Good letter. D. -----Original Message----- From: James R. Frysinger <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> To: U.S. Metric Association <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> Date: January 26, 2002 23:17 Subject: [USMA:17666] [Fwd: Fw: International System of Units (SI)]
>Norm Werling (formerly a subscriber here) asked me to post this for him. >The web site he discusses is at > http://www.msc.ec.gc.ca/windchill/Windchill_fact_sheet_Aug_10_e.cfm >he tells me. > >Jim > >> Dear Mr. Tew ( NOAA) >> >> I am a 65 year old (almost 66) American citizen who finds it to be >> incredible that our country continues to resist use of the subject system >in >> its everyday life. >> >> I am pleased that your web site acknowledges that the new Wind Child >> determinations were developed in partnership with Canada. I truly wonder >if >> Canada may have actually developed them and if the U.S. National Weather >> Service is simply utilizing them. >> >> As you are well aware, Canada does report using SI. I am certain that the >> work you do internally is also done in SI but then you regress and >convert >> everything into the old and antiquated measures of miles per hour and >> degrees Fahrenheit whereas Canada and all of the rest of the world reports >> in SI using kilometers/hour and degrees Celsius. >> >> There have been numerous laws promulgated by Congress plus Presidential >> findings that SI is the preferred method of measure in the United States. >> >> This is one area in which it seems to me that a complete change to SI by >> the U.S. National Weather Service could be accomplished with ease and >> virtually without cost. Your agency could be the leader in helping >> Americans to modernize by reporting in SI. >> >> I am certain about my feelings because on many occasions I have written to >> reporters at the Atlanta Journal-Constitution when they write articles >about >> the weather and climate. They acknowledge that they are directed by >editors >> to convert tables and data from km/h and from �C as they prepare the >> articles. Without exception these younger reporters have always agreed >with >> me that we should report in SI but their older editors are still stuck in >> their time warp. >> >> I am writing to you at your email address because it is the only one I >have >> been able to find. Please forward this to any and all responsible persons >> who could urge, direct and implement this change to reporting in SI. >> >> It is becoming increasingly preposterous that the world's only so-called >> superpower clings to antiquated non-SI (i.e. non-metric) measures. If >this >> change to SI fails to occur within my rapidly disappearing lifetime, I >will >> be sorely disappointed. It seems that the U.S. must be resisting this >> logical action out of some stubborn sense of spite, possibly disguised as >> some sense of patriotism, which is and will be proved to be a huge >mistake. >> >> It must be costing us money to make the conversions from internal use of >SI. >> If you are not using SI internally, I question your agency's good sense. >> All reason directs us to make the change now. >> >> Sincerely, >> >> Norman Werling >> 1240 Hunters Drive >> Stone Mountain, GA 30083-2545 >> 404-292-9328 >> >
