Just one comment on what I've said below. Although the automotive industry is 100% metric in the design and manufacture of cars, their sales and marketing departments pander to the ignorance of the American public and the distributor/dealer networks by showing key dimensions in Fred Flintstone units.
Bill Potts, CMS Roseville, CA http://metric1.org [SI Navigator] >-----Original Message----- >From: Bill Potts [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] >Sent: Wednesday, February 25, 2004 21:12 >To: U.S. Metric Association >Subject: RE: [USMA:28927] Pro metric lobby? > > >The purpose of the list is to discuss issues related to SI. Our >discussions on the list often provide valuable ideas to the USMA > >Many of us on this list are members of USMA. With our dues, we >support the USMA's efforts, particularly in Washington, in the >promotion and facilitation of metrication (including discussions >with members of Congress). The USMA works with standards bodies, >too, and with NIST (National Institute of Standards and Technology). > >I think we can consider a number of industries to be allies in the >effort to accelerate metrication. The liquor and wine industries >have been 100% SI for years, as has the automotive industry. The >major soft drink manufacturers use hard metric sizes for their >larger containers. The pharmaceutical industry is 100% metric, >although not 100% SI (as they use their own abbreviations in some >cases [e.g., mc for �], rather than the approved SI prefixes). >(Note: I consider mc to only be an abbreviation for micro; � is >the SI prefix that means micro.) > >Some large manufacturers, especially Procter and Gamble, are very >progressive in their adoption of SI for their products. Almost all >of P&G's packaging is in round SI values. If it were not for a few >hold-out states, P&G would probably take full advantage of FPLA, >which permits metric-only labeling. > >Several of us on this list serve on standards committees, such as >IEEE SCC 14 and IEEE/ASTM SI 10-2007. If you're curious about >these, do a Google search. > >For my own part, I've had a web site for about five years, >providing easy navigation to a large number of other web sites for >those interested in metrication. The site includes a political >action page, with links to all senators and congress critters, all >state legislatures, and newspaper web sites by state, nationally, >and worldwide. > >Jim Frysinger, Marcus Berger, and others also have SI web sites. > >Bill Potts, CMS >Roseville, CA >http://metric1.org [SI Navigator] > > >>-----Original Message----- >>From: [EMAIL PROTECTED] [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] >>Behalf Of J. Ward >>Sent: Wednesday, February 25, 2004 19:45 >>To: U.S. Metric Association >>Subject: [USMA:28927] Pro metric lobby? >> >> >>I signed up for the USMA list expecting that the main purpose of the list >>would be to organize some sort of pro-metric campaign. While I am very >>grateful for all the good work the USMA does and appreciate all >the things >>I've learned reading postings to this list, the lack of organized >>political >>mobilization is still a bit of a disappointment. >> >>If we could somehow redirect the fervor for a decimal clock into a >>lobby for >>organized US SI conversion, think of the wonders we could accomplish! >> >>On Wednesday 25 February 2004 09:59, Gavin Young wrote: >>> Maybe the USMA should create form letters on their website (like >>the action >>> alerts of environmental websites) that will facilitate mass >>mailings by all >>> USMA members and anyone else interested in SI metric. Letters >>addressed to >>> various organizations can be posted. >>
