Other than the metric slang ("kilo" for kilogram), that's a great press
release.Bill Potts, CMS Roseville, CA http://metric1.org [SI Navigator] -----Original Message----- From: [EMAIL PROTECTED] [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]]On Behalf Of James R. Frysinger Sent: Monday, February 18, 2002 13:36 To: U.S. Metric Association Subject: [USMA:18266] UKMA Press Release (text version) Below is the text of the UKMA Press Release, published this morning. I converted it to text format and will embed it in the body of this message. My next message will forward the original Word (.doc) file plus an RTF file of the document. Forewarned is forearmed, if you can control which messages to download. Jim [text] For Immediate Release Metric Appeal Court Ruling highlights need for effective Consumer Information LONDON, February 18th 2002. Following the ruling of the Appeal Court against the self-styled "Metric Martyrs" the UK Metric Association (UKMA) says it is time that the Government stands up to its responsibilities to the British public. Successive Governments have introduced the metric system in the worst possible way. Now is an opportunity to put that right through both a programme of public education and through more effective regulation. Since January 1st, 2000 the regulations have required that loose goods such as unpackaged meat, fruit and vegetables be labelled and weighed in metric units. Since then five traders, calling themselves "Metric Martyrs", have refused to follow the new legislation and have been prosecuted for not using metric scales. The five traders have unsuccessfully appealed against their prosecution although it is possible that they will take their case to the House of Lords. The UKMA cautiously welcomes the ruling. Chris Keenan, director of the UKMA says, "This case has highlighted the concerns of the UKMA about the consumer's right to price transparency when buying loose goods and confirms the need for a government lead on the use of metric units. However, we take no pleasure at seeing these market traders prosecuted. Had a well-planned and implemented quick transition happened, as in Commonwealth countries such as Australia, this case might never have happened. Now is the time for the Government to stand up to its responsibilities and to educate the public on using the metric system in everyday life. Furthermore current regulations need to be significantly cleaned up to be more consumer-friendly". Any change whether changing currency or changing units of measurement can be problematic for the public. This is the case even if the system to which the public is changing is easier. Today nobody would want to go back to pounds, shillings and pence; yet before the transition in 1971, there was a lot of public fear and antipathy about decimalisation. The reason for the fear is usually that people have rules of thumb or an intuitive understanding that is lost with a transition. With the UK's D-day transition to decimal currency the government of the day achieved a smooth transition through a 2-year public information program using booklets, leaflets and radio & TV broadcasts. A very similar success was achieved with introducing the Euro in January. In Australia, a successful transition to the metric system was achieved within a short space of time. This was due to a combination of 3 factors: a)Careful planning with all stakeholders involved b)A relatively short timescale with a clear M-day for changeover and c)An effective public education program. In Britain, in contrast, metrication has taken place at a snail's pace with virtually no public education. Using kilograms and grams is fundamentally easier than using stones, pounds and ounces; after all who knows their 14- or 16-times multiplication tables? Yet many British consumers lack an intuitive feel for metric weights although they probably have been used to buying fruit juices and wine in litres for over a decade. Despite the fact that changes in the labelling and weighing of loose goods affect every household in the UK, public information and education has been invisible. Freelance home economist & food writer Roz Denny says "Every family needs to plan and to budget their food; yet no advice has been given even on simple issues such as shopping for loose produce in kilos, how much meat in metric per head, how to calculate roasting in minutes per kilo etc. Similarly, recipes and cooking advice should reflect that packaged food is sold in units of 250g/500g/1kg or 500ml/1 litre. Crazily, milk is still sold as 568ml and 1.13litres although fruit juice and mineral water are in 1litre sizes and have been for many years. Dual measure scales and jugs and ovens in degrees Celsius have been sold in the UK for over 25 years. The British public already has the infrastructure to complete the change - it just needs a little helpful reassurance". Even worse, the implementation of metric regulations in the UK has apparently followed the lowest standard required to fulfil EU directives rather than being what is best for the British consumer. Regulations on advertising and price labelling are ill-defined, leading some supermarkets to advertise price per pound while others follow the spirit of the regulations and advertise price per kilo. The result is public confusion and the real possibility of the public being ripped-off. The UKMA calls on the Government to redress the problems through an effective metric program aimed at benefiting the consumer. Specifically: A holistic public education program on using the metric system generally and in particular on using kilos. This should include showing how to budget food using kilos rather than pounds and include basic recipes. Additionally, the public should be educated on the metric weights of everyday objects and their body weight. In short the public should be shown how to use the kilogram in everyday life. The regulations on labelling and advertising goods should be more specific with the aim of offering better price transparency to the consumer. Rules for showing prices of metric quantities in shop labels and advertisements must be unambiguous. Misleading practices such as advertising or labelling prices "per 454g" should be stamped out. The Government should work with the media to ensure that consumer news reporting, cookery programmes, articles on diet and slimming, etc. support the public transition to the metric system. Contact information: UKMA Press spokesperson: Roz Denny (020) 7610-0767 or 07770-391-581 NOTE TO EDITORS: The UKMA is an open, non-political, non-sectarian organisation which supports the use of the international metric system (SI) for all official, trade, health, safety, educational, transportation, media, legal and contractual purposes in the United Kingdom. It believes that the universal adoption of the metric system is in the best interests of the British Public. The UKMA is a single-issue organisation. [end text] -- James R. Frysinger University/College of Charleston 10 Captiva Row Dept. of Physics and Astronomy Charleston, SC 29407 66 George Street 843.225.0805 Charleston, SC 29424 http://www.cofc.edu/~frysingj [EMAIL PROTECTED] Cert. Adv. Metrication Specialist 843.953.7644
