Philip S Hall wrote:
Although I say we have to get people on board I don't rule out the need
for compulsion in some areas. Metrication wont happen on a purely
voluntary basis even if most people accept the need for it.
From ny experience the general attitude seems to be that yes its a good
idea and makes sense and all that, but what can they do? They can't
change the world. It's someone else's responsibility. In other words if
the government or those able to make the change did so, then they'd go
along with it. Other than that it isn't an important enough issue for
them personally to get involved pro-actively. (They even fully
acknowledge that metric is better one minute and start talking imperial
the next)
I think we need to get immigrants involved. Many governments in the USA
print material in Spanish, to accommodate the Hispanic immigrants. If
the immigrants said "What does this number of thumbs and feet mean? The
only measuring units I know are metric", that'll get them to print
material in metric.
A good way to start would be with a brochure explaining that SI is the
preferred system here, and encouraging immigrants to ask gas stations
how many liters they bought, ask stores to install kilogram scales, ask
for cars with metric odometers, etc.
I go to a Hispanic church. Last night we held a service with some other
congregations in an otherwise unused space in a mall, and I had a
conversation like this with someone from the other congregation:
Que calor!
Quanto calor?
Oh, about ninety.
Huh? It couldn't be that hot! I think it's around thirty-three.
This went on a couple more times, the other guy not figuring out that we
were using different temperature scales. On the other hand, the pastor's
wife, who is from Colombia, talks metric and knows I'm metric.
phma
