As always, though, while the scale of this crisis is vast beyond our comprehension, the true impact is devastatingly personal.
While the scale and materials are different, these again are found in modern continuous production of foodstuffs.
Historians point out that while the scale was huge, it was barely half of the numbers requested by the Nazis, who wanted 25,000 Jews deported.
But while the scale of the gains may be debated, there is no doubt the scheme has eased the pressure on the most deprived communities.
While the scale of the challenge is formidable, there is optimism cities can handle peak populations and even be made more liveable, the roundtable heard.
While the scale of the disaster is not yet fully known, aid workers said the humanitarian impact was likely to be overwhelming.
"While the scale of potential change is currently unclear, we have contingency plans in place which include the establishment of new legal entities in England," it said.
The artist's training as a jewelry designer has served him extremely well, for while the scale of his artwork has exploded, his attention to detail has remained steadfast.
While the scale of the program is not yet entirely clear, Europeans are being put at a severe disadvantage compared with U.S. citizens.
But, while the scale of the problem is massive, I am hugely heartened by the gathering efforts of governments and people across the world to help tackle it.
And while the scale of the unrest of the past few days does not yet compare with the three-week convulsion in hundreds of suburbs and towns in 2005, a chilling new factor makes it, in some sense, more menacing.
