SORRY, WRONG NUMBER: The Use and Misuse of Numerical Facts in Analysis and Media Reporting of Energy Issues*

摘要: ▪ Abstract Students of public policy sometimes envision an idealized process where competent data collection and incisive analysis on both sides a debate lead to reasoned judgments sound decisions. Unfortunately, numbers that prove decisive in debates are not always carefully developed, credibly documented, or correct. This paper presents four widely cited examples the energy field either misleading wrong. It explores origins these numbers, how they missed mark, have been misused by analysts media. In addition, it describes uses three-stage analytical for evaluating such statistics involves defining terms boundaries, assessing underlying data, critically analyzing arguments.