Blood Spatter in Crime Scene Investigation Essay

Checking all aspects of a crime scene is a crucial part of investigating a crime. The thorough sampling of all suspicious items in a crime scene, like footsteps, hair strands, and even the changes that took place in the pieces of furniture may help in leading the authorities to the doer of the crime. Oftentimes, even the way the blood splattered from the victim to the walls and floors of the crime scene can help pave the way to the solution of the crime. Blood may be like any other piece of evidence in a crime scene. It is what everyone else immediately sees. It does not talk, yet it can tell so much information. Through analysis of blood splatter, an investigator can tell how the person was killed and from what angle it was done. It can also tell whether the act done fast or as slowly as possible. Blood splatter can greatly help in crime investigation through the analysis of it. Human Blood Normally, the human blood comprises seven to eight percent of the body weight. It carries the essential functions of carrying oxygen and nutrients to the body cells. It also rids the body of carbon dioxide, ammonia, and other body wastes. The blood also serves an important role in the body’s immune system and in maintenance of the body temperature. It is a specialized tissue that has various components. It is a four to six quarts tissue with many components being pumped throughout the body. It circulates constantly in the body, making everything function normally. This is the reason why, when this circulation is disrupted by any action, it spatters (O ‘Neil, 2008). There are various ways that can greatly disrupt the circulation of the blood. Definitely, the most disturbing are violent confrontations like, bullet-shot trauma, blunt force trauma, or knife trauma. The effects of these acts on the blood may vary into two. It can either spill or the blood may spurt out of the body into scattered drops. These differences in the effects of action to blood can help tell the forensic experts of what truly happened in the crime and to the victim (Castillo, 2009). Blood Spatters and the Crime Scene The positions of the blood stains or the patterns of the blood can greatly help in the solving of crimes. As was mentioned, there are numerous ways in which blood may come out from the body once a violent act is done to disturb the circulation. Through these various effects on the blood spatters, forensic scientist are able to conclude what really took place in the scene. Blood spatter normally tell the experts five important and oftentimes incriminating pieces of information about the crime. The positions of the blood spatters tell first, the activity at the scene. Second is the number of blows the victim received from the suspect or suspects. Third is the position of the victim and the assailant within the crime scene. Fourth is whether the death of victim was immediate or delayed. The fifth and last things that blood spatters tell are the characteristics of the weapon utilized by the assailant in attacking the victim (Waldrip, 2008). There a number of ways to analyze a blood spatter pattern. Given a room where blood is all over the wall, a person may conclude that the traumatic attack have been done all over the room. However, carefully following the rules on blood spatter analysis, forensics will definitely disagree. One way of knowing this fact is through the string convergence analysis. The string analysis is a common means of analyzing blood spatters. It utilizes strings that are attached to the points where blood has dropped. For instance, on a wall filled with blood droplets, an end of a string is pasted while the other end is pasted on another wall with a droplet. This is done with each remaining blood droplet all over the crime scene. If looked at by ordinary people, the pattern that will be formed by this activity may mean nothing. It will only look like a web created from a ball of yarn of string. However, for forensic experts, doing this will immediately tell them what they need to know (Carter, 2009). The pattern that was formed from the strings may look like a cobweb in the eyes of ordinary people, but to forensic experts, it already told the position where the victim was attacked. If observed carefully, the strings which were connected always meet in one area. The intersection or convergence point of all strings is the exact position of the victim when the attack occurred. From this, any lie or alibi given in relation to the position of the body will immediately be dismissed. The blood spatters unlike men, can not lie. As such, it is commonly believed more by judges and jurors (Carter, 2009). After the position of the victim is found, another form of blood analysis is done. The distance of the blood from victim is then measured. The measurement that is acquired from the distance always corresponds to a certain spatter velocity. This velocity also corresponds to a certain type of attack done to the victim (Waldrip, 2008). Low velocity blood spatter is typically indicated by five feet per second and three millimeter diameter and is usually dripping. Medium velocity blood spatter is on the other hand, indicated by five to twenty-five feet per second with less than three millimeter diameter. This type of velocity is commonly caused by blunt force trauma or sharp pr knife trauma. The third type of velocity is the high velocity spatter, which is more than one hundred feet per second with a spatter of less than one millimeter. This is indicative of gunshot trauma, power tools, and objects striking with extreme velocity or an explosion (Waldrip, 2008). Through the analysis of these different velocities of blood spatter, forensic investigators easily learn what the weapon of attack was used (Waldrip, 2008). This helps in identifying the weapon even if the suspect has disguised it, hid it, or completely eliminated it. This may incriminate the suspect or point the true criminal during litigation. Another use of blood spatter is in telling the angle of the impact of attack. This will point the position of the attacker from the victim and from where his arms began the movement for the attack. The tail of blood spatter is the most important aspect in this analytic strategy (Waldrip, 2008). In this analysis the most important things to look at are the positions of the drops. Drops that are circular are always from vertical positions. This means that the attack and position of the victim is above. This drop is commonly on the floor. If the blood droplets are on the wall, its elongation should be checked. As the angle increases, the drops usually elongate. This points that there is an existing distance between the attacker and the victim. If the angle is decreased, this may point that the attack was done point blank or in shorter distance from the victim (Waldrip, 2008). Other than these strategies, there still remaining other ways in blood analysis. Sometimes, when the blood flowed freely on the floor of the crime scene, forensics can easily tell that there are objects removed from the crime scene, perhaps by the criminal or accomplices. When the blood flowed freely on the floor of the scene, the area where there is no blood indicates that there had been an object in that place during the time of attack. The shape that was left by the object may help in locating this object which may be used as evidence against the criminal (Waldrip, 2008). Given these strategies or ways in analyzing blood spatters, it may be said that blood spatters or patterns of blood spills is a crucial part of a crime scene investigation. The many ways in which the blood patterns in a crime scene may be analyzed helps in deciphering certain information that other pieces of evidence may not be able to tell. Even though blood spatters are hard to look at, looking closely at it may actually help in incriminating the suspect of a crime. Criminals should keep in mind that even though the victims died the blood they leave behind will point out what really took place, where it was done, how exactly it was done and more importantly, who had done it. References Carter, F. (2009). â€Å"Blood Spatter Analysis†. Iprimus. com. Retrieved May 3, 2009 from http://home. iprimus. com. au/ararapaj/craigslea_testbed/Forensic%20Web%20Test%20 Site/blood_spatter_analysis. htm Castillo, F. (2009). â€Å"Forensic Blood Spatter Analysis- Stains and Spatter from Blood†. Ezinearticles. com. Retrieved May 3, 2009 from http://ezinearticles. com/? Forensic-Blood-Spatter-Analysis—Stains-And-Spatter- From-Blood&id=934816 O ‘Neil, D. (2008). â€Å"Blood Components†. Palomar. edu. Retrieved May 3, 2009 From http://anthro. palomar. edu/blood/default. htm Waldrip, E. (2008). â€Å"Blood Spatter Analysis†. Basepairlibrary. com Retrieved May 3, 2009 From http://72. 14. 235. 132/search? q=cache:SqqvCngUOhAJ:basepair. library. umc. edu/FBL M/BASE%2520PAIR%2520LABS/CSI%2520UMMC/H%2520- %2520Blood%2520Spatter%2520Analysis. ppt+blood+splatter+analysis&cd=8&hl=tl &ct=clnk&gl=ph Abstract The blood spatters in a crime scene greatly help in identifying the truths in a crime. There are ways to analyze the blood spatters in a scene. The spatters can tell the acts that were done in the scene. It can also tell the area in the scene where the act was done. It can also tell the weapon that was used. Through this, the criminal who did the act may easily be incriminated and the judge and juror may easily give a decision.

World War II and Operation Vengeance

World War II and Operation Vengeance During the Pacific conflict in World War II, American forces conceived a plan to get rid of Japanese commander Fleet Admiral Isoroku Yamamoto. Date Conflict Operation Vengeance was conducted on April 18, 1943, during World War II (1939-1945). Forces Commanders Allies Admiral William Bull Halsey16 Lockheed P-38G Lightnings Japanese Admiral Isoroku Yamamoto2 G4M Betty bombers, 6 A6M Zero fighters Background On April 14, 1943, Fleet Radio Unit Pacific intercepted message NTF131755 as part of project Magic. Having broken the Japanese naval codes, US Navy cryptanalysts decoded the message and found that it provided specific details for an inspection trip that the Commander-in-Chief of the Japanese Combined Fleet, Admiral Isoroku Yamamoto, intended to make to the Solomon Islands. This information was passed to Commander Ed Layton, the intelligence officer for the Commander-in-Chief of the US Pacific Fleet, Admiral Chester W. Nimitz. Meeting with Layton, Nimitz debated whether to act on the information as he was concerned that it might lead the Japanese to conclude that their codes had been broken. He was also concerned that if Yamamoto was dead, he might be replaced with a more gifted commander. After much discussion, it was decided a suitable cover story could be devised to alleviate concerns regarding the first issue, while Layton, who had known Yamamoto before the war, stressed that he was the best the Japanese had. Deciding to move forward with intercepting Yamamotos flight, Nimitz received clearance from the White House to move forward. Planning As Yamamoto was viewed as the architect of the attack on Pearl Harbor, President Franklin D. Roosevelt instructed Secretary of the Navy Frank Knox to give the mission the highest priority. Consulting with Admiral William Bull Halsey, Commander South Pacific Forces and South Pacific Area, Nimitz ordered planning to move forward. Based on the intercepted information, it was known that on April 18 Yamamoto would be flying from Rabaul, New Britain to Ballale Airfield on an island near Bougainville. Though only 400 miles from Allied bases on Guadalcanal, the distance presented a problem as American aircraft would need to fly a 600-mile roundabout course to the intercept to avoid detection, making the total flight 1,000 miles. This precluded the use of the Navy and Marine Corps F4F Wildcats or F4U Corsairs. As a result, the mission was assigned to the US Armys 339th Fighter Squadron, 347th Fighter Group, Thirteenth Air Force which flew P-38G Lightnings. Equipped with two drop tanks, the P-38G was capable of reaching Bougainville, executing the mission, and returning to base. Overseen by the squadrons commander, Major John W. Mitchell, planning moved forward with the assistance of Marine Lieutenant Colonel Luther S. Moore. At Mitchells request, Moore had the 339ths aircraft fitted with ships compasses to aid in navigation. Utilizing the departure and arrival times contained in the intercepted message, Mitchell devised a precise flight plan that called for his fighters to intercept Yamamotos flight at 9:35 AM as it began its descent to Ballale. Knowing that Yamamotos aircraft was to be escorted by six A6M Zero fighters, Mitchell intended to use eighteen aircraft for the mission. While four aircraft were tasked as the killer group, the remainder was to climb to 18,000 feet to serve as top cover to deal with enemy fighters arriving on scene after the attack. Though the mission was to be conducted by the 339th, ten of the pilots were drawn from other squadrons in the 347th Fighter Group. Briefing his men, Mitchell provided a cover story that the intelligence had been provided by a coastwatcher who saw a high ranking officer boarding an aircraft in Rabaul. Downing Yamamoto Departing Guadalcanal at 7:25 AM on April 18, Mitchell quickly lost two aircraft from his killer group due to mechanical issues. Replacing them from his cover group, he led the squadron west out over the water before turning north towards Bougainville. Flying at no higher than 50 feet and in radio silence to avoid detection, the 339th arrived at the intercept point a minute early. Earlier that morning, despite the warnings of local commanders who feared an ambush, Yamamotos flight departed Rabaul. Proceeding over Bougainville, his G4M Betty and that of his chief of staff, were covered by two groups of three Zeros (Map). Spotting the flight, Mitchells squadron began to climb and he ordered the killer group, consisting of Captain Thomas Lanphier, First Lieutenant Rex Barber, Lieutenant Besby Holmes, and Lieutenant Raymond Hine to attack. Dropping their tanks, Lanphier and Barber turned parallel to the Japanese and began to climb. Holmes, whose tanks failed to release, turned back out to sea followed by his wingman. As Lanphier and Barber climbed, one group of Zeros dove to attack. While Lanphier turned left to engage the enemy fighters, Barber banked hard right and came in behind the Bettys. Opening fire on one (Yamamotos aircraft), he hit it several times causing it to roll violently to the left and plummet into the jungle below. He then turned towards the water seeking the second Betty. He found it near Moila Point being attacked by Holmes and Hines. Joining in the attack, they forced it to crash land in the water. Coming under attack from the escorts, they were aided by Mitchell and the rest of the flight. With fuel levels reaching a critical level, Mitchell ordered his men to break off the action and return to Guadalcanal. All of the aircraft returned except Hines which was lost in action and Holmes who was forced to land in the Russell Islands due to a lack of fuel. Aftermath A success, Operation Vengeance saw the American fighters down both Japanese bombers, killing 19, including Yamamoto. In exchange, the 339th lost Hines and one aircraft. Searching the jungle, the Japanese found Yamamotos body near the crash site. Thrown clear of the wreckage, he had been hit twice in the fighting. Cremated at nearby Buin, his ashes were returned to Japan aboard the battleship Musashi. He was replaced by Admiral Mineichi Koga. Several controversies quickly brewed following the mission. Despite the security attached to the mission and the Magic program, operational details soon leaked out. This began with Lanphier announcing upon landing that I got Yamamoto! This breach of security led to a second controversy over who actually shot down Yamamoto. Lanphier claimed that after engaging the fighters he banked around and shot a wing off the lead Betty. This led to an initial belief that three bombers had been downed. Though given credit, other members of the 339th were skeptical. Though Mitchell and the members of the killer group were initially recommended for the Medal of Honor, this was downgraded to the Navy Cross in the wake of the security issues. Debate continued over credit for the kill. When it was ascertained that only two bombers were downed, Lanphier and Barber were each given half kills for Yamamotos plane. Though Lanphier later claimed full credit in an unpublished manuscript, the testimony of the lone Japanese survivor of the battle and the work of other scholars supports Barbers claim. Selected Sources World War II Database: Operation VengeanceUS Naval Institute: Operation Vengeance

7 Idioms from the Military

7 Idioms from the Military 7 Idioms from the Military 7 Idioms from the Military By Mark Nichol Military terminology and slang is a rich source of expressive expressions. Most, like â€Å"bite the bullet,† are clichà ©s, but some, such as â€Å"bomber crew,† are unusual (so much so, sometimes, that in writing they may require a partial explanation). 1. Awkward Squad This obscure but oh-so-useful phrase originated in military usage to refer to a unit of particularly inept recruits. Now, in civilian usage, it denotes an incompetent or obstructive group in a company or organization. 2. AWOL The acronym for â€Å"absent without leave† (pronounced â€Å"AY-wall†), sometimes spelled AWL (though pronounced the same), refers to the status of military personnel who desert their posts. It now refers in general to somebody who literally abandons a location, mentally disengages, or figuratively rejects a previously held conviction or opinion. 3. Bite the Bullet This expression refers to the tradition of giving a wounded soldier a bullet to bite on in the absence of an anesthetic while performing surgery on him on or near the battlefield. (An alternative theory refers to tearing a cartridge open with one’s teeth, but this wasn’t dangerous or difficult.) In casual use, biting the bullet is facing an unpleasant and/or difficult task. 4. Bomber Crew This phrase refers to the cinematic clichà © of the ethnically mixed crew of a military aircraft, familiar to fans of movies filmed and/or set during World War II: The characters, whether representing the crew of a bomber, soldiers in a platoon, or sailors on a ship, typically included such disparate types as a Jew from New York, a Midwestern farm boy, a tough guy from some rust belt metropolis, a Southerner, and so on. The expression could be used, for example, to refer to the â€Å"bomber-crew inclusiveness† of a poster depicting an ethnically diverse array of people. 5. Close Ranks In military formations, to close ranks is to compress the mass of soldiers after marching or standing apart, generally to create a more formidable offensive or defensive formation. In figurative terms, â€Å"closing ranks† now refers to an act of solidarity such as uniformly supporting someone or something subject to criticism. 6. Rank and File In marching and standing formation, soldiers standing abreast are said to be in the same rank, while a line of troops located from front to back is a file. (From the idea that the closer one is to the front of a marching column or a standing unit, the higher one’s place in the military hierarchy, came the use of the word rank to denote a degree of authority.) Now, â€Å"rank and file† is used figuratively to refer to the â€Å"foot soldiers† the ordinary employees as opposed to the leaders of an organization. 7. Scuttlebutt This term derives from the butt, or cask, that held drinking water on sailing ships; it was scuttled, or provided with a hole in the top, so that water could be drawn. In the same way that office workers gather around a water cooler to share gossip, the scuttlebutt was the locale of idle talk among mariners. Hence, scuttlebutt came to refer to the gossip itself, and the usage was extended to civilian environments. Want to improve your English in five minutes a day? Get a subscription and start receiving our writing tips and exercises daily! Keep learning! Browse the General category, check our popular posts, or choose a related post below:85 Synonyms for â€Å"Help†Cannot or Can Not?How to Punctuate Introductory Phrases

Analysis of John Dewey's Ideas of Education Essay

Analysis of John Dewey's Ideas of Education - Essay Example Mostly, educational instructions have an established pedagogical method, and each student will react to it and grasp from it, depending upon one’s quality of experiences. So, the teaching curriculum needs to be designed taking into account and caring for the individual differences. Dewey writes, â€Å"The history of educational theory is marked by the opposition between the idea that education is a development from within and that it is formation from without; that it is based upon natural endowment and that education is a process of overcoming natural inclination and substituting in its place habits acquired under external pressure.†(1998, p.1) According to Dewey, education apart from being a private ambition and accomplishment has a broader social purpose, to shape oneself as an effective member of the democratic society.† Dewey argues that the one-way delivery style of authoritarian schooling does not provide a good model for life in a democratic society. Inste ad, students need educational experiences which enable them to become valued, equal, and responsible members of society.† (John Dewey†¦.) What is the theory? The theory is based on another man’s experience. The misunderstanding about Dewey is about his support for progressive education. According to Dewey, just by attacking the traditional education methods, one doesn’t become progressive. Freedom eulogized by votaries of progressive education is no solution. Structure and order are hallmarks of the learning method, and it must adhere to a clear theory of experience; the whims of teachers or students are of no consequence and they will not deliver goods expected of a good system of education. Dewey articulates a system of education on the basis of a theory of experience.  

Napoleon Bonaparte's Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Napoleon Bonaparte's - Essay Example The code was influential and formed the private law basis in countries such as Italy, Spain, Belgium, Netherlands, Portugal and Poland. These countries adopted this code especially those aspects related to family laws which were discriminatory against the married women. The codes were adopted mostly under the European Court on Human Rights’ pressure1. However, Napoleon is remembered best for his role in the Napoleonic Wars which were those wars which were led against the French by series of coalitions. He established a state which dominated over many parts of the continental Europe and spread across the ideas for the French Revolution while he consolidated an imperial monarchy. He gained success in these wars and proved to be one of the greatest military commanders of all time. He is still remembered for his warfare and innovations that led the success and despite having many enemies who were superior; he managed to successfully run his campaigns. Today, examples of his campaigns are taught at the military academics globally. In the beginning of the nineteenth century there was much disturbance and disarray in the French Empire until Napoleon was engaged in the series of conflicts that tackled with every major power in the Europe. However, these conflicts resulted in a series of victories and France was able to secure a dominating position in the continental Europe under Napoleon’s military. Napoleon also managed to maintain the influence of the French Empire on the European countries by forming alliances and appointing family and friends to rule these European countries as being the client states of the French (Landau 55). When it is about the impact on the events, Napoleon’s personality is what took the power. He had the skill and expertise which allowed him to take many correct decisions as he chose the best generals for the armies and stood by them till the end. He reorganized many of the things which allowed

The effect of Salbutamol on the response of Ileum to Acetylcholine Essay

The effect of Salbutamol on the response of Ileum to Acetylcholine - Essay Example This clearly implies that there is no significant effect of sulbutamol on the way the ileum responds to acetylechline. However, there is a significant effect of the sulbutamol on the way ileum responds to nicotine. This desensitisation was purely characterised by increasing values of EC (50) of nicotine without a change in its maximal effect. This thus implies that treatment of ileum with salbutamol after exposure to the acetylcholine, had little desensitisation while treatment of ileum with salbuamol after exposure to nicotine caused some larger increase in the Nicotine-mediated phoshoinositide hydrolysis. Response to question 2. Salbutamol could be referred to as an adrenergic agonist receptor, which is used to reduce the effects of bronchospasm in diseases like asthma. It is also used in the treatment of cystic fibrosis, pulmozyme, acetylcysteine, and iprptropium that is linked to DOK-7. As an example of a beta2-agonist, sulbutanol can also be used in obstetrics. The salbutamol th at is intravenous could be utilised as a tocolytic in relaxing the smooth muscles of the uterus, and hence delay premature labour. This has made sulbutamol be the most preferred agent. In the context of this experiment, salbutamol antagonist’ caused a parallel shift of the given dose response curve.

Implementing A Mandatory Recycling Program

Implementing A Mandatory Recycling Program In a world where global warming and going green are common terms in the English language, it can sometimes be difficult to decipher what it all means and just what the individual can do to help. Recycling is a major issue today and though there is controversy about whether it is necessary and how necessary it may be, implementing a mandatory recycling program is imperative for the environment and the people that live in it. Recycling comes with many benefits and prevents problems such as pollution and habitat destruction. Currently, our recycling programs are poor, and in order to improve them, a mandatory measure needs to be taken. Some oppose to it because they claim that it is expensive, ineffective, not as environmentally sound as other options, and does not provide the job opportunities needed. All of these oppositions are not valid or strong arguments and will be proved wrong. Recycling is necessary to the earth and its inhabitants. Recycling can be defined as reprocessing discarded solid materials into new, useful products.  [1]  It can reduce water pollution which would then protect species and reduce habitat destruction. Recycling reduces air pollution as well which would then reduce the effects or process of global warming. Further, it reduces solid waste disposal as well as energy demand which make fuel supplies last longer. Creating a program to require recycling from everyone would clearly benefit a variety of environmental processes. Individual households as well as workplaces produce five major types of materials that can be recycled. This includes paper products, glass, aluminum, steel, and some plastic. In order to understand the benefits of a mandatory program, the two ways recyclable materials can be reprocessed need to be addressed. The first way is called primary or closed loop recycling. This is where waste is recycled into new products of the same type. For example, a newspaper is recycled b ack into a new newspaper. The second way is called secondary recycling or downcycling. This is where waste materials are converted into different products. For example, a newspaper is recycled into cellulose insulation. There are two different types of wastes that can be recycled; preconsumer and postconsumer waste. Preconsumer waste is generated in a manufacturing process and recycled instead of being discarded. Postconsumer waste is generated by the consumers use of the product. Both types are equally important to be recycled. Theoretically, anything can be recycled but it comes down to two important things. These two things are important in deciding how the mandatory program will work successfully. The first question that needs to be addressed is will the item be recycled? In the process of separating the wastes collected for recycling, some of it gets mixed with other wastes and sent to landfills or incinerated. Secondly, will consumers actually purchase the recycled products an d complete the cycle to make it profitable? In aid to a mandatory program, it would help if the government required a label that indicated how much of the product contained recycled material.1  [2]   Our recycling rates are poor, and seem even worse when comparing them to the rates of other developed nations. Both Switzerland and Japan recycle about half of their municipal solid waste or MSW, while the United States only recycles about thirty percent of its MSW. With a mandatory recycling program, studies show that the US and other developed countries could recycle sixty to eighty percent of their MSW. Some believe that we do not have a problem with our waste management. If the previous percentages were not enough, then the following statistics are more than convincing. The United States wastes enough aluminum to rebuild the countrys entire airline fleet every three months; enough tires each year to encircle the planet almost three times; about 2.5 million nonreturnable plastic bottles every hour; enough office paper each year to build a wall eleven feet high across the country from New York City to San Francisco.1  [3]  Clearly, wasting what could be recycled is a big issue in America. Requiring citizens to recycle would help reduce the severity of these waste problems. Now that the different types of recycling and the magnitude of the recycling problem has been outlined, claims to why we should not implement a program can be easily, successfully, and intelligently declined. It is argued that recycling is more expensive than trash collection and disposal. However, when designed right, recycling programs are cost-competitive with trash collection and disposal.2 When comparing costs of both methods, the cost of curbside recycling is usually compared with the cost of conventional disposal alone. The fallacy here is that with recycling, the costs of collection and disposal are displaced. Instead of this comparison, the average cost of collection and disposal should be compared with the overall average cost of collection and recovery. Through this comparison, the costs are very impressive.2 Additionally, the United States spends five-hundred million dollars a year on picking up litter.1 Mandatory programs would lower this number significantly. It has been found to be true that recycling is expensive in some communities. However, it needs to be noted again that when done correctly, it is much cheaper. Recycling costs less than traditional trash collection and disposal when communities achieve high levels of recycling.2 The communities that the data is reflecting an expensive program are still recycling at very low rates and are treating recycling as an add-on to their traditional trash system rather than as a replacement for it.2 This is often the problem when critics are evaluating the costs of a program. They often treat it as an add-on cost, and [it is] therefore expensive. 2 Baltimore Maryland is a great example of how you should transition into the program. They use the same trucks to collect recyclables as they do trash, separately and at different times. By doing this, Baltimore made their upfront costs minimal and created no increase in their solid waste budget.2  [4]  The economics of the entire situation improves when recycling is not an add-on to trash disposal, but it is integrated into the process. It is falsely assumed that we can only recycle twenty-five to thirty percent of our waste. This number was considered a maximum in 1985, however today it should be considered a minimum and a much higher percentage is achievable.2 Currently the US does only recycle about thirty percent of its MSW. Because of these two statistics, those opposed to the program often think of this percentage as a cap. However, this is untrue. Although the amount of solid waste generated has leveled off individually, it has continued to increase on a national scale and there is therefore more potential waste to be recycled. Rates of what is being recycled have increased dramatically since the 1980s and early 1990s. The growth of the recycling programs is especially responsible for the increase. A dozen states are recycling about thirty percent or more of their MSW, but among those states communities are recycling up to fifty percent.2 These numbers are much higher in these communities and are continuing t o grow because of aspects of programs they have implemented. They have put into effect waste prevention strategies, convenient services such as curbside and drop-off, economic incentives, and resident participation. If all of these strategies and more were implemented on a federal level to require a recycling program, all of our statistics would improve. 2 The third argument that those against recycling programs use is that landfills and incinerators are more cost effective and environmentally sound.2 However the truth of the matter is again, when designed correctly, recycling programs are cost competitive with their competition. Further, recycling programs provide pollution prevention benefits. When recycling, the pollution normally generated from landfilling and incinerating materials is avoided, and the environmental burden of extracting virgin materials and the manufacturing process is reduced.2  [5]  Even with low landfill tipping fees, it is still the preferable option to recycle. Currently, twenty two states have less than ten years of landfill capacity left.2 Some southern states even have as low as five years. Now, why is this important to know? We need to look towards the future. The new landfills that would need to be created could cost much more than the ones that are here today.2 Recently, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), has issued that municipal landfills must install liners and leachate, the liquid that drains from the landfill, collections systems. Because of these new regulations, hundreds of landfills are closing, and fewer and larger privately owned landfills are remaining open. Fewer landfills results in increased transportation costs. As of now there might not be scarcity in land for new landfills, but new landfills are being created large distances from population centers. Long hauling and disposing municipal solid waste at distant landfills is already costing some cities on the West and East coasts between $40 and $70 per ton.2 These privately owned landfills may increase these costs. Studies show that privately owned landfills are much more expensive than publicly owned landfills by twenty percent, and publicly owned ones provide greater control over disposal activities. This all means that the existing landfills are a precious possession and recycling extends their lives.2 Although lack of land is not currently the problem for new landfills, communities do not exactly want to be dumped on. Therefore, a policy that reduces the burden on the environment and on local communities from the transportation and dumping of trash should be put into place.2 Incinerators are very expensive and recycling would be much more cost effective. Tip fees at incinerators built between 1989 and 1993 average $60 per ton.2 Incinerators built more recently have had to lower tip fees simply to compete with other disposal facilities. Montgomery County, Maryland is a great example of the how expensive the option of incinerators is. Montgomery County had to raise taxes to property owners just to cover the operating costs of its newly built incinerator after it lowered the facilitys tip fees in order to attract waste.2  [6]   Claiming that landfills and incinerators are more environmentally sound is not a valid argument. Even the best landfills contaminate groundwater from eventually leaking. As far as incinerators are concerned, thirty percent by weight of trash enteringà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦exists as ash.2 This ash is a waste that contains high levels of toxic residue. Furthermore, they emit carbon dioxide, sulfur dioxide, nitrogen oxide, and other acid gases that landfills do not. One study found that Floridas largest incinerators were burning significant amounts of recycling materials. This is due to the fact that contracts are requiring governments to bring a certain amount of waste to incinerators. These contracts are posing a major disincentive to maximize recycling or waste reduction programs.2 In summary, although landfills and incinerators may have some benefits, they are preventing us from moving forward and implementing more environmentally friendly and cost effective methods. We need to plan for the future because what is cheap and easy now will not be in the future. It is much easier to prevent a problem, then to fix the problem once it is already out of control. The next myth about recycling is that landfills are significant job generators for rural communities, and recycling programs would take these jobs away. However, the fact is that recycling creates many more jobs for rural and urban communities than landfill and incineration disposal options.2 Simply sorting the recycled materials alone would provide ten times more jobs than landfilling. The biggest pay-off though is making new products from the old products. So many aspects of the recycling process provide thousands of jobs. New recycling-based manufacturers employ even more people and at higher wages. Recycling-based paper mills and plastic product manufacturers, for instance, employ 60 times more workers than do landfills. Product reuse also sustains significantly more jobs than disposal options. Computer refurbishing repair, for example, creates 68 times more jobs than landfills.2  [7]  There are 25.5 million tons of durable goods discarded into the landfills in American each year. If just half of them each year were reclaimed through reuse, over 100,000 new jobs in the recycling industry would be created alone.2 Recycling is entirely sensible from an economic standpoint.3 There are doubts about just how willing citizens would be to adapting a new waste disposal method. As we can see from this problem, it is evident that many households do not recycle at all. It is a valid point to question, would people even go along with a mandatory program? The answer, through polls, is yes. A survey conducted with Wisconsin residents discovered that ninety-six percent responded that they believe their recycling efforts are worthwhile.3 Although some may argue the statistic would be lower across the board of the United States, a number that high is very promising. It does not seem difficult to educate people on the environment so they understand why it is necessary for a program. Regardless of the doubts some people may have, a recycling program is extremely necessary for the people, the United States, and the whole planet. The benefits of recycling should diminish any doubts. Arguments against a program have all been proven to be weak arguments and even the biggest issue of economics has been addressed. It is a much better choice financially to implement a full recycling procedure. In a world where global warming and going green are common terms in the English language, everyone should be able to say they are doing something to help. Everyone should be able to say they are recycling.