From: [EMAIL PROTECTED] I sent this letter off recently: Attention of Mr. Jolyon Connell: Quote: Pheasant shoots injure and leave to die 12 million birds a year, according to a report by Animal Aid. The animal welfare group also criticises shoots for breeding millions of birds in intensive conditions, and for the 'dumping' of 75,000 tons of toxic lead shot on the countryside. The sport, says the report, is no longer a gentlemanly pursuit but a fully-fledged "agribusiness". Shooting groups have dismissed the claims as exaggerated "supposition". Unquote 7 October 2000, THE WEEK Although the above report doesn't actually state that the 75,000 tons of toxic lead is per annum it does leave the reader with that initial impression. Simple arithmetic exposes that as a fallacious. That amount of lead in fairly standard one and an eighth ounce loads would equate to more than 1.8 billion cartridges a year. Somehow, I think that is total dingo's kidneys. I realise that The Week was just quoting someone else's report but the failure of journalists to grasp simple numerical relationships sometimes leaves me aghast. The number of times that I have seen small arms calibres misquoted now leads me to believe that innumeracy is rife in the profession. Just looking at a ruler will tell anyone that the calibre of a handgun can't be .9 mm and yet I have often seen this reported. Kenneth Pantling ACMA (A shooter and an accountant - anyway, that's my excuse). Cybershooters website: http://www.cybershooters.org List admin: [EMAIL PROTECTED] ___________________________________________________________ T O P I C A The Email You Want. http://www.topica.com/t/16 Newsletters, Tips and Discussions on Your Favorite Topics
