Measuring the Real World

Offers an introduction in Applied Statistics focusing on some of the statistics of today's society--world wide population growth, economic developments, international trade and energy consumption, global maldistribution of income and absorption of resources, depletion of species and resources, environmental changes, and human problems.

Autorentext
Stephen Battersby is an Associate of the International Public and Environmental Health Centre at the Robens Institute, University of Surrey and an environmental health consultant. He has worked for a number of local authorities as an environmental health officer and was Assistant Secretary at the Institution of Environmental Health Officers (now the Chartered Institute of Environmental Health) where he was involved in the development of policies which resulted in the legislative changes introduced by the Environmental Protection Act 1990. From 1989 until 1996, he was Editor of Environmental Law Brief and has lectured widely on aspects of environmental law and policy.

Klappentext
Suitable for first and second year undergraduates using statistics in area studies and the many related subjects (earth and environmental sciences; geography or European studies; social, historical or development studies). It takes a problem driven approach and goes well beyond the presentation of introductory quantitative methods by focusing on some of the planet?s most critical environmental and social issues. Key Features:

• The book presents national statistics that yield socio-economic and environmental data for more than 140 countries.
• Each chapter introduces and explains a specific group of statistical techniques such as primary or secondary magnitudes, ratios, percentages, life expectancy, arithmetic mean, time series, percentiles, indices, forecasting, regression and correlation, frequency distribution and confidence intervals.
• Statistical methods are applied in a real-world context ? in the spheres of population, production, pollution, depletion and climate change. Readers are encouraged to apply these methods using self-selected data into areas which they would like to research. Designed to enable students to explore the material in a flexible way the statistical information may be accessed from a data disk and a Home Page which have been developed to provide the reader with additional quantitative information and answers to many of the tasks included. Measuring the Real World combines two learning objectives for all students ? a competence in elementary data treatment and an enhanced understanding of key world issues.

Inhalt
The Global Situation.

Primary and Secondary Magnitudes.

Ratios.

Percentages.

The Arithmetic Mean.

Time Series.

The Distribution of World Product.

Indices.

The Population Explosion.

Regression and Correlation.

Frequency Distributions.

Bringing It All Together.

Bibliography.

Index.