BBC recycles bland puffery

The BBC reports that the lights are going out on a section of the M6 in an attempt to cut carbon emissions and light pollution. "The Highways Agency will switch off the lights between junctions 27 at Standish and 29 at Lostock Hall in Lancashire each night from midnight to 0500."

So far so precise. But then:

Andy Withington, the Highways Agency's area performance manager for south Lancashire, said: "This is the seventh site in England and we expect it to work as successfully as everywhere else - achieving up to a 40% saving in carbon emissions and energy use as well as giving local communities reduced light pollution of the night sky."

"Up to ... 40%" is the type of meaningless motto that retailers put on their Sale tickets. It conveys hardly any information.

And then there's the little matter of 40% of what, exactly?

Shame on the BBC for thoughtlessly recycling such puffery as news.