2001-09-09 What is so hard about replacing the term "metric ton" with "tonne"? Let me guess, some illiterate doesn't know what that would mean if he/she sees it in print. Don't they make dictionaries anymore, where people look up words they don't know? Or if the author of a piece feels not all readers will be familiar with a term, why not define the term somewhere ONCE in the article? Such as a tonne is 1000 kg or 1 megagram (1 Mg). It may not be the job of the author to use educate the reader in the use of correct SI, but it is the job of the author to use correct SI and for the reader to educate himself if he/she doesn't know it. If we don't tolerate bad spelling and grammar, why should be tolerate bad usage of SI? How many people will actually say "short ton", or "long ton" or "imperial ton" , etc., when speaking or writing of other tons? So, why must the tonne be made into a complex name? The other thing, is why not use square kilometres (km�) instead of thousands of hectares? Anything over 100 ha can be square kilometres. And if they are going to use hectares, what is wrong with using "t/ha", instead of "Metric Tons/Hectares" (shown in the table as plural). Even "000 Metric Tons" can be expressed in Gigagrams (Gg). It could be so much simpler. It seems more than just journalists are innumerate. John ----- Original Message ----- From: "James R. Frysinger" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> To: "U.S. Metric Association" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> Sent: Saturday, 2001-09-08 23:39 Subject: [USMA:15147] Barlely interesting pages > Alas, not all USDA pages were this metric, but here are some barley > interesting ones. > > U.S. DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE GRAIN INSPECTION HANDBOOK > GRAIN INSPECTION, PACKERS AND STOCKYARDS BOOK II > ADMINISTRATION BARLEY FEDERAL GRAIN INSPECTION SERVICE 6/1/97 > "If requested, convert the pounds per bushel (lbs./bu) result to > kilograms per hectoliter (kg/hl) using the following formula: lbs./bu x > 1.287 = kg/hl and record in the "Remarks" section in whole and tenths." > http://www.usda.gov/gipsa/reference-library/handbooks/grain-insp/grbook2/bk2 ch2.pdf > > NAFTA tariff agreements. Uses kilograms and metric tons. > http://www.fas.usda.gov/itp/policy/nafta/barley.html > > US growing areas, yields in metric tons and metric tons per hectare: > http://www.usda.gov/agency/oce/waob/jawf/profiles/html/usa/usabar.html > > Ditto for UK: > http://www.usda.gov/agency/oce/waob/jawf/profiles/html/eur/ukgbar.html > > Jim > > -- > Metric Methods(SM) "Don't be late to metricate!" > James R. Frysinger, CAMS http://www.metricmethods.com/ > 10 Captiva Row e-mail: [EMAIL PROTECTED] > Charleston, SC 29407 phone/FAX: 843.225.6789 >
