Dear Bill,

Thanks for posting this link.

In the light of what Terry Simpson said recently about international
deviation in the use of SI units for measuring blood sugar levels (mmol/L
vs. mg/dl), I found Resolution 4 from the 1999 CGPM meeting particularly
appropriate. I have copied it here.

Resolution 4

The need to use SI units in studies of Earth resources, the environment,
human well-being and related issues

The 21st Conf�rence G�n�rale des Poids et Mesures,

considering that 

the effects on the geosphere and biosphere of industrial and commercial
activities and of many other human pursuits, as well as natural phenomena,
and the consequences for human health and well-being are the subject of
major studies worldwide,

governments are increasingly faced with decisions of great economic and
political significance concerning the regulation of these activities,
the policies of governments are influenced by studies depending critically
on accurate and mutually compatible measurements often requiring very large
economic investments,

much of the important scientific evidence required for decisions by
governments comes from measurements of small changes in certain key
parameters, measurements sometimes extending over several decades,
certain critical measurements have traditionally been made in ad hoc units,
based upon special instrumentation or procedures, and not in the
well-characterized and internationally agreed SI units,

experience over many years has shown that measurements not directly linked
to the SI cannot be relied upon in the long term, cannot be compared with
similar measurements made elsewhere and do not adequately bring out possible
relationships with measurements made in other scientific disciplines,
increasing demands for reliability in measurements made for medical and
therapeutic purposes are leading to more demanding regulation in these
areas, 

recommends that those responsible for studies of Earth resources, the
environment, human well-being and related issues ensure that measurements
made within their programmes are in terms of wellcharacterized SI units so
that they are reliable in the long term, are comparable worldwide and are
linked to other areas of science and technology through the world's
measurement system established and maintained under the Metre Convention.

Cheers,

Pat Naughtin LCAMS
Geelong, Australia
-- 

on 23/10/03 9:59 AM, Bill Potts at [EMAIL PROTECTED] wrote:

> Unless anyone on this list was at the conference, I doubt it.
> 
> However, you might want to keep monitoring
> http://www1.bipm.org/en/convention/cgpm/resolutions.html. It still shows the
> 1999 conference as the latest, but that will change.
> 
> Bill Potts, CMS
> Roseville, CA
> http://metric1.org [SI Navigator]
> 
> 
>> -----Original Message-----
>> From: [EMAIL PROTECTED] [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]
>> Behalf Of Matthew Zotter
>> Sent: Wednesday, October 22, 2003 16:38
>> To: U.S. Metric Association
>> Subject: [USMA:27257] 22nd CGPM
>> 
>> 
>> 2003 OCT 22 WED
>> 
>> Does anyone know what was decided at the 22nd CGPM, which was from
>> OCT 13 to
>> OCT 17?
>> 
>> Sincerely,
>> Matthew Zotter
>> SC, USA
>> 
> 

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