I noticed today in the grocery store that Dannon, a leading producer (with
Yoplait) of yogurt, has introduced a new metricated container for its
Greek yogurt. Greek yogurt seems to be the "in thing" these days. It has
a thicker consistency than regular commercial yogurt, has about half the
sugar, and twice the protein.
USC-based yogurt containers are either 4 oz. or 6 oz. This new Dannon
container is 150 grams, marked also 5.3 oz. Obviously, the packaging is
metric-based, with a USC conversion added, not the other way around.
This, together with other observations, leads me to emphasize my new
theme: "complete our metric conversion." I think that we need to stop
talking about the US as being one of only two or three countries that are
not metric.
In fact, the US is already about half metric. What we need to do, I
think, is to talk about "completing" the metrication to achieve its full
benefits. We are in the same situation as Canada, Britain, and several
other countries in being on the way to complete metrication. We are just
in different stages.
The US is certainly moving toward more metric use, even though it may not
be so obvious as on road signs. But the grocery story is a powerful
component of metrication. Consumers here by metricated wine, metricated
pills, metricated soft drinks, and many other commodities. You don't hear
consumers objecting; it just happens. This type of conversion actually
has benefits. It doesn't rouse the anti-metric faction.
I don't think that it does our cause any service to keep describing the US
as "not metric." It would make our point better to bring our fellow
citizens to a realization that we are already half way there. We just
need to complete the process to reap the full benefits and cost savings.
That is why I have a problem with the phraseology of the metric petition
that is being talked about here. It stresses the rationality of the
metric system, being easier to use and teach, once learned. While this is
certainly true, I think that our cause would be better served by stressing
the economic benefits: international commerce, saving companies the not-
insignificant costs of maintaining dual inventories, the cost in time and
money of teaching our students two systems of measurement. Idealism is
fine, but it doesn't sell as well in a political environment. It is
dollars that count there.
- [USMA:52156] Metrication of Yogurt and a New Metric Theme csm
-
