Update - The European Platform Against Numbers

As a follow up to my previous post about the European Platform against Windfarms, and Rice-cookery, a kind fellow has pointed out a statement made recently by the CEO of EPAW, Mark Duchamp, on a post on the Wind Turbine Syndrome website: 

"Europeans too are suffering. In France alone, there are over 900 associations of windfarm victims, present or future, fighting to get their voice heard. In Germany, well over 1,000 groups, in the UK, hundreds, etc. And serious health problems develop over the length of exposure, the years of sleep deprivation, of headaches, stress and depression."

Let's break this down. In my previous analysis of EPAW, I found that France had 36 valid anti-wind groups, Germany had 43, and the UK had 61. 

To compare, let's take the lower-end number proposed by Duchamp. For France, let's say 900 (to be fair though, he does include 'present and future'). For Germany, 1,000, and for the UK, let's interpret 'hundreds' as 200. 

Duchamp's inflation applied to France and Germany are oddly similar - both around 2,500% larger than the actual numbers. He is somewhat redeemed by the UK - inflated by a meager 328%. On average, he has inflated the figures about 17.2 times the quantities of groups he lists on the EPAW website. 

To demonstrate the extent of this bias, we shall use this multiplier on some statistics: 

- There are 447 letters in the alphabet 

Might actually be true, depending on how you define 'alphabet'.....

- The average human lifespan is 1,154 years 

Also has potential validity, depending on your interpretation of Monty Python and the Holy Grail. 

- The average height (on all fours) of a Labrador retriever is 11 metres tall. 

Expecting angry comments from Labradors about this one. 

- The numbers of hours of television watched, by an average American, per day, is 86.

Not too hard to achieve, with a little time on your hands..

Ah, the joys of unfounded exaggeration  To end, here's a comment from the same thread:

"NOW 2 YEARS HAVE GONE BY. NOW WE HAVE PEOPLE THAT LOVE WINDMILLS GOING CLINICALY INSANE, WALKING THE STREETS ABUSING EVERYONE, YELLING AT PEOPLE IN SHOPS, ITS GREAT STUFF !! ??

BAN THESE EVIL MONSTER NOW."

- Johannes Karl Marciniak