alone can make some sharks 17,000 times more valuable alive than dead.

Sharks are inspiring better airplanes and wind turbines.

Although sharks are still killed for their meat and fins, there's also a growing push to steal concepts and designs from wildlife instead of just taking the wildlife itself. That includes things like imitation shark-fin soup, but also far more advanced ideas that can improve a wide array of technology. Known as biomimicry, this has rapidly gained popularity in recent years, drawing inspiration from all kinds of creatures.

With sharks, the focus of biomimicry is mainly on V-shaped, tooth-like scales known as denticles. Scientists have been studying these scales for decades, and as Harvard University researchers reported in 2018, denticles offer powerful aerodynamic qualities by both reducing drag and increasing lift. Many kinds of vehicles use vortex generators to improve their performance, but scales modeled after shark skin seem to provide higher-powered vortex generation with a lower profile.

Shark-inspired vortex generators can achieve lift-to-drag ratio improvements of up to 323 percent compared with an airfoil lacking vortex generators, the study's authors reported, indicating they can outperform traditional designs. "You can imagine these vortex generators being used on wind turbines or drones to increase the efficiency of the blades," study co-author Katia Bertoldi said in a statement. "The results open new avenues for improved, bioinspired aerodynamic designs."

Sharks could help us battle superbugs.

Shark denticles also give the fish other superpowers beyond aerodynamics, such as resistance to algae, barnacles and other pests that colonize the skin of marine animals. Shark skin itself is not an antimicrobial surface, but it is highly adapted to resist attachment by these kinds of organisms, and that resistance has inspired some powerfully antimicrobial synthetic materials. That includes the micropattern known as Sharklet, an array of tiny ridges modeled after shark skin.

In a 2014 study, Sharklet harbored 94 percent less MRSA bacteria - short for Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus, a dangerous drug-resistant superbug - than a smooth surface, and also outperformed copper, a common antimicrobial material that's toxic to bacterial cells. Rather than relying on toxins or antibiotics, Sharklet's antibacterial properties are entirely structural, modeled after the way shark denticles naturally repel algae and barnacles.

The U.S. already has more than 2 million bacterial infections per year, leading to about 23,000 deaths, and the rise of drug-resistant strains like MRSA - fueled by overuse of antibiotics - poses a growing public-health threat. Shark-inspired micropatterns can reduce this risk, especially when fortified with other antibacterial substances like titanium dioxide nanoparticles, which boosted the material's resistance to E. coli and Staph infections in a 2018 study.

Sharks are just inherently cool, even if they don't help us.

Sharks have existed on Earth for almost 450 million years, which means they were prowling the oceans 200 million years before the first dinosaurs existed. For all the reverence we give dinosaurs and their extinct ilk, it's worth noting that even older animals have been swimming under our noses this whole time. These animals may indirectly benefit us in the ways described above, but even if they didn't, they're innately amazing creatures that deserve to exist for their own sake.

Sharks have racked up a lot of incredible quirks over that time, too many to list here. They've diversified into everything from the enormous whale shark, the largest fish on Earth, to the tiny dwarf lanternshark, a deep-dwelling species that can fit into a human hand. There are cookiecutter sharks that take little chunks of flesh from living prey, goblin sharks with protrusible jaws and giant filter-feeders that gulp down plankton. Greenland sharks can live for 400 years, not reaching sexual maturity until their 150th birthday, boasting the longest known life span of any vertebrate animal. Many sharks have a legendary sense of smell, along with special organs to sense the electrical fields of prey, and hammerheads enjoy 360-degree vision.

Certain species can pose a threat to people, of course, but that relatively small risk shouldn't blind us to all the benefits and fascination sharks can provide. And even though clashes are rare, once you know how to avoid a shark attack, it can be much easier to focus on how lucky we are to share the seas with these phenomenal fish.

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7 Reasons Why We're Lucky to Have Sharks

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Sharks are widely respected by people, but that doesn't always mean their presence is appreciated. We tend to focus on the small chance of being bitten, overlooking the valuable benefits these ancient fish have to offer. Of more than 375 known shark species, only about 30 are known to have attacked a human, and even these species pose little risk overall.

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For Shark Week, we’re re-sharing one of Human Nature’s all-time most popular shark blogs.

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Shark Stewards Guest Blog

By Levi Varela, 14 years old

Sharks are incredibly important to the ocean ecosystem. Being one of the apex predators in the ocean, if they go, the entire food chain will collapse. Even if only great white sharks were to become extinct, it would be a disaster. The great white's diet consists mainly of fish and marine mammals, including seals, sea lions, and pinnipeds. Great whites eat about .5 to 3 percent of their total body weight per day; the average weight for a full-grown white shark is around 2,750 pounds, so an adult white shark would eat from 13.75 to 82.5 pounds per day; the mean of that is 48.125 pounds. If a great white would eat 48.125 pounds of food per day consistently, it would eat 17,565.625 pounds per year! There are currently around 3,500 great white sharks left in the ocean, and their numbers continue to deplete. Altogether, that would be 61,479,687.5 pounds of fish and marine mammals per year! If great whites were extinct, that would be around 127,750 marine mammals and fish still in the ocean to reproduce and over-populate the ocean, and when one (or in this case a few) species of animal gets too populated, it seriously messes up the food chain.

People think of sharks as if they are on the hunt for humans, and that we're on their list of prey, but this is not true. Julia Russell from the Houston Museum of Natural Science has something to say about it:

When people hear the word "shark," they typically picture mindless killing machines, but they couldn't be further from the truth. Sharks have highly adapted hunting strategies that have been honed over millions of years to make them one of the most efficient predators on the planet. (para. 1)

Sharks have had their hunting techniques developed over an incredibly long period of time, so why is it that almost all shark attacks do not end in deaths? It's because, once they get a taste, they realize that you aren't on their list of prey. For example, great white sharks have a favorite form of hunting they especially like to use on marine mammals. In this strategy, the shark spots its prey and dives deeper out of sight, then the great white will start swimming upward like a torpedo and reach speeds of up to thirty miles per hour! The shark will ram its prey head-on, sending the shark and its prey flying out of the water. The shark can put up to fifteen feet between it and the water. Great whites rarely, if ever, use this hunting technique on humans when they attack people. This is the great white's favorite strategy for hunting its prey, so why wouldn't it use it on humans, too? They don't use it on humans because sharks do not intend to hunt humans-we just aren't on their list of prey.

Next time you hear the word "shark," don't think of it as a mindless killing machine. Think of it as an animal that could harm you but chooses not to-and as an animal that is vital to the stability of the ocean's ecosystem.

Work Cited

Russell, Julia. "Saltwater SWAT team: Top 5 fascinating shark hunting techniques | BEYONDbones." Beyond Bones, Houston Museum of Natural Science, 19 May 2015, https://blog.hmns.org/2015/05/saltwater-swat-team-top-5-fascinating-shark-hunting-techniques/. Accessed 14 February 2023.

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Sharks' Importance to the Ecosystem - Shark Stewards

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Sharks' Importance to the Ecosystem Shark Stewards Guest Blog, By Levi Varela, 14 years old

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A summer swim often conjures the ominous "duuuunnnn duun" of the Jaws theme song. Sharks, more than any other species, have been popularly portrayed as the most ruthless and fearsome creatures. However, what popular culture often overlooks is the indispensable role sharks play in marine ecosystems. Without sharks, ocean life as we know it today would cease to exist. The rich biodiversity flourishing beneath the sea is intricately linked to these apex predators and hinges on their population health.

Deemed a keystone species, sharks exert such a profound influence on their habitats that their absence would dramatically alter the entire ecosystem. As apex predators, they stand at the pinnacle of the food chain, crucially maintaining the balance of marine life by regulating prey populations. Sharks control species abundance, distribution, and diversity, which reciprocally affects the health of marine habitats.

Presently, overfishing poses an immense threat to oceanic life. Besides the rise in global temperatures induced by the climate crisis, this is the primary factor driving the rapid deterioration of overall ocean health. Approximately 100 million sharks are slaughtered annually for their fins, meat, livers, and gills, and almost a third of all shark species are endangered.

Despite their negative portrayal in the media, protecting sharks is not widely recognized as an urgent conservation issue. Yet, over a billion people rely on seafood as their main food source, and the industry provides over 780 million jobs globally. Without shark conservation, job loss, food insecurity, and income loss can lead to an economic catastrophe.

However, there is hope!

Organizations worldwide, like the Shark Conservation Fund, are striving to protect sharks directly. Others, such as Blue Ventures, indirectly work towards their protection by safeguarding marine habitats and engaging coastal communities.

Addressing the shark extinction crisis requires a global, coordinated effort to amend the policies, laws, and regulations governing international and national fishing. It also necessitates a paradigm shift in our entertainment and awareness and our perception of the natural world and our role within it.

Sharks, one of our planet's oldest species with fossils dating back over 400 million years, have played a pivotal role in marine ecosystems far longer than we have existed on Earth.

Ultimately, it is up to us to change our harmful and unsustainable fishing practices.

Explore Projects Protecting and Restoring Our Oceans

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Why sharks are essential for healthy oceans | One Earth

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Sharks serve as a keystone species, playing a critical role in sustaining the health of our oceans.

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None of the 16 unprovoked bites were deadly, but two - both likely from bull sharks - ended in amputations.

TAMPA, Fla. - The number of unprovoked shark attacks worldwide decreased in 2022, according to data from the Florida Museum, but the Sunshine State still ranked No. 1 in terms of the highest reported bites on Earth.

The University of Florida's International Shark Attack File reports there were a total of 57 unprovoked bites last year - mostly in the U.S. and Australia. Out of those, five were deadly.

In Florida, none of the 16 unprovoked bites were deadly, but two - both likely from bull sharks - ended in amputations.

A woman snorkeling in the Dry Tortugas was reportedly bitten by a lemon shark - which rarely attacks humans. The incident marked only the 11th known unprovoked attack from this species.

"Generally speaking, the number of sharks in the world's oceans has decreased, which may have contributed to recent lulls," said Gavin Naylor, the director of the Florida Museum of Natural History's Florida Program for Shark Research, in a statement. "It's likely that fatalities are down because some areas have recently implemented rigorous beach safety protocols, especially in Australia."

While the numbers of bites surpass double digits, the chances of being bitten by a shark remain "incredibly" low, the Florida Museum explains.

But for anyone thinking of going swimming on an ocean beach, bay or inland waters, the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission wrote out a number of steps to take if you're concerned about sharks:

Always stay in groups since sharks are more likely to bite a solitary individual.

Do not wander too far from shore-this isolates an individual and places him or her far away from assistance.

Avoid being in the water during darkness or twilight hours when sharks are most active.

Do not enter the water if bleeding from an open wound or if menstruating-a shark's ability to smell blood is acute.

Wearing shiny jewelry is discouraged. When light reflects off shiny jewelry, it resembles the sheen of fish scales.

Avoid waters with known discharges or sewage and waters used for any type of fishing-especially if there are signs of baitfishes or feeding activity. Diving seabirds, which frequently feed on baitfishes, are good indicators of such activity.

For more tips from the FWC, click here.

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Data: Florida ranks No. 1 with most reported shark bites on Earth in 2022

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In Florida, none of the 16 unprovoked shark bites in 2022 were deadly, but two - both likely from bull sharks - ended in amputations.

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The International Shark Attack File (ISAF) is the world's only scientifically documented, comprehensive database of all known shark attacks. Initiated in 1958, there are now more than 6,800 individual investigations covering the period from the early 1500s to the present. Contact Gavin Naylor Ph.

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What is shark finning and why is it a problem?

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Conservationist Mark Carwardine discusses the issue of shark finning.

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It's early February two days before the Chinese New Year. I am in Hong Kong and there are shark fins everywhere, to suit all types of consumer. You can buy them in general food stores, pharmacies and fishing villages. You can buy small ones in plastic bags, multipacks or single large ones with festive red bows tied around them.

The cartilage in the fins is usually shredded and used primarily to provide texture and thickening to shark fin soup, a traditional Chinese soup or broth dating back to the Song Dynasty (960-1279). The dish is considered a luxury item embodying notions of hospitality, status and good fortune.

The origin of the dish can be traced to the Emperor Taizu of the Northern Song, who reigned from 960-976. It is said that he established shark fin soup to showcase his power, wealth and generosity. The dish's popularity increased during the Ming Dynasty (1368-1644) as a result of an admiral of the imperial navy, Zheng He, who commanded expeditionary voyages around Asia and East Africa from 1405-1433, bringing back fins that fishermen had discarded. From this point onwards shark fin soup became an established dish and by the time of the Qing Dynasty (1644-1912) was in high demand.

It is not surprising that the popularity of a dish embodying such aristocracy and elitism declined once the Chinese Communist Party came to power in 1949. However, by the late 1980's China had undergone far-reaching market-economy reforms which led to a rapidly expanding upper and middle class, who were eager to showcase their new-found wealth; shark fin soup once again became a way of doing so. Considering that the price per bowl can range from just HK$5 (45p) to an incredible HK$2000 (£180) depending on the type, style and preparation of the shark fin served, the dish is a viable option for a large number of people.

This increase in demand has led to sharks being targeted solely for their fins. Shark finning involves the removal and retention of the shark fins on board, whilst the remainder of the shark (under most circumstances the animal is still alive) is then discarded back into the ocean.

The fishermen carrying out this practice are often enticed by short-term gain. The price paid for the fins is higher than for their normal catch, yet they are paid relatively little when compared to the money made higher up the chain by the fin traders. In west Africa, shark fishermen often quickly become trapped in a cycle of debt [pdf] with South East Asian fin traders. Local shark populations are quickly depleted, meaning the fishermen must travel further distances in search of sharks; in order to do so they require larger vessels and more fuel. The money for this is loaned to them by the fin traders, who then deduct a proportion of this from any catches. With decreasing shark numbers the fishermen find it increasingly harder to break even.

I first became aware of this practice in 2003, during my undergraduate degree, when writing a paper on the conservation status of the blue shark ( Prionace glauca), a highly migratory pelagic species. Back then they were considered to be the most heavily fished shark in the world, with an estimated annual fisheries mortality of between 10 and 20 million individuals. Ten years later, in 2013, I had the chance to dive with blue sharks in the waters above the Azores Bank to the south west of Faial Island. It was easily one of the most memorable dives I have ever done: the sharks were inquisitive, sleek and stunning, complete with their pilot fish companions accompanying them through their open ocean migration.

Following the dive, one of the operators told us that some of the sharks we had dived with today would probably end up on the deck of a fishing boat next week. Sadly, a study by Queiroz and colleagues in December 2015 suggests that this could well have been the case. The study used satellite tracking data from six shark species across the North Atlantic together with simultaneous GPS tracking of the entire Spanish and Portuguese longline vessel fishing fleet. Data analysis revealed an 80% overlap of fished areas with shark hotspots, this is particularly bad news for the blue shark which comprises around 70% of the total pelagic shark catches.

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A store room containing dried and bagged fins. Photograph: Lauren Smith

With molecular genetics, the identification of species is possible even after the fins have been removed, using diagnostic DNA sequence tests with species-specific PCR primers. These techniques are the most reliable way to determine which species are the most heavily traded. This is particularly important as traders tend to classify fins using Chinese name categories on the basis of market value. This means the relationship between the market category and species becomes unclear.

Once a species breakdown becomes available, however, it is clear that fin trading constitutes a threat to a wide range of species. For example, the figures from a 2006 study show that in Hong Kong for the period studied, the auctioned fin weight was dominated by the blue shark, which made up over 17% of the overall market.Other taxa identified were the mako (Isurus spp.), thresher (Alopias spp.), tiger ( Galeocerdo cuvier), silky ( Carcharhinus falciformes), dusky (C. obscuris), bull (C. leucas), oceanic white-tip (C. longimanus), sandbar (C. plumbeus) and hammerhead (Sphyrna spp.). Two of these hammerhead species (scalloped and great) are classified as endangered.

On the positive side, in recent years there has been an increasing public awareness of the shark fin trade and the need for conservation management of elasmobranchs worldwide. The legislative changes in response to this have varied greatly between countries, with some declaring all shark fishing illegal (Palau) and others stating that although the practice of finning is illegal, importation and trade from other regions is not (Canada).

In the EU, regulations were strengthened in 2013 with the insistence of sharks being landed with fins naturally attached, a method widely acknowledged as the most reliable means for implementing a finning ban. This was a vast improvement on the original 2003 legislation which outlined a fin landing weight of 5% ratio of the total shark's weight. However, this presented a loophole allowing more fins to be landed per whole animal, due to the fact that the primary fin set actually weighs around 2% of the total body weight.

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Caudal (tail) fins. Photograph: Lauren Smith

Despite the efforts of campaign groups, conservation scientists and government bodies, the real power to end the fin trade is firmly rooted in the consumer. Without a doubt in Hong Kong there is still ample opportunity to buy shark fins, but does this mean the product is still in high demand? My investigations revealed a mixed response. Some people told me they had stopped eating shark fin soup altogether, others told me they still both expected it and enjoyed it at wedding and New Year banquets; other people said they ate it regularly.

For those who had stopped eating it, the reasons given were a combination of the ethical implications as well as recent evidence showing that a percentage of shark fins assessed from five Chinese cities (including Hong Kong), contained mercury and methylmercury in concentrations high enough to be considered unsafe for human consumption. People who ate it at special occasions saw the dish as an important part of their culture and didn't want that to be lost, and those who ate it regularly simply saw it as their right to do so, despite being aware of the environmental and potential health impacts.

The differences in attitudes of the public is encouraging, although a trader explained to me that his fin sales had increased by 90% over the Chinese New Year period, suggesting that this dish is still a long way from being relegated to history. Continued public awareness, effective legislation and ongoing scientific research remain essential to the future safeguarding of many shark species.
Topics

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Shark fin soup: a dangerous delicacy for humans and sharks alike

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It's early February two days before the Chinese New Year. I am in Hong Kong and there are shark fins everywhere, to suit all types of consumer. You can buy them in general food stores, pharmacies and fishing villages. You can buy small ones in plastic bags, multipacks or single large ones with festive red bows tied around them.

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NEAL CONAN, HOST:

Many people just don't bother with pennies anymore. We toss them into the take a penny, give a penny tray at the gas station or slip them into the tip jar when the cashier isn't looking. Last month, Canada decided to stop minting its penny later this year, and they're not alone. Australia, New Zealand, Brazil, Norway, Britain, Switzerland and Finland and, among others, have all dropped their lowest-value coin, and somehow, the sun rose again the following morning.

In a piece for Newsday, Daniel Akst argued that there is no rationale reason to keep the penny. So are you ready to let go? What do you use the penny for, anyway? 800-989-8255. Email us: talk@npr.org. You can also join the conversation on our website, go to npr.org, click on TALK OF THE NATION. Daniel Akst, a columnist and editorial writer for Long Island's Newsday joins us by iPhone from that newspaper's offices in Melville, Long Island. Dan, nice for you to join us.

DANIEL AKST: Nice to be here.

CONAN: And we should note Canada is not banning the penny. It will continue to be legal tender. It's just not going to make them anymore.

AKST: That's right. Of course, Canada couldn't violate its reputation for tolerance by banning the penny or...

(SOUNDBITE OF LAUGHTER)

AKST: ...oppressing the penny in any way or rejecting the penny, excluding it. But they do hope you'll turn them in eventually, and they will be melted down, as I said in the column, possibly into peacekeeping helmets. The - but, you know, the whole subject really is one that has brought the pundits out in droves in recent days. And we at Newsday have editorialized against the penny in the past. I wouldn't say we've had a crusade. However, it's certainly something we would like to see vanish, along with the buggy whip and so forth.

CONAN: Why do you think we should go penniless?

AKST: Well, you know, the penny - I actually took the trouble to look up how much value the penny has lost in the last century, and it has lost 96 percent of its value, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics' inflation calculator. And so, you know, we've never had a coin in circulation that was worth so little. I mean, it's just preposterous. Another problem is that there's been an estimate that the net cost to Uncle Sam is $60 million because, you know, it costs 2.4 cents to make a penny.

So the thing is a loser in every - and if you - some economists have actually tried to calculate the cost of the time that is wasted counting out pennies and hording them and so forth. And so the numbers are just staggering. And so it's just ridiculous that we should go on with this.

CONAN: Here's some emails that we have. We've asked people how you use the penny. This from Rick: Makes a handy screwdriver for most electronic device battery cases. And this from Kristen in Denver: How do I use them? I throw them away.

AKST: Yes. So it's actually adding to the - well, the government is taking zinc - perfectly good zinc, spending more than the value of the penny making these things, delivering them, and then people are throwing them away, which is just astonishing. And, of course, it must be noted that one reason we have the penny is the zinc lobby, which would prefer to keep making them and claims that all kinds of terrible things will happen if we abolish this wretched coin.

CONAN: Well, it should be pointed out, it costs more to make a nickel than it - than a nickel. Should we throw the nickel away too?

AKST: Well, I, you know, I'm a kind of fire-breathing radical on this front. And I would be happy to attempt to live a life, nickel free. It too has lost, after all, 96 percent of its value. And it's still worth - it's worth just a fraction of what it was when things got going long ago. So, you know, we don't really need either of these darn things. But at the very least, getting rid of the penny would save us a lot of money.

CONAN: Let's see if we get a caller in on the conversation. We'll start with Dan. Dan is with us from Lenox, Ohio.

DAN: Hey. How are you doing?

CONAN: Good. Thanks.

DAN: I put my two cents in, OK?

CONAN: OK.

(SOUNDBITE OF LAUGHTER)

DAN: Well, I think we should keep the penny. I mean, obviously, they have a long history. First and foremost, it teaches children money. It teaches children who a president is.

CONAN: Well, one of the presidents, in any case, yes.

DAN: Yes. I have to say that what a lot of people consider as a useless coin would be, you know, someone's trash is someone else's treasure. Look at a kid. The kid isn't going to make money unless he finds it in general. At least my kids won't do work for money, I know that.

(SOUNDBITE OF LAUGHTER)

CONAN: Well, let's get a response from Daniel Akst the historical value and teaching kids to handle money.

AKST: Well, I mean, tuberculosis has a long history. I mean, that doesn't seem, to me, a strong argument for it. I mean, as far as teaching kids to handle money, I mean, the first thing my sons learned is that pennies are useless, and that they shun them just like everybody else. So, you know, it's - I don't think those are really all that persuasive set of arguments. I mean, it's understandable. There's a certain amount of nostalgia, and one point has been raised by a colleague of mine who is from Illinois and half Canadian who noted that if we lose the penny we lose the coin that bears Lincoln.

CONAN: Well, he's on the $5 bill, so he's not going away.

AKST: That's right. That's right.

CONAN: And on Mount Rushmore and a few other places.

(SOUNDBITE OF LAUGHTER)

AKST: And we can always put him on a dollar coin.

CONAN: Thanks very much for the call. Appreciate it.

DAN: Well, if I can put in another comment please.

CONAN: Go quickly.

DAN: For every penny found by my kid at a grocery store is worth $1 million in memories.

CONAN: All right. Thanks very much for the call, Dan. This from Anthony who writes: Absolutely not. Doing away with the penny would just let gas prices rise five cents at a time.

AKST: I think the real issue here that is - I mean, there's no - yeah, it would maybe rise five cents, but they might be stickier because these would be a startling increases, and maybe gas station owners would be reluctant to raise those prices by that kind of an increment. Besides, the (unintelligible) of the plan is to have, you know, hundredth of a dollar charges persist when you use a credit card or pay by check. So it would only be rounding in matters of cash. So I don't think that's a huge issue.

CONAN: Here's one of your supporters. Rob(ph) in Baltimore writes: Not only should we get rid of pennies, we should replace paper dollar bills with dollar coins, which last substantially longer than paper dollars and would save a lot of money on their replacement. And having been in Britain at the time they replaced the pound note, the only way this happens is if you stop making the pound note.

AKST: And you see, this point - that's a good comment because the point is to the really larger issue here, which is that we seem unable to make even the most reasonable basic changes in our society. We have - in the case of the penny, we have the zinc lobby. And, of course, in the case of the dollar bill, there's a paper lobby that is supporting the continuation of the dollar bill and fighting against the dollar coin, which is used in many other countries as you know. And so the dispiriting thing about this is - about the persistence of this darn coin is that, to me, in its pettiness, you know, and its tenacity, it symbolizes our inability to make the basic sensible changes in society. And somehow, the Canadians managed to do that and we can't.

CONAN: Let's go next to Mike(ph), and Mike with us from La Grande in Oregon.

MIKE: Well, hello, Neal.

CONAN: Hi there.

MIKE: You know, this is going to sound probably a little pitiful for most of your listeners and probably penniless as well, but I work in a car dealership and have since 1997. And people, when they trade in their cars, leave some things behind them. A lot of times they leave pennies behind; sometimes just scattered all around, sometimes they're mired in muck in the cup holder. But I work on commission. There had been times, especially during the recession, that the five cents that I find in a car may be all I'll earn for a day or two. So I take the pennies home. If they're really grody, I clean them in Bright Cleaner, and I throw them in a great, big Zabars of New York bucket, and I save them up. And when that bucket's full, I cash them in at the credit union and start from zero.

CONAN: And what's the biggest amount you've ever gotten from the credit union?

MIKE: You know, probably about 13 or $14 at a shot, and that's a full bucket.

CONAN: That's not too bad.

MIKE: No, but it's a little time-consuming.

CONAN: All right. Maybe you'll get it even more in nickels if that's the smallest coin. Mike, thanks very much for the call.

MIKE: Don't count on that.

CONAN: Here's an email from Mark(ph), and Mark writing us from Philadelphia: How do use the penny coin? I take it in loads to any store where I want to annoy the associate, especially if they've been mean to me. They hate it, but they have to take it. The angry look on their face is payback satisfaction. I'm not sure that's a national reason to keep the penny. And this is from...

AKST: Vengeance.

CONAN: Vengeance, yes. Melody(ph) writes: In our household, pennies are my 4-year-old's primary currency. It cost him a penny to bail an offending toy out of jail, to hire mommy to set the table in his place. And every time he kicks the back of my seat in the car, that's right, I collect a penny in wear and tear. No more pennies will rock our household economy. Well, that's another argument for the small child lobby there. Let's see if we can go next to - this Rob(ph). Rob with us from Portland.

ROB: Yeah. Hey. Thanks for taking the call. We came up with a great new use. We replaced the jelly beans in the plastic Easter eggs with pennies, cost about $1.47 per kid and saves hundreds of dollars in dental bills, which is priceless.

(SOUNDBITE OF LAUGHTER)

ROB: We also used an...

AKST: Now, wait a second.

ROB: ...(unintelligible) the grouping.

CONAN: Go ahead, Daniel.

AKST: Wait a second. My wife is a dentist, so I have to object to that. I mean, this is - anything that slows the growth of dental bills would have a major impact on our household. So we can't allow that.

ROB: Well, we can't be catering to all the special interest lobbies, so...

(SOUNDBITE OF LAUGHTER)

CONAN: Rob, thanks very much. The zinc lobby versus the dental lobby. Here's an email from David in Berkeley: I think we should keep pennies because they teach people decimals.

AKST: Well, I mean, you know, maybe it is cheaper than the school system. I don't know. I mean, there's, you know, how about this? How about the freshmen at - in the college dorm who need to penny one another into their rooms, you know, where they would lock the doors in that way, and then cover the halls with toilet paper. I mean, there's all sorts of wacky pretext for this, for standing in the way of change.

CONAN: Let's go to Katherine(ph). Katherine with us from Tucson.

KATHERINE: Hi. When I was in Europe 10, 15 years ago, they didn't have the equivalent of pennies in Holland, and they always said that it didn't make any difference when you balance it out at the end of the day. At the most, you would be off two or three cents even for a whole year. So it started making sense to me. When I got home and I saw that my credit union was charging 25 cents per roll of pennies to deposit them, I just started leaving them behind.

CONAN: So just start leaving them - utterly worthless they are to you.

KATHERINE: Yes. They're worthless to me. I'm a cab driver, and I've gotten penny tips and it's like, no, thank you, you know, just don't bother tipping me at all.

CONAN: I can understand that. That's the vengeance part.

KATHERINE: There you go.

CONAN: Katherine, thanks very much.

KATHERINE: Thank you.

CONAN: This email we have from Melissa(ph): How much will our thoughts be worth if we lose the penny? Well, Daniel Akst, I'm assuming we can find some other metaphor.

AKST: Well, I just want to say, my employer has contended for a long time that he could buy my work for a penny, and I've held out. So I like to think that my thoughts are worth just a tad more.

CONAN: And I'd like to thank, on behalf of Ken Rudin, all of our callers and emailers for not noticing that this would only be a small change. Daniel Akst, thanks very much for your time today.

AKST: It's been a pleasure.

CONAN: Daniel Akst, an editorial writer and columnist for Newsday. He wrote the piece "Whaddya zinc? Let's kill the penny" in last week's paper. There's a link to the piece on our website. Go to npr.org, click on TALK OF THE NATION. And he joined us from Newsday's offices in Melville on Long Island. You're listening to TALK OF THE NATION coming to you NPR News.

Copyright © 2012 NPR. All rights reserved. Visit our website terms of use and permissions pages at www.npr.org for further information.

NPR transcripts are created on a rush deadline by an NPR contractor. This text may not be in its final form and may be updated or revised in the future. Accuracy and availability may vary. The authoritative record of NPR's programming is the audio record.

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It's time to kill the penny. That's what Daniel Akst argues in a recent op-ed on Newsday.com. "Pennies," he writes, "are a pain in the neck, only more so because they're worthless." While the penny isn't quite worthless, it does cost more than two cents to create each one.

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Dangers of Climbing Mount Everest | 5+ Difficulties | Guide

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Want to reach the summit of Mount Everest but not sure about its risk factors? Read on to know more about the dangers of climbing Mount Everest and other infos

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For us, the mountains are home. We plant trees for each sustainable essential purchased, so we get to spend a lot of time in the mountains appreciating what they have to teach us. Mountain enthusiast, Katie Goldie, shares her experiences climbing mountains and how they can enrich your life.

1. The physical health and fitness benefits are huge

Not only will you build incredible strength and endurance from climbing mountains (consistently), but you'll also find that your diet becomes better. You're also going to find that unhealthy food will not fuel you properly. The work involved in hiking and climbing demands a proper diet. The altitude trains your lungs to become stronger, and the struggle becomes less and less every time you hike. Plus, there's a lot to learn from exercising in nature.

2. You can see places very few get to see

We all can see pictures from mountain tops and long to get there, but it takes effort and planning to make it a reality. When you carve out time and space for a good high-altitude mountain trek, when you make it to the top, there is nothing like revelling in the beauty and rarity of the view. Unless it's foggy or smokey, you're guaranteed to get a breathtaking view that many will never see.

3. You will meet the most amazing people who you will call friends

Hikers and climbers are an awesome group of people. I've found that they're positive, outgoing and extremely welcoming and share similar goals - to get to the top of the mountain and enjoy a day of exercise and nature's beauty. Spending so much time together and taking in these beautiful places, you'll likely make life-long friends. If you're new to trekking or climbing, a great way to find a hiking partner is through alpine clubs, hiking groups, and social media.

4. You will finally understand why the mountains naturally call to you

Mountains are special; they have a magic to them. Maybe it's the fact they can be dangerous, or maybe it's their ability to make us feel so small. You might feel that your problems fade a little when you are around them, or that life slows down a bit. You will feel the urge to return after spending time surrounded by them or climbing them.

5. Climbing mountains will teach you patience, persistence and gratitude

Mountain climbing can be physically and mentally exhausting. But when you reach the top, any roadblocks or struggles you may have had along the way fade and make room for a deep sense of accomplishment. It reminds you to take life one piece and a time and celebrate the peaks whenever you can.

6. They will teach you why we want to protect the environment

Spending time in the mountains, they'll eventually grow into a space you care about and want to protect. This might spark new gratitude for the efforts we have in place to protect nature. Their beauty often draws a crowd, and it's our responsibility to work together and respect them for future generations to enjoy. This respect for the mountains may even trickle into your home life. It might inspire you to adopt more sustainable habits or essentials that don't harm our planet (and even better, seek to improve it).

7. They will teach you positivity

If you have negative thoughts about climbing a mountain, it is probably your one-way ticket to failure. Telling yourself you can't or that it is impossible doesn't help in any way. If you are positive, even if the climb is impossible at the moment, you will continue to try.

I always tell myself I must have 120% determination to achieve this climb. If you don't believe you can climb the mountain, then you probably never will. You can do more than you think you can, and you just have to trust yourself, believe in yourself and take it one bit at a time, before you know it, you will be standing on the peak.

8. They will teach you to enjoy the small luxuries in life

A gruelling six hours of vertical in the heat and you stop for a water break. It will probably be the best water you have ever tasted in your life. We overlook the small things in life that we take for granted, like water.

When you reach the peak but forgot to bring your extra coat, you will realize how cold the wind can make you and how important the little things are when they are not there. We learn to become more prepared and to respect comfortable things, like not sleeping on hard rocks in the cold, for instance.

9. They will teach you about change and being prepared for change

If you have ever spent time in the mountains, you should know that the weather changes in a heartbeat, so being prepared is key. Every mountain is different, so much of the time, you also have to change your route.

There is never just one way up a mountain, sometimes, the route is many other ways, or something is blocking your way. Mountains will teach you that things are always changing, and you just need to find another tactic to overcome the change.

10. Every mountain will teach you something

I always find that every mountain I have climbed has taught me at least one important lesson. On one rainy climb, I learnt that cameras are not waterproof! Another climb taught me to be better prepared at finding the route (more research etc). Whether they teach you to bring a bivy in case you have to sleep overnight or teach you that proper shoes are essential, you always learn something every time.

Mountain climbing can be the greatest and the worst thing you ever do in life, but at the end of it all, you usually end up wanting more of it no matter what.

(Follow along with my climbing adventures @goldiekatie_)

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By planting ten trees for every item you purchase, it's our mission to plant 1 billion trees by 2030. Head to our website to learn more and get 10% off your next purchase.

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10 Reasons Why Climbing Mountains Can Enrich Your Life - THE ENVIRONMENTOR

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Hiker and photographer Kate Goldie share her insight on how climbing mountains can positively impact your life and teach us all something.

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In Nepal, it's known as Sagarmāthā. The Tibetans call it Chomolungma ("Holy Mother"). But in any language, Mount Everest is the roof of our planet, the highest place on Earth. Its peak is 8,848 meters (29,028 feet) above sea level-which includes a 4-meter snowcap.

This story was created for the Google Expeditions project by ePublishing Partners and AirPano, now available on Google Arts & Culture

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In Nepal, it's known as Sagarmāthā. The Tibetans call it Chomolungma ("Holy Mother"). But in any language, Mount Everest is the roof of our planet, the highest place on Earth. Its peak is 8,848 meters (29,028 feet) above sea level-which includes a 4-meter snowcap.

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Would Banning Plastic Bottles Help or Hurt the Planet? | Above the Noise | PBS LearningMedia

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Plastic bottles are everywhere! About 70% of the plastic water bottles bought in the U.S. are not recycled, and end up in the oceans. It seems obvious that using fewer plastic water bottles would be a good thing for our environment, but sometimes the alternatives can have negative consequences.

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Water is such a versatile beverage, with many different options making it easier than ever to get adequate hydration throughout the day. Bottled water has grown more popular over time due to the many benefits it can offer, from convenience to health.

Here at Exell, we are committed to providing you and your family with quality spring water delivered straight to your door. We offer 24-pack cases of single-serve 16.9 or 12-ounce bottles of water, as well as 3- and 5-gallon jugs that can be used with water coolers. We genuinely believe in the benefits that bottled water has to offer, and we want to provide convenience and availability within our community.

So, what are the benefits to choosing bottled water over other options, you ask? Let's take a look!

Benefits of Bottled Water

Convenience

First things first, convenience is a priority among most consumers. Our body requires a suggested 2-3 liters of daily water intake to stay healthy and energized, and it is important to eliminate as many obstacles as possible to help ensure that hydration is always met.

The attractiveness of a grab-and-go option is undeniable. Bottled water is highly available in varying sizes, making it the easiest option out there. It is common to get distracted during the day and forget the importance of hydrating.

When busy, we often reach for caffeinated options, which act as diuretics, increasing the risk of dehydration. Having a bottle of water serves as a physical reminder to drink, as well as a portable option that can easily be transported with you throughout the day.

Taking a stroll down the water aisle at the grocery store can be overwhelming. It is hard to know what you are looking for when there are so many buzzwords out there.

Let's take a look at the various sourcing options that are available in bottled water:

Purified Water has been mechanically filtered or processed to remove impurities. There are many different types of purification, distillation being one.

Distilled water is a form of purified water that has been boiled to rid the water of its contaminants. These impurities include inorganic minerals or metals which have a higher boiling point than 212°. The idea behind distillation is that the water is boiled into vapor, leaving behind the impurities which do not boil at that low of a temperature. The vapor is then condensed back into a liquid and bottled.

Spring Water is defined by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) as being "derived from an underground formation from which water flows naturally to the surface of the earth." The water's life cycle provides vital nutrients gathered from the soil it passes through. Simply put, it must originate from an underground aquifer to be labeled as spring water.

Quality Taste

Bottled water goes through a rigorous regulation process to meet the standards that are required by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA). Unlike tap water, it consistently has a neutral flavor. This can be attributed to the fact that it is bottled in its purest form, leaving little room for impurities and contaminants to be reintroduced during preparation.

There is also the option to buy brands that are enhanced with flavoring agents. This offers a healthier option to sugary drinks.

is a great option if you want tasty antioxidant sparkling water, enhanced with natural caffeine and vitamins. And great news - we're happy to deliver it to your doorstep!

Availability

Bottled water is available at almost every retail store, whether stocked on the shelves of grocery stores, in facility vending machines or micro markets, or in checkout aisle coolers.

This means that the consumer can go about their day as planned, knowing that once they run out of their current bottle, they will be able to easily get their hands on another.

Health Benefits

In addition to the fact that water is the only zero-calorie, zero-additives option, it has an overwhelming list of health benefits to offer. Proper hydration is used to regulate body temperature, and maintain physical and cognitive functions.

In most cases, tap water is sufficient, but is that the standard we want to set when describing what nourishes us? Those with compromised immune systems should take extra precaution to ensure that their water is free of any contaminants, specifically Cryptosporidium .

The CDC recommends looking for water that has been treated with reverse osmosis , distillation, and filtration with an absolute 1 micron filter.

There are also fortified options that include nutrients such as electrolytes, B vitamins, and vitamin E. These are great options to help replenish minerals lost during a sweaty workout session.

The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) recommends that everyone have water on hand in the event of an emergency . It can be seen first-hand how difficult acquiring water can be in the light of an impending emergency. Bottled water stores easily and has a long shelf-life, making it an ideal solution for emergency preparation.

Bottled water also makes it easy to determine how much each family member needs by dividing it up into smaller increments that are sanitary and ready for consumption. This takes the guesswork out of portioning.

Why Should You Invest in Bottled Water?

Exell is committed to bringing its community safe, affordable, quality Artesian-spring water bottled in packages that are convenient to you. Cooler rental is available for a low price with flexible payment options that fit every budget.

Whether you decide single serve water or 3-5-gallon jugs, it is the same high-quality product from our family to yours.

At , we see it as our service to provide clean, healthy drinking water to your home or office. Whether we deliver Artesian spring water or install filtration or purification systems, you can rest assured that you are providing your family or your staff with the healthiest option possible.

Water isn't just what we sell, it's what we do. Our customers are our friends and neighbors - members of the same community to which we belong.

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Water is such a versatile beverage, with many different options making it easier than ever to get adequate hydration throughout the day. Bottled water has grown more popular over time due to the many benefits it can offer, from convenience to health.

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The Man Who Climbed Mt. Everest 21 times

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The Man Who Climbed Mt. Everest 21 times

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Breathtaking Look at the Man Who Climbed Everest 21 Times | Short Film Showcase

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Just how much of the water in a Poland Spring bottle actually comes from a natural spring? According to a recent lawsuit against the company, "not one drop."

Two years ago, a class-action lawsuit filed against Nestlé Waters, which owns Poland Spring, claimed that the company was deceiving customers by selling them "ordinary groundwater" that Poland Spring "collects from wells it drilled," and marketing it as "100% natural spring water." The suit called Poland Spring's water "a colossal fraud perpetrated against American consumers."

Nestlé tried to get the case dismissed, but on March 28, a US district judge in Connecticut ruled that plaintiffs from eight states, including Massachusetts, New York, and Pennsylvania, can pursue their lawsuit against the company. These consumers say they are seeking damages because Nestlé "intentionally concealed that its Poland Spring Water does not comply with the standard of identity for spring water under state law," per the New York Times.

In a statement to Vox, a Nestlé Waters spokesperson called the lawsuit "meritless" and said the company would continue to fight it.

"Nothing in the Court's recent decision undermines our confidence in our overall legal position. We will continue to defend our Poland Spring Brand vigorously," the spokesperson said. "Consumers can be confident in the accuracy of the labels on every bottle of Poland Spring, and that Poland Spring Brand natural spring water is just what it says it is - 100 percent natural spring water."

This is not the first time Nestlé has been accused of false advertising. In 2003, according to the Washington Post, it paid $10 million to charity after it was hit with a similar class-action lawsuit regarding Poland Spring and false advertising. This suit, however, illustrates how some water companies are able to potentially fudge the definition of "spring water," and highlights how murky the industry can be.

The lawsuit's claims against Poland Spring

According to the International Bottled Water Association, the US spends about $18 billion on bottled water every year. Consumers worldwide drink more than $200 billion worth of bottled water annually, and the US is the second-largest consumer of bottled water, just behind China. In this lucrative industry, there are giant companies like Pepsi-owned Aquafina, Coke-owned Dasani, and Danone-owned Evian.

Nestlé-owned Poland Spring is right up there, too. Per the lawsuit, the brand sells about 1 billion gallons of water to 13 million Americans every year.

Nestlé bought the Poland Spring company back in 1992. Currently on its website, Poland Spring identifies eight bodies of water as "our springs." It notes that "although we no longer use the original Poland Spring source, it continues to flow into the historic spring house, which is open to visitors at the Poland Spring Museum as a reminder of how our bottled spring water company got its start."

The lawsuit, however, accuses Poland Spring of creating six "phony, man-made 'springs'" to keep its backstory going.

"There is no photographic proof that even one such spring - much less eight - exists on or near Defendant's sites in Maine," the suit says. "Nor is there any historical evidence for six of Defendant's alleged springs, and two are former springs that no longer exist. ... By faking the existence of springs, Defendant is defrauding its consumers."

Instead, the lawsuit says the company collects water from areas in Maine like Hollis and Fryeburg, which it claims are near a "former human waste dump, refuse pit, landfill, ash pile, salt mound, farm where pesticides were previously used, fish hatchery or toxic petroleum dump site."

It argues that even though consumers aren't drinking contaminated water, since Nestlé disinfects its water, Poland Spring perpetuates a deceptive image, especially on its packaging.

"The labels depict pristine scenes of water flowing down a verdant hillside or a forest pond to convey an image of natural purity when, in fact, the vast bulk of the water is drawn from wells in low-lying populated areas near potential sources of contamination," the suit says. "If consumers knew ... they would not buy, or would not pay premium prices for, Poland Spring Water products."

The claims behind "spring water" - and the opaque business of bottled water

According to the Food and Drug Administration, water can be classified as "spring water" when it comes from an underground source and flows naturally on the earth's surface. Spring water doesn't have to be collected and bottled on location, though; it can be pumped, or siphoned through underground holes.

In a statement to Vox, a Nestlé Waters spokesperson said that after the initial lawsuit was filed against Poland Spring, the company hired the law firm DLA Piper to do an independent investigation of its water. It found that the company's water sources "meet all FDA regulations defining spring water."

As one scientist told the Washington Post last year, "Most of Nestlé's waters are pumped from the ground, but the bigger issue that the regulatory definition of what really counts as spring water is really weak. No one is really looking over the shoulders of the bottled water companies."

This touches on a larger issue within the multibillion-dollar beverage industry: Bottled water isn't always what it claims to be.

With the rise of wellness- and health-conscious consumers, the bottled water industry has seen an annual 8 percent increase over the past few years. In 2016, Americans drank more water than soda, according to research from Beverage Marketing Corp. - a response to concerns over the health risks of sugary drinks.

But even with all the fancy packaging, bottled water isn't necessarily any better than tap water. According to the Natural Resources Defense Council, tap water is regulated by the Environmental Protection Agency and the FDA is responsible for monitoring its labeling, while states have to regulate their bottled water companies - and one in five do not.

The federal government has had to monitor and protect the quality of American's drinking water since 1974, testing and treating for at least 90 contaminants in public water. (The EPA has, however, notoriously failed places like Flint, Michigan. Nestlé has made headlines for donating bottled water to the residents of Flint, but it's also faced criticism for having a bottling facility two hours away, where it paid just $200 annually for access.)

While not everyone in the US has access to clean and safe drinking water, experts say that generally, tap water is just as good as bottled water, if not better.

"It is wrong to assume that bottled water is somehow cleaner, healthier, or safer than tap water in the US," one environmental scientist told Business Insider in 2017. "The worst is the false claims made by some 'specialty' bottled waters that claim magical benefits from adding oxygen, or magically rearranging crystals, or various other water voodoo."

In other words, beverage companies are at times bottling tap water while simultaneously pouring money into marketing to send the message that bottled water is superior to the average tap water source. Some companies even target immigrants and low-income communities in their marketing. In 2007, Pepsi and Nestlé agreed to change their labels to reflect that their water "originates from a public water source" after a nonprofit accused the companies of painting a false and negative picture about regular water.

The nonprofit Food & Water Watch reports that it can cost up to $8.26 per gallon to bottle water, as opposed to pennies paid for tap water. Experts have compared buying bottled water to "pouring money down the drain," and one Consumer Reports piece found that a shopper who spent $346 a year on bottled water could have spent 48 cents on tap instead.

These monetary costs don't come close to the dire environmental impact plastic bottles have on the planet. Food & Water Watch reports that in 2016, 4 billion pounds of plastic was used for bottled water in the US - bottles that have no place to go now that China isn't accepting the rest of the world's plastic anymore.

Once the Nestlé lawsuit moves forward in court, the company very well might be able to make the case that its water is, indeed, natural spring water. But the case might also make consumers think twice about how they're choosing to spend their money.
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A lawsuit is accusing Poland Spring of selling "ordinary groundwater"

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A lawsuit against Nestlé-owned Poland Spring highlights the often opaque business of bottled water.

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Instantly access over 40,000 of the best books & videos for kids on Epic

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Get unlimited access to 40,000 of the best books, audiobooks, videos, & more for kids 12 and under. Try it free.

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Instantly access over 40,000 of the best books & videos for kids on Epic

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Get unlimited access to 40,000 of the best books, audiobooks, videos, & more for kids 12 and under. Try it free.

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Sharks, especially great whites, were catapulted into the public eye with the release of the film Jaws in the summer of 1975. The film is the story of a massive great white that terrorizes a seaside community, and the image of the cover alone-the exposed jaws of a massive shark rising upward in murky water-is enough to inject fear into the hearts of would-be swimmers. Other thrillers have perpetuated the theme of sharks as villans.

But where did our fear of sharks come from, and how far back does it go? That and other shark-related inquiries below.

Why are people afraid of sharks?

"The question implies they shouldn't be," says David Ropeik, a consultant on risk perception and author of the book How Risky Is It, Really? Why Our Fears Don't Always Match the Facts.

A fear of sharks, or galeophobia, is not irrational, says marine biologist Blake Chapman, a shark expert at the University of Queensland in Australia. Simply put, the predatory fish are scary. Great whites, for example-the species Hollywood immortalized as mindless killers-have mouths lined with several rows of up to 300 dagger-like teeth that can easily shred through prey. They can also sense tiny electromagnetic fields put out into water by other animals, which helps them scope out their next meal. (Watch: " World's Deadliest: Shark Superpowers")

But we're not necessarily afraid of sharks upfront, and the animals are diverse. There are more than 465 known species of sharks, and they can range in size from the 7-inch spined pygmy shark to the 50-foot-long whale shark. Many of these cartilaginous swimmers eat fish, crustaceans, mollusks, plankton, krill, marine mammals, and other sharks-in short, humans are not on the menu.

Rather, Ropeik says, we're terrified of how sharks could kill us. Being eaten alive by a 15-foot-long tiger shark seems like a painful way to suffer through death, and we dread the possibility that a shark attack could be the thing that kills us. (Read: " How Tales of Shark Attacks Shaped a U.S. Warship's Legacy")

You're more likely to be crushed to death under a falling vending machine in your office, or a cow that collapses on you in a field than you are to die in the jaws of a shark. But fears don't necessarily match facts, and the fear of being attacked by a shark is more about our emotional response than the reality.

Most of all, we're afraid of losing control. If you're swimming in shark-inhabited water, you don't want the jaws of a mysterious predator to clamp down on you and determine your fate. (Read: " Why Great White Sharks Are Still a Mystery to Us")

"The idea of being munched on by an animal that is in control is another factor," Ropeik says. "It's the nature of the experience, and not the agent, per say."

Where did this fear come from?

Fear is not necessarily something we're born with, but it's something we have developed over time. Infants aren't afraid of snakes and heights, but as adults, our brains become more sensitive to fearful stimuli.

But, oh boy, did our ancestors have a lot to be afraid of! Think back to how ancient people would have survived in their primitive habitats. They would have avoided tall cliffs and wild animals because they knew those threats could potentially kill them, and that's what kept them alive. They learned fear as an adaptation to protect themselves.

"Fear is something that we've inherited from our early ancestors," Chapman says. "[Sharks] are an animal. Biological things like animals are something that we're very prone to fear."

Sharks still seem pretty scary. What are the chances they could kill me?

In writing her book, Shark Attacks: Myths, Misunderstandings and Human Fear, Chapman found that the human brain tends to oversimplify numbers. If I tell you there's a one in 3,748,067 chance you could be attacked and killed by a shark, that number is too abstract for your brain to be sensitive to it. (If I tell you humans kill about 100 million sharks each year, it could be difficult to process that, as well.)

The chances of you being eaten alive by a shark are highly unlikely. You're more likely to die by a dog attack, lightning strike, or car crash. Cancer and heart disease are also way more likely to kill you.

The slim chances that a shark attack could happen to us are irrelevant. We hear of the word "shark" and we can't help but immediately fill in the blank after it with "attack."

"While we can sense fear and we can interpret fear, the actual feeling of fear is completely outside of our control," Chapman says.

OK, but what can I do to fight my fear of sharks?

There are a few ways you can make yourself less afraid of sharks. You can give yourself the illusion of control, because when you don't feel in control, things seem scarier.

To do this, you can read up on what kinds of sharks live in the water you're about to swim in, or learn about which species of shark have been known to go after humans. (Pro tip: blacktip and spinner sharks sometimes mistake humans for prey.)

If you swim in clear water, you can give yourself the illusion of being in control if you did spot a shark. ( Great whites can reach speeds 10 times faster than typical humans, so logically, if one of these sharks were to come toward you, you wouldn't have time to escape it. But it's more than likely they would spit you back out.)

To avoid a shark attack, you can also learn how to not be shark bait by avoiding swimming if you're bleeding or lying on a surfboard. (Sharks commonly go after seals, and from below, a surfboard can look like a seal.) You can also avoid spear fishing, because skewering fish sends out electric signals that can attract sharks. (Read: " 10 Tips for Sharing the Beach With Sharks")

In the unlikely event that you are attacked by a shark, experts say it's best to fight back. Chapman recommends going for its eyes or gills if possible. If you can give yourself a sense of control, you feel like you're in less danger.

Why is it important we still care about sharks?

Chapman says that yes, the number of shark attacks per year is increasing, but this isn't in line with the skyrocketing human population. Of the 80-odd shark attacks that happen each year, fatality rates are decreasing thanks to improving medicine and medical response time.

It's difficult to count sharks, Chapman says, but it appears their numbers are decreasing. To meet the demand for shark fin soup, some fishermen in Asia will catch sharks, chop off their fins, and then release them back into the water to die. Sharks are also unintentionally caught as bycatch.

The animals are important to oceanic food chains, and sharks keep ecosystems in line. Studies have shown that shark populations can have an effect on sea grass composition and the presence of other animals in a habitat. Sharks are also being studied for cancer treatments and limb regeneration. (Read: " These Sharks Once Ruled the Seas. Now They're Nearly Gone.")

The benefits of having sharks around far outweigh the negatives.

"They are such survivors, they've evolved to basically survive under any stress," Chapman says.

This story was first published on January 26, 2018 and updated on June 27, 2019.

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Shark attacks-and the science behind our fear of them

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Sharks aren't the mindless killers that we've made them out to be.

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Overfishing puts more shark population in danger of extinction

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Overfishing puts more shark population in danger of extinction

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Did you know the history of trampolines? 

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Did you know the history of trampolines? 

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Australian Competition and Consumer Commission

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Trampoline safety - It’s flippin important

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Watch Australian Olympian trampolinist Blake Gaudry explain the simple steps you can take to avoid injuries such as fractures, open wounds, dislocations and head injuries.

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Bouncing Into Orbit: What NASA's Trampoline Study Revealed

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Did you know that NASA studied trampolines to help astronauts stay healthy in space? It's true!

In the 1980s, NASA conducted a study to investigate the effectiveness of trampoline exercise in preventing bone loss and muscle atrophy in astronauts. The results were quite astounding.

NASA Trampoline Study Findings

They measured body acceleration, oxygen uptake, and heart rate during different activities. A competition-style trampoline (9 ft x 15 ft) was used for this Study.

Here's what they found: 10 minutes of bouncing burns MORE calories than 30 minutes of running.

Not only that but bouncing on a trampoline was found to be 68% more effective than jogging.

When you're on a trampoline and your heart rate and oxygen use are similar to when you're running, the physical stress your body experiences is actually greater - which increases your strength.

When you're bouncing on a trampoline, as long as the gravitational force (G-force) you experience is below 4-G's, your body uses oxygen more efficiently compared to treadmill running.

When running on a treadmill, the force experienced at the ankle is consistently over twice as much as the force felt at the back and forehead. In other words: trampolining is gentler on your body than running.

When it comes to energy cost, jumping on a trampoline can offer a more effective gravitational stimulus compared to other activities. In simpler terms, trampoline jumping gives your body the right kind of workout it needs with less energy consumption.

Zero Gravity Insights on Trampoline Exercise

Some of the details of NASA's Trampoline Study can get technical, but basically what the researchers found is that trampolines are:

More effective than running.

More efficient than running.

Require less effort than running.

Puts less stress on joints than running.

9 Pros of Trampoline Jumping

1. Cardiovascular Fitness: Jumping on a trampoline can elevate your heart rate, providing a cardiovascular workout that helps improve your heart and lung health.

2. Improved Balance and Coordination: The act of bouncing and maintaining balance on a trampoline can enhance your coordination and spatial awareness.

5. Lymphatic System Stimulation: Bouncing on a trampoline promotes lymphatic fluid circulation, which can aid in detoxification and boost your immune system.

6. Reduced Impact on Joints: Trampolining has less impact on your joints compared to activities like running, making it suitable for individuals with joint concerns.

Not to mention the fact that trampolines are fun! Running or other physical activities are not always enjoyable, and that can make it difficult to be consistent when working out.

Trampolines give you the best of both worlds: fun but also effective!

4 Cons of Trampoline Exercise

Just like any exercise equipment, there are a few notable cons to trampoline exercise:

1. There is a risk of sprains and fractures.

2. Existing spine conditions may be aggravated.

3. Progress in muscle strength development might plateau.

If you follow trampoline safety rules and invest in a good-quality trampoline or rebounder, your chances of injury will be significantly decreased. However, we wouldn't be doing our job as objective educators if we did not mention some of the safety risks of trampolines .

Which Type of Trampoline Is Right for You?

The NASA Trampoline Study proved it: Trampoline jumping is more effective and efficient than running.

If you're tired of the 'old way' of working out, it may be time to look into trampolines as an alternative form of exercise.

You know the benefits of trampolines, but which trampoline type is right for executing your fitness goals?

But you don't have to look any further than the article below to find out all that you need to know to make an informed decision.

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Bouncing Into Orbit: What NASA's Trampoline Study Revealed

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Unlock the Secrets of Space Fitness: Find out what NASA's Trampoline Study revealed and how it might open your eyes to a new fitness solution!

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Trampolines have changed a lot since we were kids, and in a good way. There are now trampolines available which are so much safer, with Springfree Trampoline leading the way with the removal of all hard-impact points from the jumping surface.

But some things never change - like the joy of bouncing.

Jumping on a trampoline is something people have loved for generations. That feeling of pure joy when you bounce, care-free. The increase in endorphin levels and the resulting energy-boost. The knowledge that you're getting a great workout while having fun (without having to pound the pavement)! And jumping still provides hours of entertainment.
Here are 9 reasons a trampoline will make a great addition to your child's lifestyle (and yours):
1. It's good for their health

These days there aren't many recreational activities your kids are 'just dying to do' which are also healthy for them. A trampoline keeps kids jumping around, working their muscles and cardiovascular systems. It's a great way of enhancing children's muscle development, strengthening bones and reinforcing joints.

Bouncing on a trampoline is also great for detoxifying the body and strengthening the immune system, as it stimulates internal organs and promotes lymphatic circulation. It pushes toxins out of cells and allows nutrients in.

2. It's good for their minds

Jumping makes you happy. The increased oxygen circulation stimulates the release of endorphins that are naturally mood-enhancing.

The motion of jumping up and down on a trampoline is fun and a great way to wind down after a difficult day in school. The concentration, fun and repetition of rebounding on a trampoline is great for advancing sensory skills.

It can also help kids' ability to learn. Through calming kids down and improving their concentration, trampolining can improve kids' engagement in learning. The trampolines themselves can also be an effective and engaging tool for learning. Counting, jumping onto coloured shapes and following directions are just some of the ways that kids can learn through play.

For kids who are wary of new things and physical activities, trampolines are a great way of building their confidence. There is no right or wrong way to move on a trampoline (provided you are jumping safely) so they experience instant success, which increases their courage and self-confidence.

3. It improves balance and coordination

Bouncing on a trampoline creates a constantly shifting centre of gravity, which kids must quickly respond to by adjusting their positions and bilateral movements.

This is known to drastically improve their co-ordination and balance. This in turn also helps kids feel more confident.

4. Hours of entertainment at home

A trampoline is the kind of thing that will make kids want to stay and play at home. Play-dates are less of a challenge, as having friends around to jump on the trampoline is great fun for all involved. If you've ever taken your kids to a trampoline-owning friend's house, you'll know the trampoline is the first thing they run to.

The safety assurance of a safe trampoline like a Springfree Trampoline gives you the comfort to know you can just zip up the trampoline and let them play.

5. They're getting outdoors

Just like a trampoline keeps kids healthy because they are being active, it also gets them out into the yard, enjoying fresh air.

Instead of indoor, inactive play, which is becoming an increasing problem for parents, they'll get their vitamin D in the sun while they're having fun!

They'll be reminding you of what kids were like when you were growing up, and will be begging you to let them go outside and play. You won't be chasing your kids out of the house; you'll be chasing them back in for dinner.

6. It's good for YOU (and your fitness)

Let's be honest, we all wish we were young when we see our kids doing things our bodies now find a challenge. Excuses aside, jumping is not one of those. You can get out on that trampoline too!

NASA discovered that 10 minutes of jumping is equivalent to a 30-minute run. Now that's efficient use of your time!

There's so many ways you can use a trampoline for your home workout. And of course, that feeling of defying gravity is always fun! It brings out the inner child in all of us, and gets the heart pumping faster than you may think.

There's plenty of great blog articles to guide you, like 10 Exercises to Tone and Tighten and Trampoline Muscular Endurance Training Program.

7. Years of family fun

Trampoline fun is great for any age - we believe you're never too old to bounce! It's a great way for the whole family to enjoy being outside together. And there's something so special about that.

It's so nice to see the kids out by the trampoline together, with the onlooker cheering on the jumper.

Think trampoline cubby houses, fun family nights laying on the trampoline gazing up at the stars, trampoline 'family Olympics' weekends and so much more!

8. It will stand the test of time

Investing in a high quality trampoline should give you not hours of fun, but years of fun for the whole family. It should stay with you as your kids grow.

At Springfree Trampoline, we believe quality is of the utmost importance. That's why every Springfree is built to last, using only the highest-quality materials. It's why our trampolines undergo rigorous quality-testing.

And it's why we've extended our trampoline warranty to 10 years. Not just on parts of the trampoline, like the frame. Our 10 year warranty covers the entire trampoline. So you get the same enjoyment, year after year.

You can create a lifetime of memories with a quality trampoline.

​

9. You'll enjoy peace of mind

Investing in a safe trampoline means you can rest easy, knowing your kids are enjoying safe outdoor play.

Springfree Trampoline boasts the title of the world's safest trampoline. Our unique innovative design removes all the hard impact points from the jumping surface. With no springs, no impact points and no pinch-points.

Doing your safety research will arm you with all the information you need to make the choice that will give you total peace of mind for years to come.

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Trampolines have changed a lot since we were kids, and in a good way. There are now trampolines available which are so much safer, with Springfree Trampoline leading the way with the removal of all hard-impact points from the jumping surface. But some things never change - like the joy of bouncing.

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JUMPERS: Trampolines Can Be Fun & Helpful But Are Also a Big Responsibility! 

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JUMPERS: Trampolines Can Be Fun & Helpful But Are Also a Big Responsibility! 

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Consider other outdoor activities

Trampolines are popular among kids and adults, but there's no denying they're dangerous. Whether kids are supervised at an indoor park or jumping on a trampoline in the backyard, there's always risk for significant injury. This makes trampolines inappropriate and dangerous for play.

Should you let your kids use trampolines?

The American Academy of Pediatrics suggests trampolines should never be used unless athletes are being supervised in training for a sport like diving or gymnastics. As the weather warms each season, however, pediatric orthopaedists tend to see an increase in fractures.

"Kids have been cooped up all winter long," pediatric orthopaedic surgeon Ryan Goodwin, MD, says. "We expect to see trampoline and bicycle fracture rates rise." Dr. Goodwin has treated trampoline injuries where bones are broken so severely that they need emergency surgical repair. And it's not just fractures. Concussions, head and neck injuries, sprains and strains are also common.

How often do kids really get injured on trampolines?

Despite your kids pleading and reassuring you they'll be fine, here's some data to help you stay fast in your decision to say, "No."

Research reported nearly 100,000 trampoline-related injuries in a one-year period among children. Some of the takeaways?

Small children are 14 times more likely to get hurt than bigger children.

Three-quarters of all trampoline injuries occur when multiple kids are jumping at one time.

​Falls are the major culprit when it comes to injury. According to the American Academy of Pediatrics, botched somersaults and flips are often the cause of cervical spine injuries with permanent injury.

Safer outdoor activities to recommend to kids instead

Just because trampoline parks are common and trampolines of all sizes dot your neighborhood in summer doesn't mean there aren't other alternatives for exercise.

"Jumping on a trampoline is physical exercise. And, of course, being active and limiting screen time is important," Dr. Goodwin says. "But there are much safer forms of outdoor physical activity." Play frisbee, take a hike, play catch or going on a bike ride - but wear your helmet!

How to reduce trampoline injuries

If you already have a trampoline and want to keep using it, here are some safety rules that should be followed at all times:

Only allow one person to jump at a time.

Make sure the springs are covered.

Install a safety net around the perimeter of the trampoline.

Ensure the trampoline is set on level ground.

Avoid somersaults or flips.

Provide adult supervision at all times.

Many injuries still occur despite adult supervision, Dr. Goodwin notes. Because of the overall risk, many homeowners insurance policies don't cover trampoline-related injury.

The absolute safest way to avoid trampoline injury? Stay off of them.

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Surprising Dangers of Trampolines for Kids

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Trampolines are popular among kids and adults, but there's no denying they're dangerous. Whether kids are supervised at an indoor park or jumping on a trampoline in the backyard, there's always risk for significant injury.

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Start at 12minutes

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In the late 1980s, a New Zealand engineer named Keith Alexander wanted to buy a trampoline for his kids. After his wife said they were too dangerous, Keith set out to design his own-a safer trampoline, without metal springs.

He tinkered with and perfected the design over the course of a decade, but he was daunted by the challenge of bringing his invention to market; and he almost gave up. At that point Steve Holmes, a Canadian businessman, bought the patent to Keith's trampoline, and took a big risk to commercialize it.

Since the start of the pandemic, sales of Springfree Trampolines doubled and since their launch, the company has sold nearly 500,000 trampolines worldwide.
This episode of How I Built This was produced by Casey Herman and edited by Neva Grant. Research help from James Delahoussaye. Additional support from Jeff Rogers, Rachel Faulkner, J.C. Howard, Julia Carney, Elaine Coates, Farrah Safari, Liz Metzger, Analise Ober, and Harrison Vijay Tsui. You can follow us on Twitter @HowIBuiltThis, on Instagram @HowIBuiltThisNPR and email us at hibt@npr.org.

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Springfree Trampoline: Keith Alexander & Steve Holmes (2019)

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In the late 1980s, a New Zealand engineer named Keith Alexander wanted to buy a trampoline for his kids. After his wife said they were too dangerous, Keith set out to design his own-a safer trampoline, without metal springs. He tinkered with and perfected the design over the course of a decade.

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Who needs to sweat into an intense workout when you can reap the same benefits in a fun and interesting way? And if you think that trampolines are only for kids, think again. Although backyard trampolines have that playful look, it can actually support multiple exercises for both kids and adults. But, many people are hesitant about getting this backyard equipment, whether it be a mini trampoline. With its perks also rises related trampoline injuries and risks. Hence, before you park one in your ground, it is worth knowing the pros and cons of trampolines.

When you think of trampoline, you could probably relate it to different scenarios. And this makes you ask if it is safe. What features should you look for to ensure its benefits? Are there any ways to prevent its dangers? And if incidents happen, what should I do?

But first, you should know the answer to the most important question:

This magnificent exercise equipment provides a safe space to support all of your bouncing routines. Typically, a trampoline consists of a bouncy fabric stretched over a frame. Aside from the accessibility of backyard trampolines, it also supports fun activity for children. If the regular ground trampolines seem to be too big for your backyard, you could always opt for a mini trampoline. There are many associated benefits of buying this fitness equipment. From the low-impact movements and the excitement of jumping up and down, trampoline exercises improve health. Don't forget that exercising should be accompanied by healthy nutrients diet.

What are the different types of trampolines?

Most trampolines also have springs between the frame and the mesh to secure safe bounce. Although most backyard trampolines come in a circular shape standing from the ground, there actually more types of trampolines which includes:

As the most common and popular type, the round trampolines are generally more affordable. Its safety measures often rely on its fine force distribution. This only means that the trampoline will rebound you to the centre even when you jump from any point.
Rectangular Trampoline
If you have limited space in your backyard or playroom, rectangular trampolines are the next great choice in the list. Its rectangle frame easily fits into spaces. However, compared to the standard types, rectangular trampolines offer uneven surface distribution. With the higher rebounding during a bounce, this type is more suitable for gymnastics.

When you buy the octagonal trampoline, you get to have more pros on the bounce surface. Its rebound and size often vary between brands.

Take your bouncing into a more fun and refreshing way with the water trampolines. Aside from it being inflatable, water trampolines have tubes instead of springs to confer safety. Other pros of this type include easy storage and deflation features.

Also known as the mini trampoline or rebounder, this type owns almost all the trampoline pros. These are small, circular with even force distribution. With the optimum space and surface tension, you could engage in low-impact exercises without putting strains in the body.

The Pros And Cons Of Trampolines: Jumping Into The Business

Owning a fun and versatile exercise device as the trampoline unlock multiple perks and benefits. Most of the pros that keep trampoline popular among the owners are the following:

1. A fun way to engage in fitness

2. Bouncing increase bone strength and mass

3. Improves heart health

4. Less strain on the joints and knees

5. Higher endorphins during rebounding ease stress and anxiety

6. Better coordination and balance

7. Easy to install indoors

However, purchasing a trampoline for home use also carries a few cons. Here is a list of cons that you should consider before buying one:

1. Homeowner's insurance does not cover trampoline injuries.

2. Close supervision of kids is necessary.

3. It needs a regular review of the springs and mesh.

How Do I Resolve The Cons?

Every problem has corresponding resolutions. And in the case of owning trampolines, there are a lot of ways you could get away with the cons of it. Here are some methods that ensure better and safer use of this exercise tool:

Seek professional approval on using trampolines

Add safety measures like trampoline nets.

Cover frames with safety pads

Maintain cleanliness around and under the trampoline

Ground the trampoline at an even level

Avoid dangerous stunts like somersaults when bouncing.

Routinely inspect for tears and broken fixtures.

Shop at trusted stores to ensure durability

Check the coverage of homeowner's insurance.

The Pros And Cons Of Trampolines In Conclusion

Every machine and workout tool brings innumerable pros and cons. Even usual child toys pose a risk to their safety. And this makes owning a trampoline no different. But when it comes to trampolines, one could maximise its pros and limit its cons. Doing regular checks and close supervision during use paves for optimising its benefits. And most of all, responsible use will ensure that you only get to have the fun with trampoline without the incidents.

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What Are The Pros And Cons Of Trampolines? (Tips To Override Cons)

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Knowing the pros and cons of trampolines before buying provides the best means to ensure its safety use. Know what makes the trampoline worth having and ways to limits its risks. Provide fun and healthy activity for your kids without endangering their safety.

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In discussions about environmental problems, the topic of plastic is usually one of the first things to come up. It's true that plastic waste is a major problem plaguing landfills and oceans the world over. However, when used correctly and thoughtfully, plastic and the environment can live in happy harmony. Check out some of the good things about plastic that can help us take better care of our planet.

1. Reduced Weight, Increased Fuel Economy

Plastic components are being used increasingly often in new vehicles, mainly because they help make our vehicles safer. However, because plastic is also much lighter than traditional materials like metal and glass, it also helps cars get more miles per gallon of travel because the internal components don't have to work as hard to move the vehicle's weight forward. Greater fuel economy means fewer stops at the gas station and less fossil fuel usage.

2. Reduced Packaging

Because plastics are light and sturdy, product packaging has become more streamlined. Lids are getting smaller and packages are getting lighter, which winds up contributing to fuel economy as well - when trucks don't have as much weight to haul, they don't use as much gas!

3. Lower Impact than Paper

While paper products degrade much faster than plastic, they also require a vast amount of natural resources to create. Many trees and a significant amount of water and energy are needed to produce paper products, and the manufacturing process creates a lot of waste that can be difficult to remove. While plastics also require resources and energy to be created, they make up for it by being easier to recycle and having a far longer lifetime.

4. Energy Savings

Along with vehicle construction, plastics are also being frequently used as building materials for both commercial and residential properties. Plastic windows and other building parts can filter UV rays in order to keep buildings cool in the summer while also locking in heat to keep them warm in winter. This means it takes less money and energy to keep our homes and workplaces comfortable, which contributes to massive savings every year and a reduced environmental footprint.

5. Strength and Durability

Because plastic is resistant to corrosion, impact, UV rays and many other environmental factors, it doesn't have to be replaced as often as other materials. Whether it's used for components in a piece of machinery, underground sewage piping or a reusable water bottle, it can help save time and expense by reducing the need for maintenance and replacement.

Learn More About Plastics in the Environment

On top of thoughtfully using plastic to expend less energy and money, there are plenty of other ways we can create less waste and give plastic new life. Check out the rest of our resources on environmental plastic or contact us today to talk about how A&C Plastics can help get your project done.

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5 Good Things About Plastic That Can Help the Environment | A&C Plastics

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Plastic is usually one of the first topics to come up in discussions about environmental issues. However, plastic and the environment can live in happy harmony when used correctly and thoughtfully. Learn more at A&C Plastics.

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What do fifth graders think about space and ocean exploration priorities? 

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What do fifth graders think about space and ocean exploration priorities? 

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Oceanography is the study of all aspects of the ocean. Oceanography covers a wide range of topics, from marine life and ecosystems to currents and waves, the movement of sediments, and seafloor geology.

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Climbing Mount Everest vs Shark Attack: Which is more Dangerous?

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Climbing Mount Everest vs Shark Attack: Which is more Dangerous?

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Parents Debate: Should Kids Wait Until High School?

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Parents Debate: Should Kids Wait Until High School?

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An ongoing parenting debate about when it's appropriate to give a child a smartphone has been reignited, ironically, on social media.

Adam Grant, an organizational psychologist and professor at the Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania, shared a post to Instagram on Monday stating his belief that parents should wait until their child is in high school to give them a smartphone.

In calling on parents to wait, Grant, a bestselling author with nearly 2 million Instagram followers, cited his own family's experience, as well as a new report that he said showed a negative correlation between mental health and getting a smartphone earlier in life.

"We were among the holdout parents," Grant wrote in an Instagram post that now has over 130,000 likes. "We know it's not easy, but the evidence is clear: even if kids under 14 need phones for communication, they don't need smartphones or social media. It's time for parents to align on waiting so it isn't just a few kids being left out."

Among the thousands of comments left on Grant's post were people on both sides of the debate, with some agreeing that no kid should have a smartphone until high school, and others arguing the decision is more nuanced than that.

"It's ridiculous to think that it's only a one household decision," one commenter wrote, in part. "When kids are surrounded by peers with some thing like a smart phone, it's impossible for them to not think that they are excluded."

"This is the world we live in now, and I don't understand why so many parents think we can ignore it or put up a united front against phones," wrote another commenter.

Some commenters shared that they want their child to be able to communicate their whereabouts with parents, while others commenters emphasized that mental health struggles cannot be blamed on phones alone.

"Great, another thing to shame parents and make them feel bad about themselves," one commenter wrote. "Why don't we focus on learning more about mental health and how to support those suffering from it rather than blaming parents for letting their child have too much screen time so the holdout parents can feel superior."

Many parents, however, shared in the comments their own experiences with waiting until their kids were older to give them phones.

"We waited till 18. They had a flip phone before that so they could reach us from anywhere. They hate social media. It worked," one commenter wrote.

"Couldn't agree with this more!," wrote another commenter. "Our 13 year old is not on smartphone or social media and it shows!"

Several commenters also agreed with the idea that parents can have an impact, with one writing, "We need more parents aligned on creating the 'norm' for smartphone use (or lack thereof)."

Grant declined to comment to ABC News.

Brooke Shannon, a mom of three daughters in Texas, is the founder of Wait Until 8th, a movement in which parents sign a pledge to not get their child a smartphone before 8th grade.

Shannon told ABC News the pledge is important because she believes it has to be a "community effort" to successfully limit young people's screen time on phones, with parents, coaches, schools and kids all on board.

According to Shannon, what started out nearly seven years ago as a small effort among the parents of her daughters' friends has grown into a national movement with over 40,000 families from across the country having signed the pledge.

"I think because so many parents struggle with this same question, it just spread very quickly," Shannon said, adding she believes the movement has also grown because of the growing body of research showing the potential impact of screen time on young people.

"There are so many studies," she said, adding, "'When you look at the amount of research, you just want to shout it from the rooftops, 'Parents just wait. There's no hurry.'"

Shannon said her oldest daughter just received her first smartphone last year, at the start of her freshman year of high school. She does not have access to the internet or any social media apps on the phone, according to Shannon.

"It's basically like a communication device, where she can text, she can call, she can FaceTime, she can listen to music and take photos," Shannon said. "That has worked really well for our family, to just take it very slowly and to keep it very simple."

Dr. Hina Talib, a board-certified pediatrician and adolescent specialist in New York City, said she hears from parents daily with questions about their teens and phones and social media.

She said in her opinion, it's hard to issue a blanket age at which it's OK to give a child a phone and access to social media.

"The reality is just way more nuanced than these headlines," Talib told ABC News. "The best advice is really particular to the child in front of you. There's no doubt that social media for some teens can be harmful, but there are still groups of teens who are able to engage with their friends ... and their interests in helpful ways."

Talib said she believes a better approach is to decide on a more individual level when a child is ready for a smartphone, and then give more access to the phone with "more skills gained and responsibility earned."

"For example, you might start with just using it as a communication tool having text only or music only, and then over time, try out other applications and eventually social media," Talib said. "But even then, it should always be an ongoing, by-way communication between you and your adolescent and young adult as they continue to develop their relationship with technology."

How to know if your child is ready for a phone

Talib said she encourages parents to use a free 10-question tool from the American Academy of Pediatrics and AT&T to help them decide if their child is ready for a smartphone.

The tool asks questions like how often a child would need the phone to communicate with others, how responsible the child is in other activities, like turning in school assignments, and how well the child follows rules about other media, like TV or video games.

If a child is ready for a phone, the AAP also has a free tool where parents can work with their child to create a media plan that works for their own family.

Parents also have a resource through the American Psychological Association, which earlier this month issued the first guidance of its kind on teenagers and social media.

The guidance contains 10 recommendations designed to ensure that teens get the proper training on how use social media safely. For most families, that means starting with an active discussion about which sites teens are using, how often and how those experiences make them feel.

In addition to setting limits, the APA strongly encourages ongoing discussions about social media use and active supervision, especially in early adolescence. Parents are encouraged to model healthy social media use, including taking social media "holidays" as a family.
ABC News' Sony Salzman contributed to this report.

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What age is right for kids to get smartphones? Parents debate after expert says to wait until high school

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Some parents are saying to wait until high school to give a child a phone.

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Help Kids Build a Safe Relationship with Social Media

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Help Kids Build a Safe Relationship with Social Media

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"Look," says Sasha, a 16-year-old junior in high school, scrolling slowly through her Instagram feed. "See: pretty coffee, pretty girl, cute cat, beach trip. It's all like that. Everyone looks like they're having the best day ever, all the time."

Magazines and advertising have long been criticized for upholding dangerously unrealistic standards of success and beauty, but at least it's acknowledged that they are idealized. The models wearing Size 0 clothing are just that: models. And even they are made-up, retouched, and photoshopped.

These days, however, the impossible standards are set much closer to home, not by celebrities and models but by classmates and friends. With social media, teens can curate their lives, and the resulting feeds read like highlight reels, showing only the best and most enviable moments while concealing efforts, struggles, and the merely ordinary aspects of day-to-day life. And there's evidence that those images are causing distress for many kids.

Donna Wick, EdD, founder of Mind-to-Mind Parenting, says that for teenagers the combined weight of vulnerability, the need for validation, and a desire to compare themselves with peers forms what she describes as a "perfect storm of self-doubt." She's so thin. Her grades are perfect. What a happy couple. I'll never be that cool, that skinny, that lucky, that successful.

Sometimes, says Sasha, looking at friends' feeds "makes you feel like everyone has it together but you."

The fallout from these unrealistic standards becomes more dangerous once kids reach college, where they face higher stakes, harder work, and a largely parent-free environment. The pressure to look perfect to impress new peers, not to speak of friends and family back home, can be even greater.

After a recent spate of college suicides, researchers at Stanford University coined the phrase "duck syndrome." The term refers to the way a duck appears to glide effortlessly across a pond while below the surface its feet work frantically, invisibly struggling to stay afloat.

Several students who have died had projected a perfect image on social media-their feeds packed with inspirational quotes and filtered images showing attractive, happy kids who seemed to excel with minimal effort. But behind the digital curtain they were struggling emotionally.

For kids experiencing anxiety or depression, carefully edited feeds can act as a smoke screen, masking serious issues behind pretend perfection and making it harder for parents or friends to see that they need help.

"It's important to remember that just posting edited pictures online or pretending your life is a little more glamorous than it is is not in itself a problem," says Jill Emanuele, PhD, Senior Director of the Mood Disorders Center at the Child Mind Institute. "Social media alone is unlikely to be at the heart of the issue, but it can make a difficult situation even harder."

Teens who have created idealized online personas may feel frustrated and depressed at the gap between who they pretend to be online and who they truly are.

"If you practice being a false self eight hours a day, it gets harder to accept the less-than-perfect being you really are," says Dr. Wick, "and as we all know there's no harsher judge of a kid than herself."

Another, more prevalent problem, says Dr. Emanuele, is that for some teens their social feeds can become fuel for negative feelings they have about themselves. Kids struggling with self-doubt read into their friends' images what they feel they are lacking.

"Kids view social media through the lens of their own lives," says Dr. Emanuele. "If they're struggling to stay on top of things or suffering from low self-esteem, they're more likely to interpret images of peers having fun as confirmation that they're doing badly compared to their friends."

Sasha and her friend Jacob, 15, agree that constant exposure to social media has had an impact on how they view their peers and themselves. "It's like you know it isn't making you happy," says Jacob of the pictures his friends post on Instagram. "But you still look."

Even the knowledge that these images mask serious problems doesn't seem to alleviate the pressure they cause.

"I knew a girl who had an eating disorder. We all knew it. It got so bad that she ended up going to a treatment center, but when she put pictures up of herself on the beach looking super-thin everyone liked them anyway," says Sasha.

Logically, she says, she knew the pictures weren't current and the girl was very ill, but that didn't stop her from feeling a twinge of jealousy. "I remember thinking 'I wish I looked like that' and then being horrified at myself."

Sasha also acknowledges the trouble of "liking" images that in this case provided dangerous validation. "It's like we were saying, 'Good job.' "

What can parents do to help kids build a safe and reasonable relationship with social media before they're out on their own?

Dr. Wick says keeping teens from falling into the social media trap is more complicated than it sounds. "It's not about taking the phone away or having a single conversation." She says, "Parents need to be diligent about making sure kids are getting a dose of reality and need to model healthy behaviors."

Take social media seriously. Don't underestimate the role social media plays in the lives of teenagers, warns Dr. Wick. "The power of a visual image is so strong. It's disorienting." Many teens, she says, never knew a world where social media didn't exist, and for them the things that happen online-slights, break-ups, likes, or negative comments-are very real. When you talk about social media make sure you're really listening and be careful not to dismiss or minimize your teen's experiences.

Encourage them to think outside the (crop) box. When you talk to your child about social media, encourage her to explore it in a more critical way. A great way to start is to try asking her what she thinks has been cropped or edited out of her friends' "perfect" pictures and why. That can lead to larger questions. Do you think your friends are really the people they appear to be online? Are you? What's the purpose of posting a photo? What is it about getting "likes" that feels good? Does looking at social media affect your mood?

Model a healthy response to failure. "Kids have to get the message that it is okay to fail," says Dr. Wick. "And not only that it's okay to fail, but that showing it is okay, too." If parents hide their own failures, kids are less likely to be okay with anything less than success. "When things don't work out as you'd planned or a project goes awry, show your child how to accept it with grace," she adds. "Let kids know that failure is part of how we learn to succeed, that it's nothing to be ashamed of and let them see you pick yourself up and try again."

Praise (and show) effort. "Effort is something to be proud of," says Dr. Wick. "It can't be said enough." Parents should let kids know that showing their work is something to be praised, not hidden. When your child has worked hard on something, praise her efforts no matter what the outcome. It's also helpful to examine how comfortable you are showing your own efforts, especially those that don't end in success. Being proud and open about your own work sets a powerful example for your child.

Go on a "social holiday." If you're worried that your child is getting too wrapped up in social media, try taking a social holiday. "This means everyone," says Dr. Wick. If you're asking your child to take a break, practice what you preach and pledge to stay off media as well. It can be every bit as hard for parents to unplug as kids."

Trust people, not pictures. Finally, don't rely on social media to let you know how your child is really doing. She may post smiling selfies all day long, but if she seems unhappy or sounds unhappy on the phone, don't let it go. Make sure she knows it's safe to talk to you by encouraging her to share her feelings and supporting her when she does. Reassure her that you're not disappointed, and let her know you're proud of her for reaching out. "I'm so glad you called. It sounds like you're feeling really overwhelmed, I'm here and I love you. Let's talk this through together."

In the end, as a parent you want your child to be happy and successful. But making sure she knows you love her and you're proud of her as she is-unfiltered, unedited, imperfect-will help her build confidence she needs to accept herself and stay safe and healthy when she's out on her own.

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Social Media and Self-Doubt - Child Mind Institute

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Read about social media and self esteem in kids. CMI discusses how social media can make teens self-conscious and insecure, and how to protect your kids from harm.

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What's happening

Children in Utah will soon need their parents' permission to access social media, thanks to a bill signed by Gov. Spencer Cox late last month. The new law will also establish a late-night curfew on social media use for minors and require companies to provide parents with complete access to their kids' accounts.

The policies, which go into effect next year, are by far the most aggressive step taken by any state aimed at addressing mounting fears about the link between social media and an ongoing mental health crisis among young Americans.

"We're no longer willing to let social media companies continue to harm the mental health of our youth," on Twitter after signing the bill. He also signed a separate piece of legislation that prohibits tech companies from using a design or feature that "causes addiction for a minor" to their product.

There is substantial evidence that American teenagers have experienced a serious decline in their mental health over the past few years. Rates of depression and suicidal thoughts increased dramatically between 2011 and 2021 - particularly among girls and children who don't identify as heterosexual - according to data released by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in February.

While the question of how much of this trend can be attributed directly to the emergence of social media is the subject of intense debate among experts, lawmakers in Utah and elsewhere are promoting unprecedented steps to curb kids' access to platforms that they believe are causing serious harm to the nation's children.

Why there's debate

Supporters of Utah's new laws say there's enough evidence supporting the idea that social media is having a serious negative impact on the nation's young people to vindicate taking strong measures to limit their access. They argue that giving parents oversight of their children's online activities, rather than simply banning minors from using the platforms entirely as some have proposed, will give adults the opportunity to help guide their kids through the most dangerous elements of social media safely.

Opponents of the policy say it violates the First Amendment rights of children to freely access some of the world's most important communication platforms. Critics add that the law's proponents ignore the many positive benefits of social media based on beliefs about its impact that are far from proven. There is also major concern about the harm that can be caused by having parents intrude on their children's private interactions, especially for LGBTQ kids for whom online communities may be their only source of support.

Others worry about the privacy risks of forcing all social media users to verify their age. Utah hasn't yet determined how it will confirm that people are over 18, but some experts say it's difficult to build a reliable age-check system without requiring people to submit sensitive information like a government ID or credit card information - a potentially dangerous prospect, given the many examples of Big Tech failing to protect users' private data.

What's next

Utah's new law is widely expected to face legal challenges from teen users or social media companies who would be affected by the policy. If the courts allow it to stand, the new restrictions will go into effect next March. The legislatures in several other states - including , Connecticut, and - are considering similar bills.

Perspectives
SUPPORTERS Social media should be treated like all other harmful vices
"The time has come for social media to be regulated much like tobacco or alcohol, with vigorously enforced age restrictions, warning labels for users and tough penalties for violators." - Helen Lee Bouygues, U.S. News & World Report
Parental oversight is a step toward fixing the mistake of letting kids access social media
"Empowering parents is really the key to this approach. It was a mistake to let kids and teens onto the platforms in the first place. But we are not powerless to correct that mistake." - Yuval Levin, New York Times
Parents have to be able to know what their children are seeing online
"It's simply too dangerous for parents not to know what our kids are seeing on social media. Just as parents and caregivers supervise our children offline and don't allow them to go to bars or strip clubs, we have to ensure they don't end up in unsafe spaces on social media." - Kara Alaimo,
Any law that limits kids' access to social media is a step in the right direction
"Social-media use should be limited by law to adults, or at the very least to people 16 years old and older." - Christine Rosen, National Review
CRITICS Rather than cutting off access, we need to teach kids to use social media safely
"Is all this really necessary? Is restricting the next generation really the best way to train them to be torchbearers for the future? ... Instead of limiting access to social media, we need to focus on education and empowerment, providing minors and their parents with the skills and judgment they need to navigate the online world and interact with their peers in and outside of Utah." - Caden Rosenbaum, Washington Examiner
Utah's law is a privacy and free speech nightmare
"Not only would both bills violate the privacy of Utah social media users and require an insane amount of additional work for social media companies, but they would also open platforms up to all sorts of liability-including for violations of vague prohibitions that are open to interpretation." - Elizabeth Nolan Brown,
The harms of social media are being wildly exaggerated
"We're deep, deep, deep into the moral panic about social media being uniquely awful, especially for kids. It's driving all sorts of nonsense, including the false idea that we're in a uniquely excessive period of depression, or that it's been 'proven' that social media makes kids feel bad. But... that's not what the data actually show. At all." - Mike Masnick,
Cutting young people off from social media would cause serious harm
"Through Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram, kids can access information of public importance and exchange beliefs, informing their worldviews and political development. But perhaps more importantly, social media furnishes unparalleled opportunities for self-expression. ... The innovative features of social media have become critical tools of communication without which children are deprived of a unique, rich, and effective way to express themselves." - Charles Brandt, Orange County Register
Vulnerable kids could lose the only place they are able to find support
"Some adolescents are much more vulnerable than others. These teens are often those who experience minority stress - unique stressors that occur in an adolescent's environment as a result of their minority status. This might include LGBTQ+ teens who might be the only 'out' person at their school, who have to tolerate hearing gay slurs as they walk down the hallway. Or Black adolescents growing up in a predominantly white neighborhood who experience subtle (and not so subtle) racism on a daily basis. Research suggests that social media can provide a safe haven for these adolescents - a place where they can truly belong." - Sarah M. Coyne, Salt Lake Tribune
Is there a topic you'd like to see covered in "The 360"? Send your suggestions to the360@yahoonews.com.
Photo illustration: Jack Forbes/Yahoo News; photos: Getty Images

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Should kids need their parents' permission to use social media?

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Utah is the first state to require parental consent for minors using social media, but critics say the policy violates the free speech rights of children and creates a privacy risk for everyone.

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A multipronged approach to social media management, including time limits, parental monitoring and supervision, and ongoing discussions about social media can help parents protect teens' brain development

Cite this

American Psychological Association. (2023, May 9). Keeping teens safe on social media: What parents should know to protect their kids. https://www.apa.org/topics/social-media-internet/social-media-parent-tips

Social media can help teenagers with healthy development but it can also create risks. Psychological research shows it is critically important to focus on how teens use social media and the type of content they see.

As a parent or caregiver, you are the expert on your child. You know what experiences will fit with their strengths and areas of vulnerability. These recommendations are based on research and will help you and your teens be smart users of social media, avoiding the harms, and gaining maximum benefits.

1. Recognize developing brains may be especially vulnerable to specific social media features.

Communicating with friends on social media can be helpful for child development, including a chance to learn new social skills and complex relationships. But the like button and use of artificial intelligence to promote excessive scrolling may be dangerous for developing brains.

Adolescent brain development generally starts before puberty, around age 10, and lasts through early adulthood. This is an important phase of growth during which the brain undergoes dramatic developmental changes. In early adolescence, brain regions associated with a desire for attention from peers become increasingly sensitive. Social media may exploit that desire. Meanwhile, brain areas important for self-control don't fully develop until early adulthood. When thinking about the use of social media in your family, it's important to recognize the unique vulnerabilities of adolescent brains. Your guidelines around social media use should evolve as children mature.

What to do: Limit social media use on platforms that include counts of likes or encourage excessive use. Use screen time settings available on most devices or on platforms to help teens set limits and learn self-control. Prohibit screen time that interferes with at least 8 hours of sleep a night to ensure healthy brain development among teens.
[Related: How to teach social media literacy to teens: A Q&A with Mitch Prinstein, PhD]

2. Monitor and discuss your child's social media use.

Parents should take a multipronged approach to social media management, including time limits, parental monitoring and supervision, and ongoing discussions about social media.

As noted above, time limits can help teens with self-control and encourage moderate social media use. Limiting chat functions, especially among strangers, and limiting exposure to adult content is also recommended. Particularly for younger teens, parents may consider allowing social media use only when children are at home so that parents can keep a closer eye on their online activities.

In addition, adult monitoring of social media postings and content viewed is advised, especially in early adolescence. Unsupervised social media use is more likely to expose children to potentially harmful content and features of social media. Scientific studies demonstrate it is also critical for parents to engage in ongoing discussions with adolescents about how to use social media in safe and helpful ways. This is hard for many parents and caregivers since some of these platforms and their functions are unfamiliar to many adults today.

What to do: Talk to your teen weekly about how social media platforms work so they feel safe telling you about their experiences without judgment. Ask them what they saw on social media, how they understand what was posted, and pose hypothetical questions to them to learn how they would respond to various situations they might encounter online.
[Related: Reducing social media use significantly improves body image in teens, young adults]

3. Model healthy social media use.

Research studies show teens learn some social media behavior and attitudes from their parents. It is important for adults to model healthy social media use in their own lives. To model good digital behavior, avoid using social media when at the dinner table or engaging in family time, and make sure your conversations about social media reflect the ways you want them to feel about social media use.

What to do: Discuss how and why you use social media with your children. Set limits for social media use for yourselves and encourage your children to follow your example. Take social media holidays as a family and discuss the challenges and temptations you all experience when away from social media for a long time.

4. Watch for problematic social media use.

Keep an eye out for signs your child may be using social media in unhealthy ways. Your child's social media use might be causing problems if:

It interferes with their daily routines and commitments, such as school, work, friendships, and extracurricular activities.

They often choose social media over in-person social interactions.

It prevents them from getting at least 8 hours of quality sleep each night.

It prevents them from engaging in regular physical activity.

They keep using social media even when they express a desire to stop.

They experience strong cravings to check social media.

They lie or use deceptive behavior to spend time online.

What to do: Ask your child if any of these statements above are true for them. If you are concerned your child is dependent on social media or using it in unhealthy ways, consider enforcing new limits around accessing this technology. If you suspect your child is experiencing psychological harm or you are having difficulty managing your child's social media use, a mental health professional may be able to help you find healthier ways to engage with the digital world.

5. Teach social media literacy.

Social media platforms, schools, and teens can all play a role in teaching social media literacy. Parents and caregivers can help. See APA's recommendations for areas of social media literacy that will help adolescents have more positive experiences, and reduce risks online, based on the available science to date.

To learn more about the research behind these recommendations, see APA's Health Advisory on Social Media Use in Adolescence.

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Keeping teens safe on social media: What parents should know to protect their kids

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A multipronged approach to social media management, including time limits, parental monitoring and supervision, and ongoing discussions about social media can help parents protect teens' brain development.

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computer science and information technology

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health and health care (by demographic group)

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Children under 10 are using social media. Parents can help them stay safe online | CNN

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Young children have become familiar with social media apps, although some parents aren't fully confident that their children can stay safe online, a new poll has found. Here's how parents and educators can help ensure their children's online safety.

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Students today have never lived in a world without social media. Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and TikTok are a few of the most popular social-media websites and apps. They can be a fun way to connect with friends and family, especially those who live far away. Sometimes, people use social media to find jobs. But social media also attracts cyberbullies and trolls × troll hackers × hacker INTI ST CLAIR-GETTY IMAGES a person who tries to make people angry by posting upsetting messages on the Internet (noun) When using social media, it's best to ignore trolls. who seek to anger or annoy people. And TOM WERNER-GETTY IMAGES a person who breaks into a computer system in order to steal information or cause harm (noun) Be sure to use a secure password for your online accounts to protect them from hackers. use social media to steal people's personal information. Here, six TIME for Kids readers answer our debate question: Is social media good for society?

YES!

COURTESY DEEPIKA GROVER
Akshat Chakrabarti, 8 Manalapan Township, New Jersey
Social media is a great way to connect with people who you may not see all the time. It's also great for making friends. Social media helps you build connections with kids who have the same interests. It is a quick way for people to get to know each other, even if they're living across the world from one another.

NO!

WARREN BOND PHOTOGRAPHY, COURTESY HINA NOORANI
Rania Noorani, 11 Duluth, Georgia
Although social media is somewhat fun, we've gotten to the point where people can't put down their phones. Social media is changing our world completely. It causes people not to be their true selves and to pretend to be happy, just for public approval.

YES!

COURTESY MARTINA ARNOLD
Matthew Wrigley, 10
Farmington, Maine

Social media is good for society because it lets you write to people if you need help. You can interact with other people and have fun. You can learn from people who live in different countries. If you have a question, you can ask someone. There is cyberbullying, but you can block people who post mean comments.

NO!

COURTESY ALEX AND GRACE ONG
Katie Ong, 10
Los Angeles, California

When children use social media, they post stuff that parents may not want others to see. This may affect their privacy. Also, when kids use social media, they may be anxious that their friends' lives are better than theirs. Some people only post the good parts of life. This can lead others to jealousy or depression.

YES!

COURTESY LAWANDA COSBY
Jada Mosley, 10 Carol Stream, Illinois
In a world that is sometimes boring, social media offers incredible benefits. It can be entertaining. It can spread positivity and kindness. Furthermore, social media can introduce peers and children to new content and positive ideas.

NO!

PHOTO HAVEN, COURTESY PAYAL AGGARWAL
Sia Satish, 10
West Windsor Township, New Jersey

Students can be enticed by their friends to follow trends on TikTok or Snapchat. They try to portray themselves as cool, to fit into a group. Sometimes, social media promotes bad practices or harmful activities. This can hurt people physically and mentally.
The next debate: Should cities be car-free? Email your opinion to tfkeditors@time.com by March 17, 2020. Your response might be featured in an upcoming issue.

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Students today have never lived in a world without social media. Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and TikTok are a few of the most popular social-media websites and apps. They can be a fun way to connect with friends and family, especially...

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Teaching Kids to Be Smart About Social Media

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Before kids or teens hit "enter," make sure they know the rules when it comes to oversharing, teasing, posting personal info, and other online don'ts.

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They say there are only two absolute things in life: death and taxes. However, in this fast-paced generation, you might want to add one more: kids and the Internet are inseperable.

It doesn't matter if a child's not old enough to read, literacy''s not an issue when it comes to using the Internet. Research group Joan Ganz Cooney Center, an organization affiliated with Sesame Street, found that a quarter of young children under age six are surfing the Internet regularly, with many parents passing on their old smart phones for their kids to play with. And aside from serving as trendy toys, modern gadgets are also, for some, serving as a babysitting device - when kids are immersed in an online game, parents can proceed with other tasks.

There also seems to be a new rite of passage as young children discover social media as a new tool to socialize - i.e. baby's first social media profile picture, baby's first status update and baby's first "Like." This is because more and more kids are opening accounts on social networking sites - research by Opinium revealed that 59% of kids below the age of 10 have joined social media, with some 52% signing up on Facebook (despite the Facebook entry threshold being 13). And those numbers are much higher among teens - according to a Pew Research, 95% ages 12-17 are online with 81% using some kind of social media.

Kids on social media networks can be a scary scenario for parents, however with proper guidance, the effects of modern gadgets on child development can also be largely beneficial.

Here are some of the ways that social media platforms can be of benefit to kids.

1. Feeling confident

Social media can help young children feel more comfortable about communicating and being around others. When they click "Like" or comment on a post, they gain confidence and become less shy. A Common Sense Media study showed that 29% of teens using social media felt that it it helped them feel less shy, while 20% indicated that it can help them feel more confident. When a child appears to be introverted and awkward around other people, social media interactions can assist in the process of building that confidence and developing a better understanding of how to communicate.

2. Feeling friendly

Social media can also help in boosting social interaction among kids - it's a more comfortable environment where children can initiate new relationships without feeling awkward and anxious.

Social platforms can help kids make friends and enable them to build more familiarity with other children. When they greet a friend or Like a photo, they start a virtual interaction, giving them a chance to practice their social skills with the relative distance and safety that social media offers.

3. Feeling connected

Technology was made to connect people and strengthen relationships. Social media can help improve family relationships and be a shared interest among family members.

Interacting via social networking sites can provide a sort of a safety net, helping children to be more honest when they're posting updates or tweets. Through social media, parents can get a better idea of what their children are feeling, thinking, and doing.

For some, it can form a kind of point of entry into their child's life - viewing photos of friends and other contacts or going through a timeline can be a moment of discovery for both the parent and the child, and can help open those lines of communication and understanding.

4. Feeling smart

The Internet is a web of information, and social media is no exemption.

A report by Globe and Mail indicated that social media is actually making kids smarter. Aside from improved social skills, social media can also help improve cognitive abilities, like problem solving skills, comprehension, critical thinking, and memory. For example, they learn to critically discern which information is useful and which is not.

In a related study, the e-Learning Foundation showed that children with Internet access at home get higher grades.

5. Feeling informed

In addition to helping school children with their research and assignments, the internet can also provide them with insights useful in their daily lives.

When you log on to social media, you can find news events, helpful tips, the latest in music, movies, and sports, etc. Social media can help kids understand what's happening and what they need to know.

6. Feeling helpful

Researchers from Iowa University found that pro-social video games, or games that require interaction via social platforms, can encourage better behavior and tolerance for others. The study revealed that kids tend to be more helpful after playing pro-social games.

This is another reason why parents should allow their kids to use social media: children can become more compassionate and empathetic, and even feel like they have to protect their friends and share stuff with them. Pro-social video games can also reduce aggressive cognitions.

7. Feeling relaxed

Social media can help mitigate stress by providing an outlet through which children can express their disappointments, frustrations, and fears.

It can also provide additional social support from a wide range of people. At the same time, social media can also be a means of distraction that can help children get over stressful experiences.

8. Feeling welcome

Being part of a social network can make a child feel that he is part of something bigger than himself. The feeling of belonging to a network can help in building a child's self-belief and confidence, while also enhancing a child's sense of responsibility and connection to his "team". In a social network, kids can generate shared experiences with their friends and feel appreciated and loved.

Social media is here to stay and yes, it can help. Allowing your kids to use social media comes with a list of pros and cons, but when parents commit themselves to providing guidance and watching over the child's online activities, social media can help in a child's development.The impact of technology and social media doesn't depend on technology itself, but how parents educate and inform their children about them, and set realistic parameters around their use.

Main image via Lucella Ribiero/Flickr

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8 Reasons Why Parents Should Allow Their Kids to Use Social Media Sites

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They say there are only two absolute things in life: death and taxes. However, in this fast-paced generation, you might want to add one more: kids and the Internet are inseperable. It doesn't matter if a child's not old enough to read, literacy''s not an issue when it comes to using the Internet.

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What is the right age for a child to start using social media? It depends on who you ask.

Most social media companies allow those 13 years and older to use their platforms. But U.S. Surgeon General Vivek Murthy said recently on CNN that 13 is "too early."

In early adolescence, kids are still "developing their identity, their sense of self," Murthy said on CNN's "Newsroom" on Jan. 29. "The skewed, and often distorted, environment of social media often does a disservice to many of those children."

Social media companies have been under more scrutiny for the data they collect and the effects their products have on children's mental health. A recent study published in the journal JAMA Pediatrics found that children who are frequent, early social media users become overly sensitive to anticipating social risks and rewards from peers.

And some education leaders are taking legal action to confront the problem. Seattle Public Schools in January sued the companies that own TikTok, Instagram, YouTube, and Snapchat, claiming that their social media platforms are a major force driving the deterioration in students' social, emotional, and mental health.

Educators and parents are particularly concerned about how the time adolescents spend on social media has increased in the last few years. Social media use among kids between the ages of 8 and 18 increased by 17 percent between 2019 and 2021, according to a 2022 Common Sense Media report.

"Would it be nice, would it be good if we could keep young people off social media?" said Sherri Hope Culver, a Temple University professor and director of the university's Center for Media and Information Literacy. "That probably would be great, but that seems like an unhelpful discussion to be having. They are on social media. They are not going to not be on social media."

Even if social media companies change the age restriction, they don't have a track record of enforcing those restrictions, Culver said.

Because kids will use social media no matter what, the "more effective and worthwhile" conversation should be about how adults can help children have a healthy relationship with social media, and "that is where media literacy comes in," she added.

Media literacy is defined as "the ability to access, analyze, evaluate, create, and act using all forms of communication," according to the National Association for Media Literacy Education, a professional association for educators, academics, activists, and students.

Culver and other advocates say media literacy should be taught to every student starting in kindergarten, because almost all of the information that kids get comes from a media source.

There's a growing interest in requiring media literacy education in the United States, "but not anywhere near the action that we need to see," Culver said.

New Jersey Gov. Phil Murphy signed a bill last month that requires public schools to teach media literacy skills to all students. In Illinois, school districts are required to teach lessons in media literacy for all high students. Other states require the state boards of education or departments of education to develop media literacy standards but don't require schools to teach those skills, according to nonprofit advocacy group Media Literacy Now.

Still, the burden shouldn't just be on schools, parents, and students, Murthy said. He criticized social media apps for being designed "to make sure people are maximizing the amount of time they spend on these platforms."

"If we tell a child, use the force of your willpower to control how much time you're spending, you're pitting a child against the world's greatest product designers, and that's just not a fair fight," he said.

Murthy called for increased transparency from social media companies about their impact on kids' mental health, as well as more safety standards for apps.

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Surgeon General: Kids Under 14 Should Not Use Social Media

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Surgeon General Vivek Murthy said social media threatens kids' ability to develop a healthy identity and sense of self.

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Want to raise happy, successful kids? ‘Wait as long as possible’ to give them a phone, says Yale expert

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Waiting as long as possible to give your child a smartphone will make them happier and more successful, says Yale University psychology professor Laurie Santos.

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Is there a ‘right’ age for kids to be on social media? ‘I certainly don’t think anyone under 13’ should use it, expert says

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Psychologists and the U.S. Surgeon General are warning against the mental health risks for kids and teenagers using social media. Here’s what you need to know.

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60 seconds · Clipped by Tina Whalen · Original video "Glory or Death: Climbing Mount Everest (Full Segment) | Real Sports w/ Bryant Gumbel | HBO" by HBO

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53 seconds · Clipped by Tina Whalen · Original video "Glory or Death: Climbing Mount Everest (Full Segment) | Real Sports w/ Bryant Gumbel | HBO" by HBO

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60 seconds · Clipped by Tina Whalen · Original video "Glory or Death: Climbing Mount Everest (Full Segment) | Real Sports w/ Bryant Gumbel | HBO" by HBO

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Mount Everest Then and Now · 60 Years Climbing Everest

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Record number of climbers attempt to reach summit of Mount Everest

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What It's Actually Like To Climb Mount Everest

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Easily create beautiful interactive video lessons for your students you can integrate right into your LMS. Track students' progress with hassle-free analytics as you flip your classroom!

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What really happens to the plastic you throw away - Emma Bryce

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Easily create beautiful interactive video lessons for your students you can integrate right into your LMS. Track students' progress with hassle-free analytics as you flip your classroom!

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The Plastic Pollution Problem (Can We Actually Clean It Up?)

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Easily create beautiful interactive video lessons for your students you can integrate right into your LMS. Track students' progress with hassle-free analytics as you flip your classroom!

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CarbonLite: Inside the World’s Largest Plastic Bottle Recycling Plant

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Edpuzzle video lesson. Make any video your lesson. Take a video and crop it, add your voice or embed questions at any point.

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Easily create beautiful interactive video lessons for your students you can integrate right into your LMS. Track students’ progress with hassle-free analytics as you flip your classroom!

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Imagine this: It's Friday afternoon. You're at the grocery store picking out snacks for a movie marathon. You go to check out and get ready to start bagging. Then you realize there aren't any plastic bags. And paper bags are 5¢ each.

Surprised? You shouldn't be. If this hasn't happened to you yet, it soon may. To help the environment, cities and states around the country are banning most single-use plastic bags. California was first. About seven states and 10 major cities have also passed laws.

It's About Sustainability

EDUARDO MUNOZ ALVAREZ-GETTY IMAGES

The things we use every day are sustainable × sustainable MINT IMAGES/GETTY IMAGES done so as not to cause permanent damage (adjective) Sustainable farming techniques can improve the health of farmland. or unsustainable, says Kate Melges, a Greenpeace plastics campaigner. Sustainable items don't harm the environment. Unsustainable items, such as plastic bags, do. The United States uses 100 billion plastic bags a year. That many bags can do damage, both in the way they're made and in the way we get rid of them.

The Life of a Plastic Bag

Plastic bags are made out of polyethylene. This comes from petroleum, a fossil fuel. Fossil fuels contribute to the greenhouse gases that are causing the glaciers to melt and sea levels to rise.

Disposing of the bags is a problem. According to Waste Management, only 1% are recycled. Most are thrown away and end up in landfills. They take 10 to 20 years to decompose. Others blow into the environment. Streams carry them to the oceans. Sea turtles mistake them for jellyfish and eat them. By 2050, some experts say there could be more plastic bags and packaging materials in the ocean than fish.

Fixing the Problem

Kate Melges hopes to see other bans on plastic items, such as single-use water bottles, straws, and cups. Meanwhile, there are things individual people can do to help solve the problem.

Try to reuse the plastic bags you have. They make good trash-can liners and doggy bags. Ask for a reusable water bottle instead of the kind you throw away. And if you're packing lunch, use a cloth lunch bag and reusable containers.

KATRINA WITTKAMP

Buying sustainably can also save money. Think about it: In New York City, stores charge 5¢ per paper bag. If you use five bags a week, that's 25¢ a week, or $13 a year. If you buy five reusable bags for $1 each instead, you'll be making an investment in yourself-and in the planet at the same time.
-By Rebecca Cohen
Click here for the Grade 4 Teacher's Guide.

Extra! Click here to read a related article from TIME for Kids.

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Imagine this: It's Friday afternoon. You're at the grocery store picking out snacks for a movie marathon. You go to check out and get ready to start bagging. Then you realize there aren't any plastic bags. And paper bags are...

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This is an article from Curious Kids, a series for children. The Conversation is asking kids to send in questions they'd like an expert to answer. All questions are welcome - serious, weird or wacky! You might also like the podcast Imagine This, a co-production between ABC KIDS listen and The Conversation, based on Curious Kids.

My name is Sanuki and I'm 8 years old. I live in Melbourne. My question is how do plastic bags harm our environment and sea life? - Sanuki, age 8, Melbourne.

Good question, Sanuki!

Plastic bags harm marine (and land) environments in a few ways.

Turtles (and other animals) may mistake plastic bags for food. Turtles like to eat jellyfish, and we think turtles eat the plastic bags because they resemble jellyfish.

When turtles eat plastic, it can block their intestinal system (their guts). Therefore, they can no longer eat properly, which can kill them. The plastics in their tummy may also leak chemicals into the turtle. We don't know whether this causes long term problems for the turtle, but it's probably not good for them.

Read more: Australian waters polluted by harmful tiny plastics

How plastic impacts the ecosystems

Plastic bags can also smother corals and other seabed communities. When plastic bags end up in our oceans, animals (including seals, dolphins and seabirds) can get tangled up in them. An animal with a plastic bag around its neck will have trouble moving through the water, catching its prey or feeding, and escaping predators.

On land, plastic bags are an eyesore. They get stuck in trees, along fence lines, or as litter at our parks and beaches.

Many people don't realise that plastic bags can also cause flooding. Previously in Ghana (in West Africa), plastic bags blocked storm water drains during a big rainstorm. This caused flooding so bad that people were killed.

Making plastic requires a lot of energy and work

Plastic bags can even be harmful before they are used. It takes a lot of resources and energy to create a plastic bag. A key ingredient is oil. As a fossil fuel, oil must be extracted from the ground. Do we want to use fossil fuel resources to make a product that is only used once (we call this a "single use plastic")?

Many millions of barrels of oil are used to make plastic bags every year. A lot of energy is also used to make and transport plastic bags. It is better for the environment if we reduce our energy use.

Read more: This South Pacific island of rubbish shows why we need to quit our plastic habit

The push towards plastic-free

Lately, lots of people recognise the impacts that plastic bags have, and they are working on alternatives. Many local and state governments have passed plastic bag bans here in Australia, which helps stop the use of single use plastic bags.

In fact, New South Wales is the only state in Australia where you can still get thin, single use plastic bags at the grocery store.

So, remind your parents to bring their reusable cloth bags whenever you go shopping. You just might save a turtle.
Hello, curious kids! Have you got a question you'd like an expert to answer? Ask an adult to send your question to us. They can: * Email your question to curiouskids@theconversation.edu.au
* Tell us onTwitter Please tell us your name, age and which city you live in. You can send an audio recording of your question too, if you want. Send as many questions as you like! We won't be able to answer every question but we will do our best.

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Curious Kids: How do plastic bags harm our environment and sea life?

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This is an article from Curious Kids, a series for children. The Conversation is asking kids to send in questions they'd like an expert to answer. All questions are welcome - serious, weird or wacky! You might also like the podcast Imagine This, a co-production between ABC KIDS listen and The Conversation, based on Curious Kids.

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The problem with plastic pollution - National Geographic Kids

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Learn all about plastic pollution. How much plastic is in the ocean? Why is plastic pollution dangerous? What can we do to reduce it?

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According to an old superstition, it's good luck to find a penny on the sidewalk. But whether or not you believe picking up that penny will bring you luck, one thing it definitely won't bring you is wealth.

Pennies are worth so little now that by taking five seconds to pick one up, you're earning just $7.20 an hour - less than the federal minimum wage.

Pennies are so close to worthless that many people argue it's time to do away with them altogether. A nonpartisan organization called Citizens to Retire the U.S. Penny has attracted the support of economists from Harvard and Wake Forest University.

Recent Efforts to Kill (Or Keep) the Penny

Former Representative Jim Kolbe of Arizona sponsored two bills in Congress to eliminate the penny. And in February 2014, President Barack Obama argued during a YouTube chat that pennies were obsolete and a symbol of U.S. government waste.

However, while many people are calling for the penny's retirement, others are working just as hard to keep the coin in circulation. The main pro-penny lobbying group is Americans for Common Cents, which represents Jarden Zinc, the company that makes the zinc and copper blanks from which pennies are produced.

This organization has conducted polls showing that more than two-thirds of Americans favor keeping the penny. On its website, the group marshals an array of arguments that eliminating the penny would lead to disaster for consumers, charities, the government, and the economy as a whole.

In 2020, the penny debate gained new attention as the COVID-19 pandemic led to a nationwide coin shortage. With more consumers moving toward contactless payment methods, news sources from Fortune to NPR began asking: Is the penny finally on its way out?

Reasons to Retire the Penny

The arguments for halting production of pennies basically boil down to the idea that "they're more trouble than they're worth." Pennies today are worth almost nothing, but they still cost money to produce and consume vast quantities of natural resources.

To anti-penny advocates, that's a lot of costs for a coin that can't even buy a piece of gum anymore.

1. They're Useless

When the Baby Boomers were young, a penny still had some value. In the 1960s and early 1970s, an ice cream cone might only set you back a nickel or a dime.

Even during my childhood in the 1980s, there was a candy store not far from our house that sold "penny candy" in jars - one penny for a mini Tootsie Roll, or two for a Mary Jane.

Today, there's literally nothing you can buy with a single penny - and you can't do much else with it either. Vending machines don't accept them, and neither do most parking meters. Even automatic toll booths won't take them - except in Illinois, the home state of President Abraham Lincoln, whose face adorns the coin.

And if a single penny is useless, a whole bunch of pennies isn't much better. If you try paying for something in a store with a fistful of pennies, you can expect dirty looks from both the clerk and the other customers - if the store doesn't just flat-out refuse to take them.

Pennies are so hard to spend that many people don't even bother - they just store them all in jars, or even throw them away. Economist Greg Mankiw of Harvard University argues that pennies are simply no longer useful as a means of exchange: "When people start leaving a monetary unit at the cash register for the next customer, the unit is too small to be useful."

There are precedents for getting rid of coins that are too small to use. Back in 1857, the U.S. Mint stopped producing half-cent coins - which, according to the historical information calculator at MeasuringWorth.com, had a purchasing power of $0.15 in 2020 dollars. At the time it was eliminated, the "useless" halfpenny could buy as much as 15 pennies can today.

If consumers in 1857 could get along without halfpennies, then modern consumers can almost certainly manage without a coin that's worth less than one-tenth as much.

2. They Waste Time

As useless as pennies are, most of us can't avoid them. Often, when we pay with cash at a store, the total amount doesn't end in a multiple of $0.05. To pay the exact amount, we have to either hand over some pennies or receive some in change.

This not only weighs down our pockets, but it also holds up the line while we mess around counting out coins. Citizens to Retire the U.S. Penny cites a study done by Walgreens and the National Association of Convenience Stores showing that handling pennies adds an average of two seconds to each cash transaction.

That doesn't sound like much, but a 2019 Federal Reserve study shows that the average consumer still makes 11 cash transactions each month - and according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, there are over 230 million consumers in the country. Add it all up, and it comes to more than 25 million hours wasted each year.

To save time at the register, some businesses have experimented with rounding all transactions to the nearest nickel. Several Chipotle restaurants tried this in 2012, but customers who had extra cents added to their bills complained.

Rather than drop the practice completely, however, the stores decided to simply round all bills down to the nearest $0.05 instead. Management decided that losing a cent or two on most transactions was better than having long lines of customers waiting for change.

Supporters of the penny don't buy this argument. Americans for Common Cents, the pro-penny group funded by the zinc industry, calls the claim "absurd." In the first place, the group argues, employees who spend less time counting out change won't necessarily spend it on other, more useful tasks.

It also says there are "many reasons to believe" that time spent at the register could actually increase, rather than decrease, if pennies are eliminated. However, it doesn't say what those reasons are.

3. They're Bad for the Environment

Despite what the old song says, pennies don't really come from heaven. They come from mines in the earth - zinc mines, mostly, because pennies are more than 97% zinc. As the U.S. Mint explains, the copper surface of a penny accounts for only 2.5% of its metal content.

According to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, zinc ores contain only 3% to 11% metallic zinc. Along with the zinc, the ores usually contain other metals, including toxic metals like cadmium and lead. In addition, zinc itself, although necessary in small amounts, is harmful in high doses to both humans and animals. All these toxic metals can contaminate water, soil, and plants in the area surrounding the mine.

Producing pennies also uses a great deal of energy. It takes energy to extract the zinc from the ore, roll it out, stamp it into coins, and transport the coins to banks. Because pennies are worth so little, they're much heavier than any other coin in proportion to their value.

The American Council of Science and Health calculates that just transporting pennies to banks - not even counting any of the other stages of their production - put about 107 million pounds of carbon dioxide (CO2) into the atmosphere between 1982 and 2016.

4. They Cost the Government Money

Anti-penny advocates are fond of pointing out that today, the penny costs taxpayers more to produce than it's actually worth. According to a report by the U.S. Mint, it now costs about $0.018 - or 1.8 cents - to make one cent. That means whenever the Mint produces a penny and sends it out to a bank, it's losing money on the deal.

According to CNN, the Mint has researched the possibility of making pennies from cheaper materials, but it could not find a way to bring the cost of producing them below their face value.

Of course, spending $0.018 to make a coin that's worth only $0.01 isn't necessarily a bad idea because coins are reusable. In theory, a single penny could be used for hundreds or thousands of transactions before it drops out of circulation.

However, this only works if the coins actually do circulate - and pennies, as noted above, often don't. They're so hard to use that they end up stuffed in jars or abandoned on sidewalks.

In 1996, the Government Accountability Office reported that roughly two-thirds of pennies don't circulate at all. More recently, economist Robert Shapiro estimated that each penny only gets used around twice per year, or 55 times over its lifespan.

As a result, the Mint has to keep making more pennies. In 2020, the Mint shipped out more pennies than nickels, quarters, and dimes put together - over 8 billion coins. That adds up to a loss of over $61 million for that year alone.

One problem with this argument, according to penny proponents, is that if there were no pennies, the Mint would have to produce more nickels. Nickels also cost more to make than their face value - about $0.07 apiece - so the Mint loses even more money on each nickel it produces than it does on each penny.

Many anti-penny advocates think the ideal solution to this problem is to eliminate the nickel as well, making the dime the smallest coin in circulation. Dimes cost less than $0.04 to make, so the Mint could produce more of those without losing money.

Aaron notes in his Brookings Institution editorial that eliminating both pennies and nickels would round off all cash transactions to the nearest $0.10, making for "easier math" and "less stuff in our pockets."

Reasons to Keep the Penny

Some of the arguments for keeping the penny are practical ones. For instance, penny supporters claim that eliminating the coin could harm the economy or hamper charities in their fundraising efforts.

However, other arguments are sentimental, having to do with the way people feel about the coin. These arguments aren't based on logic - which, ironically, makes them much harder to counter.

1. They Keep Prices Low

Penny supporters point out that if we get rid of the penny, all-cash transactions will have to be rounded off to the nearest nickel. According to Americans for Common Cents, this will lead to a "rounding tax." In other words, stores will deliberately manipulate their prices to ensure transactions are always rounded up instead of down.

Consumers using credit wouldn't be affected by this because their transactions could still be counted out to the cent. However, it would hit low-income Americans especially hard. According to CNBC, adults who make less than $30,000 per year are about four times as likely to make most of their purchases with cash as those who earn $75,000 or more.

The pro-penny group backs up its claim by pointing to the work of economist Raymond Lombra. In 1990, he testified before the Senate Banking Committee that his "careful statistical analysis" of prices showed that rounding cash sales up or down to the nearest nickel would cost consumers around $600 million per year (around $1.2 billion in 2021 dollars).

Lombra also argued that this small change in prices would trigger an increase in the Consumer Price Index (CPI). Consequently, all government payments tied to the CPI, such as Social Security, would rise, costing the government $1.5 billion ($3 billion in today's dollars) over five years.

However, a newer study by economist Robert Whaples, published by the Eastern Economic Journal in 2007, contradicts Lombra's findings. Lombra did his "careful analysis" by simply looking at a convenience store's prices and assuming that each consumer would buy three items in one visit. Whaples, by contrast, analyzed actual data from more than 200,000 convenience-store transactions in seven states.

Based on this data, Whaples concluded that after sales taxes and fees, consumers would come out slightly ahead on average with prices rounded off to the nickel. However, he also stresses that even if prices did increase, the difference would be so tiny it couldn't possibly affect the CPI. Thus, it couldn't affect government expenditures or trigger widespread inflation.

Another piece of evidence against Lombra's claims comes from Canada, which stopped minting its penny in 2013. Cash transactions there are now rounded up or down to the nearest $0.05. Payments made with credit, debit, or old-fashioned checks are still settled down to the cent.

According to Trading Economics, the inflation rate in Canada since the changeover has wavered between a high of around 3% and a low of negative 0.5%. At no point did it rise above its historical average of 3.2% until the post-COVID inflation surge that affected economies worldwide (including those that hadn't done away with their penny equivalent). In Canada, at least, eliminating the penny has not led to a widespread increase in prices.

2. Charities Rely on Them

Pro-penny groups argue that even if pennies seem worthless, they actually add up to hundreds of millions of dollars in charitable donations each year. Charities such as the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society and Ronald McDonald House raise funds through "penny drives," encouraging people to donate their unwanted pennies for important causes.

The very fact that pennies have so little value makes them useful to charities because people are happy to give them away.

Penny opponents point out several problems with this argument. First of all, if the U.S. Mint stops producing pennies, they won't simply lose their value overnight. Instead, the coins will be gradually pulled out of circulation.

It follows that once stores stop accepting pennies, consumers will have even more incentive to donate the coins to charity because they won't be able to use them anywhere else. That's what happened in Canada, where the Salvation Army and numerous other charities held drives to collect discontinued pennies in 2013.

Second, once pennies drop out of circulation, the nickel will become the lowest-value coin cluttering up people's pockets. So instead of penny drives, charities could start holding nickel drives, putting out bottles or wishing fountains to collect the new "useless" coins. And since each nickel is worth five times as much as a penny, charities would gather five times as much money with each spare coin tossed into the jar.

Citizens to Retire the U.S. Penny points out that in countries that have retired their one-cent coins, charities have not reported a significant drop-off in donations - although the group doesn't provide any sources to back up this claim.

Finally, small-change drives aren't a cost-effective way for charities to raise funds. It takes a lot of time for volunteers to pick up, clean, sort, and count all those coins, and the more pennies there are in the mix, the less value the charity gets for each coin it handles.

And as it grows ever easier for charities to accept donations electronically, coin drives are likely to play a diminishing role in fundraising.

3. They Honor Lincoln

Some supporters of the penny point out that it's the only coin bearing the image of Abraham Lincoln, probably our nation's most revered president. Eliminating the penny, they argue, would be disrespectful to his memory.

Anti-penny advocates scoff at this argument, pointing out that Lincoln would still remain on the $5 bill, which is actually useful to consumers. The bills, according to the Federal Reserve, cost only $0.048 to print, far less than their $5 face value. That makes them a much more cost-effective way to honor Lincoln than a penny that costs $0.018 to mint.

4. Americans Like Them

Despite all the arguments for retiring the penny, the majority of Americans are in favor of keeping it. A 2015 Harris poll shows that 51% of Americans favor keeping the penny, while just 29% think we should eliminate it.

A 2019 poll by Americans for Common Cents found even stronger numbers in favor of pennies, saying 68% of adults want to see the penny remain legal tender. However, the fact that this poll was conducted by a pro-penny group suggests that the questions might be somewhat biased toward the pro-penny side.

What's less clear is why Americans are so committed to a coin with so little monetary value. President Obama in his 2014 YouTube chat suggested that Americans are "attached emotionally" to the penny because it brings back happy childhood memories of saving pennies in piggy banks and seeing them eventually turn into dollars.

This is the least substantive argument in favor of keeping the penny, and yet, ironically, it's probably the most effective. So long as most Americans remain attached to the penny - whether their reasons are logical or not - it's unlikely that a bill to eliminate it will ever make it through Congress.

Final Word

It's possible that what happens to the penny could end up depending not on the law, but on decisions made by businesses. If more businesses follow Chipotle's example (while learning from its mistake) and start rounding down their bills, their customers will find themselves with fewer pennies in their pockets.

As both stores and individuals stop keeping pennies on hand, banks won't need to supply as many. Eventually, this reduced demand will result in fewer pennies being minted each year.

But it's hard to see anything changing overnight. Perhaps the penny is destined to continue its long, lonely slide into irrelevance.

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Should We Get Rid of the Penny? - 8 Reasons to Keep It vs Eliminate It

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Pennies are so close to worthless that many people argue it's time to do away with them altogether. Others argue that eliminating the one-cent coin could be harmful. Should we get rid of the penny? Find out the main arguments for keeping it and for eliminating it and decide for yourself.

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As America experiences a coin shortage, Planet Money takes a look at the value of the penny.

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This is just one of the stories from our "I've Always Wondered" series, where we tackle all of your questions about the world of business, no matter how big or small. Ever wondered if recycling is worth it About 5 to 9 billion pennies are minted each year. Where do they all go? Does the government melt down 5 to 9 billion pennies each year? Why are we not flooded with pennies? ? Or how store brands stack up against name brands? Check out more from the series here.
A couple of you wrote in with questions about pennies. William Mercker, from Bourbonnais, Illinois, asks:

Eric Coen wanted simply to know: Why is the U.S. still making pennies?

They end up tossed on the street, hidden under couch cushions and trapped in piggy banks.

Yet despite our apathy toward the penny, the U.S. Mint continues to produce billions of them each year.

We're not physically flooded with pennies, per se. But there's a "hidden flooding" happening, said Daniel Soques, an associate professor of economics at the University of North Carolina, Wilmington.

"People just have no desire to hold on to them because of their value," he said.

Even investing the effort to grab one off the floor might not be worth the payback.

"We treat pennies as though we don't respect them. We leave a penny there and we don't even bend over to pick it up. And it's because there's been a lot of inflation and economic growth and the value of our time has gone up and up and up," said Robert Whaples, an economics professor at Wake Forest University.

"The average earnings per hour in the United States is now a little bit over $30. And so that means the amount of time it takes to earn a penny is a second or two," he added.

So why do we still make pennies?

Canada, Finland, the Netherlands, Sweden, Australia and New Zealand have all removed the penny from circulation, so its elimination wouldn't be unprecedented. But we haven't done anything about the penny because a kind of inertia has settled in.

"There's no real lobby to get rid of the penny. There is a lobby to not get rid of the penny," Whaples said.

That lobby is a group called Americans for Common Cents. Back in 2014, the Center for Public Integrity reported that the organization is actually a front group for a zinc producer that supplies the U.S. Mint with zinc coin blanks used in penny production. (At the time, ACC's executive director denied that it was a front group.)

Eliminating the penny would also require congressional approval, and lawmakers arguably have more pressing matters to deal with.

"Congress, probably if they had the time to think about it, would say, 'Let's stop doing pennies,'" Whaples said. "But Congress is so busy with other things. Their decisions are billion- and trillion-dollar decisions. And this one just falls below the radar."

Although people don't necessarily respect the penny, it holds sentimental value for some. "They're shiny and they're pretty and you first learned about them when you were 4 years old and you thought they were so cool," Whaples said.

And for the superstitious, the penny is a harbinger of good fortune (at least, if it's heads up). "Some believe that any found penny will bring good luck, while others believe that only a penny lying face-up should be picked up. The latter thought stems from an ancient belief that there is a battle between good and evil," according to Checkiday.com, a website of holiday listings.

Andrew Keinsley, an associate professor of economics at Weber State University,said the U.S. penny is tied to the country's identity. To remove it would mean removing a unit of currency that honors Abraham Lincoln (the most popular president, according to a YouGov.com poll). "A lot of people just simply don't want to see that go," Keinsley said.

The Lincoln penny debuted in 1909, although the U.S. Mint has produced different iterations of a one-cent coin for centuries. Its first one-cent piece, known as the large cent, was created in 1793.

The case against the penny

On the flip side, there are plenty of reasons that experts say abolishing pennies would make sense.

"If you think about currency in different denominations, they're really supposed to make transactions easier. And the penny no longer provides that," said Soques of the University of North Carolina. "It can be cumbersome, and it's frustrating to have to go to the bank if you're a business and make sure you have enough pennies."

Soques noted that high inflation rates over the past couple of years have driven down its value.

On top of that, producing these coins costs the U.S. Mint a pretty penny. The mint's 2022 annual report revealed that it costs 2.72 cents to make 1 penny and 10.41 cents to make a nickel. In comparison, coins like dimes, quarters and the half-dollar cost less to produce and distribute than their face value.

Keinsley of Weber State said that if the value of the materials used to make pennies gets high enough, black markets could pop up. People could theoretically collect pennies, melt them down for their copper and zinc, then sell these commodities for higher prices, he explained.

"So it'd be pretty easy to walk into a bank, say, 'Hey, you have to exchange this single dollar for pennies,'" Keinsley said. "OK, I get 100 pennies. I can melt them down and sell them and make more than a dollar off of that."

But two things are preventing this from happening, he said. A) It would be illegal. B) The effort required means it wouldn't be particularly profitable - at least not yet.
There's a lot happening in the world. Through it all, Marketplace is here for you.
"As the prices of those commodities continue to rise and the overall value of the penny continues to fall with inflation, that becomes more and more of a problem," he said.

Keinsley pointed out that in the past, the U.S. has discontinued small denominations of currency without much of an impact. "The U.S. used to mint a half-cent coin up until 1857, at which point, it phased that out and started rounding to the nearest penny," he said.

One argument against the penny's elimination is that consumer prices would be rounded upward, turning a $1.99 item into a $2 item. But Whaples of Wake Forest studied this issue by taking data from convenience store transactions in various states, including Alabama, Georgia and Virginia.

When prices were rounded to the nearest nickel, it was pretty much a coin toss whether those prices inched up or took a step down, he found.

"I think there are still people who think that there'll be rounding up, and you'll get nicked by a penny many times and it'll help the seller and hurt the consumer a little bit," Whaples said. "That's the perception. But I don't think it's the reality."

Whaples' 2 cents on the issue is that the penny should be retired. He's spoken against it publicly for more than a decade and had expected that it would be gone by now.

Yet the humblest of coins has proven its resilience.

"I would not be surprised if it doesn't go away during my lifetime, at this point," Whaples said.

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Does it make sense to get rid of the penny?

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They clog our couches and streets, and they buy less than they cost to make. But they hold value for our national identity.

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5 Facts About Sharks That Will Make Your Jaw Drop

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5 Facts About Sharks That Will Make Your Jaw Drop

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Watch 5 Facts About Sharks That Will Make Your JAWS Drop | 5 FACTS on Epic

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Epic reaches 75 million kids in class and after school.

Built on a collection of 40,000+ popular, high-quality books from 250+ of the world's best publishers, Epic safely fuels curiosity and reading confidence for kids 12 and under.

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Watch 5 Facts About Sharks That Will Make Your JAWS Drop | 5 FACTS on Epic

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Instantly access 5 Facts About Sharks That Will Make Your JAWS Drop | 5 FACTS plus over 40,000 of the best books & videos for kids.

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A shark smells prey and swims toward it. The meal is some bait attached to a camera on the ocean floor. The big fish heads to the camera, and it is caught on video. The scene is not for a movie or TV show. It is for Global FinPrint, a project to create the first worldwide census of sharks.

The three-year project began in June. It also focuses on rays. Both sea creatures face challenges to their survival. A main goal of Global FinPrint is to find out where sharks and rays need help the most.

COURTESY GLOBAL FINPRINT

"Sharks and rays are under threat from fishing, habitat loss, and climate change," Demian Chapman told TFK. He is a marine biologist at Stony Brook University, in New York, and the lead scientist for the project. The team includes researchers in the United States and Australia.

Finding the Hot Spots

Millions of sharks and rays are killed each year. According to a 2013 study, around 100 million sharks are killed yearly. The fish are hunted for their meat and fins. In parts of Asia, the fins are prized for use in shark-fin soup.

TOBIAS BERNHARD RAFF-MINDEN PICTURES

Scientists want to learn more about the areas where sharks are doing well. "We want to find the hot spots, the places that still have lots of sharks and rays, and determine what makes them hot spots," Chapman says. Researchers will compare information from hot spots with data from areas where there are few sharks and rays or where the number of the fish is unknown.

COURTESY GLOBAL FINPRINT

Underwater cameras play a key role in the project. Scientists study the video and note when and where a shark or ray appears. To make sure they don't count the same fish more than once, scientists record its size, species, and markings. "We add all this information to the database," Chapman says.

COURTESY GLOBAL FINPRINT

Global FinPrint will be finished in 2018. Chapman says the information in the census will be useful to governments and organizations that want to protect the fish. "It will help determine what conservation efforts are needed around the world," he says, "and how to choose areas for protection."

Water Safety

VINCENT TRUCHET-MINDEN PICTURES

Shark attacks in U.S. waters left beachgoers nervous this summer. But experts say shark attacks are rare. According to new a study, in California, it is 91% less likely that a shark will attack a human today than it was in the 1950s.

The study says that in 2013, there was one shark attack for every 738 million beach visits by swimmers in California. "You have more of a chance to win the lottery than being bitten by a shark," says scientist Francesco Ferretti. He led the study.

THINK! How will counting sharks help scientists protect them?

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A shark smells prey and swims toward it. The meal is some bait attached to a camera on the ocean floor. The big fish heads to the camera, and it is caught on video. The scene is not for a...

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Discover why Hammerhead Sharks Have Never Killed a Human.

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Discover why Hammerhead Sharks Have Never Killed a Human.

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Climbing Mount Everest vs Shark Attack: Which is more Dangerous?

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Climbing Mount Everest vs Shark Attack: Which is more Dangerous?

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Great white sharks: Dangerous man-eaters or marine marvels?

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Great white sharks: Dangerous man-eaters or marine marvels?

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These curious sharks are victims of bycatch when they become entangled in fishing nets.

Nets are also intentionally used in Australia and South Africa to keep sharks away from beaches popular with people. There are also programmes of shark-culling at swimming hotspots, whereby any sharks trapped in nets or caught on baited lines are killed.

White shark teeth are highly prized for decoration and jewellery. Their fins are used in traditional Chinese medicine and the notorious shark fin soup. Removal of fins for this soup is one of the biggest threats to all oceanic shark stocks.

Despite measures introduced in the 1990s to protect the species, populations are thought to have declined by 30-40% over the last three generations according to the IUCN.

White sharks are estimated to live up to 73 years. Females take 30 years to reach sexual maturity and the average reproductive cycle is thought to take two to three years. This means populations take a long time to recover when they are disturbed.

Sadly, the greatest white sharks may be a thing of the past. With the species not living to such advanced ages, consequently they are not reaching their maximum size.

Recent research has also shown that climate change is pressuring the sharks to adapt. As sea temperatures rise, great white sharks are moving into new regions, with knock-on effects for threatened species including sea otters.

How to celebrate sharks

It's hard not to hear the ominous two-note Jaws theme when someone mentions great white sharks, but we are beginning to adopt a new tune.

After decades of discoveries revealing the complex behaviour of these amazing animals, even Jaws author Peter Benchley became a dedicated campaigner for shark protection. 'Sharks are nature at its most perfect. The most beautiful thing in the water you can imagine,' he declared in 2000.

White sharks are essential to ecosystems, preventing overpopulation by other species and limiting the spread of diseases by preying on weaker animals. There are international wildlife agreements to protect them, from improved record-keeping of catches to best practice for the safe release of sharks caught by accident. But conservationists are calling for more action.

Researchers are currently investigating safety measures for beachgoers that have less of a negative impact on shark species, including the use of drones to monitor shark populations from above.

You can help great white sharks by making your voice heard by those with the power to make change. Look out for campaigns like Shark Trust's Big Shark Pledge, and join likeminded people in advocating for a future where both people and sharks can thrive.

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Great white sharks: Dangerous man-eaters or marine marvels?

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Great white sharks are some of the world's most misunderstood animals. There is much more to these sensitive fish than just a big bite.

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Epic reaches 75 million kids in class and after school.

Built on a collection of 40,000+ popular, high-quality books from 250+ of the world's best publishers, Epic safely fuels curiosity and reading confidence for kids 12 and under.

Get Started

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online access fun thousands children great kids ebooks books

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Instantly access Tiger Sharks plus over 40,000 of the best books & videos for kids.

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Have you ever wondered what animals are more dangerous than sharks? These top ten animals might surprise you.

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national oceanic and atmospheric administration

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Only about a dozen of the more than 300 species of sharks have been involved in attacks on humans. Sharks evolved millions of years before humans existed and therefore humans are not part of their normal diets. Sharks primarily feed on smaller fish but some species prey upon seals, sea lions, and other marine mammals.

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Only about a dozen of the more than 300 species of sharks have been involved in attacks on humans. Sharks evolved millions of years before humans existed and therefore humans are not part of their normal diets. Sharks primarily feed on smaller fish but some species prey upon seals, sea lions, and other marine mammals.