Here’s a example of the modern malaise of innumeracy:
Whilst it’s clear there’s been a paucity of rainfall in the state of New South Wales, the article is riddled with unasked questions.
Sydneysiders are using higher than average amounts of water and face the prospect of four more years of restrictions and a hike in bills from next July if the drought does not break.
Higher than average.
Per person? Per household? In total and therefore compared to previous years?
Has the denominator changed, such as an increase in population, for example?
We aren’t told.
Instead, we have a late entry for the 2019 Stating the Bleeding Obvious Prize:
Although a typical household bill would be 2.5 per cent higher under the latest submission, customers could cut bills by saving water.
We do get a clue to the answers to the earlier questions though:
But despite a recent increase in usage, the Berejiklian government says Sydneysiders are using less water per person each day than they were during the Millennium drought.
Ok, that suggests a population increase has occurred. Funny the article doesn’t spell that out though.
That dreaded noun, “average”, makes yet another appearance:
It says rainfall across the catchments over the past two years was “below to very much below average” and the Bureau of Meteorology predicts a dryer and warmer than average summer.
Below to very much below.
Well, that clears things up for us….
Bill’s Opinion
Either the journalist writing this article is completely innumerate, not curious, blindly regurgitating a press release or trying to drive an agenda.
If the first explanation, perhaps they should read Factfulness.
Size of population change would scare the horses if widely known.
I wonder if declining water reserves may have something in common with crush loading public transport.
Increase infrastructure, increase rainfall, continue immigration policy. Easy as.
Disclaimer: As a new Australian I have a natural predispostion to be anti-immigration
Have you made the leap across the ditch?
Been in True Blue since 2010
It must be quite difficult for you being a Kiwi Bear in God’s country.
“It must be quite difficult for you being a Kiwi Bear in God’s country.”
I suspect it’s not all bad:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bledisloe_Cup
That’s something I would expect to hear from a Kiwi man child, not you.
Then pretend that’s what happened.
Sorted!
except that saving water will NOT lead to consumers paying less. During the last drought water usage halved and Sydney Water complained that they couldn’t make a profit so the government doubled the price.
Dan that’s exactly what happened in Cape Town.