Posted: Sun 06 Mar 2005, 00:35:32
Sorry, a guestimated measure of variance on estimated statistics would be meaninless - its all estimates. You could find the variance on the specific studies if you wanted to put the research in at your local university library, the only place you'll find them.
But extrapolating to global and putting a definite number on it is more an exercise of publicity. The ecologists don't know exactly how many are dieing off. They just know its lots. They can't even agree on how many species the planet supports.
The number 7 probably comes from environmental publications, maybe
Greenpeace. You have to have definite numbers for soundbites. People don't have any patience for scientific uncertainty. They want answers NOW.
But extrapolating to global and putting a definite number on it is more an exercise of publicity. The ecologists don't know exactly how many are dieing off. They just know its lots. They can't even agree on how many species the planet supports.
The number 7 probably comes from environmental publications, maybe
Greenpeace. You have to have definite numbers for soundbites. People don't have any patience for scientific uncertainty. They want answers NOW.