ABOUT THE YEAR OF ECOLOGY, STATISTICS AND THE ATTITUDE TOWARDS STATISTICAL DATA

The article notes that in the Russian Federation 2017 was officially declared the Year of Ecology. As this year statistical information on environmental protection, by definition, should play a special role in the speeches of state and public leaders, in coverage of the situation by the authorities, in publications and messages in mass media, the article analyzed the situation in Russia, using the specified statistics. This assessment is based primarily on the speeches, messages, interviews, etc., made in 2016 and in the beginning of 2017 - the Year of the Ecology.

The author started from the fact that submission of the official statistical information must be supported by authoritative statistical data. Incidentally this calls for strict control and verification of the outlined information, observance of basic responsibility when posting profile messages. Unfortunately, by the beginning of the Year of Ecology the situation with environment statistics, data on pollution and degradation, and on conducted environmental activities, was characterized by substantial shortcomings. The purpose of this article is in describing and analyzing existing errors of specific facts and figures in the speeches of a large number of officials.

The author notes that it is not about the inconsistencies in figures collected and published by various agencies, about the fundamental differences in accounting methodology, about the different approaches to the organization of statistical observations, about the discrepancy in summary groupings, etc. These errors are caused by trivial haste and carelessness while preparing the materials that include statistical data; lack of qualified approach to the selection of specific figures and their interpretation; weak understanding of a given economic and statistical issue or environmental problem and a number of other, largely subjective factors.

When analyzing the errors the article not only acknowledges their existence and gives a general description. In many cases, it is characterized by a domestic entity of a particular error, possible reasons for its occurrence. There also are assumptions about the implications of having wrong approaches and mistakes. The abovementioned inaccuracies include incorrect data in the physical measurements, incorrect cost characteristics and comparative values, of which those calculated using national accounting aggregates. The author presents main ways and forms to eliminate (or at least significantly reduce) the number and scope of mistakes in handling statistical data in this area.

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