6,119 votes
Complete the job on metrication that Ronald Reagan defunded
The government has failed to take the lead on completing the task of moving the country completely to the SI metric system. George H.W. Bush tried to do something about it, but gave the bureaucrats an easy out. Failure to follow the same measurement standards as the rest of the world is costing US industry something like $1 trillion per year.
usma
Metrication failed in the 1970s because:
1) Absence of full backing by government and industry leaders
2) No set transition period (i.e., no deadline)
3) Flawed mission. The mission of the U.S. Metric Board was not to make
the Nation metric, but merely to "coordinate the increasing use of the metric system"
4) The U.S. Metric Board contained members who did not even support the mission
about 1 hour ago
GoMetricToday
I remember 5 years ago being told that TV was going digital. But like every other thing the government didn't educate the public and now they are playing catch up. My mother was even caught off guard. In this case the compulsory method is working and the transition to digital will be relatively smooth. Compulsory at this point in the game is the only way to metrication of the US.
3 days ago
GoMetricToday
USMA that just goes to show you what can happen when the public get the proper information and education. I think for the US though, our metrication will have to be compulsory. We tried the voluntary thing for too long and it didn't work, as I am sure you will agree. Like it was mentioned in another blog, the government made it compulsory for TV to changed to digital.
3 days ago
usma
Actually, Australia's metrication was voluntary, and accomplished by national assent. Most Australians agreed that it needed to be done. The result was the changing of an imperial society to a metric one. I visited Australia last year, and can testify to the totality of the changeover. GMT, you are right to cite that country as a good example. They should be the U.S. ' metrication model.
3 days ago
Totakeke
I think that's a great idea, sort of like D Day in Britain, when they introduced the decimal pound (compare the old pounds, shillings, and pence to the English system. It's hard to tell the difference). Anyway, I think it would be great if America had an M Day. I think half of the worry comes from not knowing how to use the metric system, which could be solved with public education.
7 days ago
GoMetricToday
When it comes to road signs, I think Canada did a pretty good job of that. They systematically placed new signs and kept them covered until the day of the nation wide reveal. In one day they, like Ireland unveiled the new signs and took down the old ones. I agree that is what needs to be done here. With our vast size, I will take some logistical planning to get everyone on the same page.
7 days ago
GoMetricToday
Yes USMA it does have to be done right. First the public needs to be re-educated to learn daily average use of metric. I know I keep mentioning Australia, but I really think they did it right. They educated the public. Gave them all the information they needed. Let them know when the transition will happen. Then made the transition compulsory and they haven't looked back.
7 days ago
usma
Regarding the posting of metric road signs, you're confusing rapidity with planning. Yes, the signs are unveiled in a single day, but you have to earn your way to that day. The posting of the signs must be backed up by cooperation of the DOTs with law enforcement, the general public, and the motor vehicle industry. THEN, darn right, you post the signs in one swoop on one day.
7 days ago
usma
GMT, if you are at all like I am, you want the job done right. If it isn't done right, then U.S. metrication will fail the same way it did 33 years ago. It MUST be a truly national effort. Measurement involves everybody and everything, and it cannot be accomplished without the involvement of every cog in the American machine.
7 days ago
digdug
Slow conversion is not the way to go when metricating the highways. If you've ever done any driving in Canada, all you have is km/h signs, so you only look at the smaller km/h speedometer in your car, and you ignore the mph markings. Dual signs will lead to more confusion, and in the end, people would just ignore the km/h labels. Just do it and don't look back!
11 days ago
Totakeke
Has Obama said anything yet about his stance on the metric system or has it been pretty quiet thus far?
12 days ago
GoMetricToday
USMA, I can honestly say I can't wait until the starting gun gets fired. This has been so long coming that I don't think we can wait 10 years for it to be complete. With Mr. Obama wanting to have the interstate system rebuild and create jobs that will rebuild our infrastructure, he surely can have it done in metric from the get go. I still think Australia's model would be the best to follow.
13 days ago
usma
GoMetricToday, most countries that changed over to metric in the 1970s set a 10-year conversion period. Once there a REAL national commitment to metrication, and the "starting gun" is fired, there is no turning back. Measurement is something that everybody does. It is beyond politics. Once it starts, and the economic and social facts are created, it has to proceed to completion.
13 days ago
GoMetricToday
With the current economy. What does everyone thin the possibilities are that we can finish our metrication during the next 4 years? Will Mr. Obama consider the financial ramifications on our country if we don't complete what was started back in 1866? I seriously hope that he takes a good look at this site realises that we are serious about moving forward with metrication.
13 days ago
usma
Supporters of U.S. metrication might want to consider adding their thanks to Mr. Gene Messick of OpEd News for supporting "Obama metrication." See
http://www.opednews.com/articles/Time-for-America-to-go-Met-by-Gene-Messick-081201-701.html
16 days ago
Totakeke
Besides, it isn't that hard to "drive metric," if you will. It's just a matter of matching the number on your speedometer with the one on the sign. People will get used to it.
Slow seems like the best way, but we might want to try it differently this time around. Another failed metrication attempt might turn people off to the metric system forever. And we don't want that.
16 days ago
Totakeke
The problem is dual unit signs, weather reports, etc. don't really work. All people see are the old units, and completely disregard the metric units. The best way would probably be to get people used to it and then make one big switch, kind of like the switch to digital TV. They've been announcing it for months now (I think even so far back as last year) and are changing all at once.
16 days ago
pancake
I think he trick is to do this slowly. Whenever a road sign is replaced, use both metric and standard units. Since the signs would be replaced anyway, there is no additional cost to changing them. Also require that speedometers in cars read in both km/hr and miles/hr.
16 days ago
usma
Old Engineer, the change would be painful for some Americans only if it is done without an effective public information plan. The everyday metric system is a snap to learn, but people need to know why the change is being made and what it will mean in their daily lives. See http://ts.nist.gov/WeightsAndMeasures/Metric/lc1136lv.cfm#inchlb
17 days ago
GoMetricToday
Old Engineer, the change wouldn't be sudden. Some old measures will have to remain for some time. It took Australia several years to phase out the old measures. But we should no longer keep struggling with an archaic system just because some people refuse to accept another and better way of doing things. We can no longer be the 363 kg gorilla in the room. We need to get with the programme.
19 days ago
Old Engineer
The change will be painful for most of the nontechnical population. Technical and engineering professionals have already made the switch in many industries. Undergraduate engineering programs have been "metric" for years.
19 days ago
Ametrica
Here is another website dedicated to advocating metrication from President-Elect Obama:
http://my.barackobama.com/page/group/MetricSystemAdvocates
21 days ago
GoMetricToday
I know Wakka is on our side. :o) I was just pointing out how things in the archaic system can be so different from one measure to another and how things weight differently depending on whether they are dry or wet. In SI we don't have to worry about that. If it says 1 kg then it is 1 kg whether it is wet or dry. :o)
21 days ago
Totakeke
I think Wakka's already on our side. ;)
21 days ago
GoMetricToday
Wakka we wouldn't need to worry about whether the product is dry or wet (ex. 16 dry ounces and 16 wet ounces). Since both of them could actually have different weights it would be so much easier with SI. Not to mention the odd and archaic measurements that go into making an acre. I still can't wrap my mind around that. I could see that SI was easier almost 30 years ago when first taught it.
22 days ago
Totakeke
Exactly. It is very frustrating. But I'm feeling good about this one. I think this time around, within the next 4 years, there's a good chance we'll be metric (this website is a very good start).
23 days ago
wakka092
SI is so easy - base-10. No longer would we have to remember 16 oz. = 1 lb, 128 fl oz = 1 gal. All you need to do to convert is to move the decimal place! No longer would we need conversion ratios. If other Americans saw the ease of SI, we'd switch in a heartbeat. We are the greatest country in the world - why not have the best system of measuremeny
23 days ago
step forward
I believe the USA is the only country that has not adopted the metric system. it would send a message that we are in the same world. It would help exports. and we may not loose another probe on mars because of the wrong calculation with feet V Meters. help spread this idea around, it would show that our education system can handle this. We are smart enough to change
24 days ago
GoMetricToday
"mrbriguy007
I strongly support this effort. However, I have always been curious:
Can anyone estimate the cost to re-sign every road in the country?"
The cost could be minimal. Weather proof stickers could be placed on the speed signs until new signs could be made to replace worn or ageing signs. Mile markers and exit markers can be done in the same way. This can start with the interstates.
25 days ago
GoMetricToday
When given the proper information, the Australians were able to convert over and have lived at peace with the metric system for over 30 years now. A compulsory change over is the only way to make the change over happen. We have tried the voluntary way and it didn't work. We are loosing trillions of dollars in trade commerce because we aren't fully metric. In this economy can we afford that?
25 days ago
Ametrica
In order for SI to be compulsory, Congress must first fix the standard and make SI the ONLY legal system. All pre-SI units must be made non-legal so their use or abuse becomes unsupported by the government. All legal conversion factors between SI and pre-SI would be removed and pre-SI units would becomes just words with no measurement value. A CTO can work with Congress to make this happen.
25 days ago
GoMetricToday
During the 70's and 80's when we were supposed to be converting. The school system went headlong in teaching the students metric. We didn't learn much of the old way until I was in high school. I ask Mr. Obama to make it compulsory for the change to be completed. Follow Australia's example. From what I understand their conversion was pretty painless.
25 days ago
Totakeke
It doesn't matter, I was just trying to help out a little. I don't think we need to worry about the semantics of the Celsius poem.
25 days ago
dktp3947
AMERICA MUST COMMIT ITSELF TO A NATIONAL, FORCED, COORDINATED CONVERSION PROGRAM TO THE SI SYSTEM OF MEASURES, AS THE ONLY LEGALLY RECOGNISED SYSTEM OF MEASUREMENT FOR ITSELF, IN UNISON WITH THE REST OF THE WORLD. DURING THIS GLOBAL FINANCIAL CRISIS, THINK OF AMERICA'S NEED TO CONNECT WITH THE REST OF THE WORLD WITH THE METRIC SYSTEM, BECAUSE OF INTERNATIONAL TRADE. GO METRIC USA.
25 days ago
Ametrica
The only two words in the rhyme that do rhyme are nice and ice. Warm can be thought of as nice. Therefore why not reword your rhyme to: 30 is hot, 20 is nice, 10 is cool, 0 is ice. This way it is more true to form.
25 days ago
Totakeke
I understand, I was just trying to extend the rhyme to everyone to make it a little easier to remember Celsius temperatures.
27 days ago
Ametrica
I think that most people would agree that 30 is hot and not warm. We can even extend the range to 40 being sweltering and 50 being the limit of human endurance. The point is that every 10°C is a different category of heat.
27 days ago
Totakeke
It's even easier to remember Celsius temperatures with a little rhyme. It goes, "30's warm, 20's nice, 10's cold, and 0's ice." I've switched all my thermometers to Celsius and it's become second nature.
28 days ago
Ametrica
Tymes comment that people would understand a 1°C change in temperature by what it means is Fahrenheit is nonsense. Milliards of people worldwide use Celsius everyday and don't even know what a Fahrenheit is. For those who pretend not to know Celsius there are easy ways to learn it and relate the numbers to real events, like 0 is freezing, 10 is cool, 20 is warm, 30 is hot, 37 is body temp, etc.
29 days ago
Ametrica
The comment by nc50 shows how really stupid some people can be. If football ever changed to metric it can either go to a 100 m field with 10 m per down or to a 90 m field with 9 m per down. A 90 m field would be shorter by 1.44 m and each down by 144 mm. The change would be unnoticeable. A 100 m field would be larger by 10 m but maybe too large to fit in existing field space.
29 days ago
tymes
The military and the international manufacturing industry are already metric for instance boing and the dying auto companies.... so are schools and higher education but the american people are behind. Metric is science measures... why are they so so behind the times... 47th or 63rd? Education is where in the world scale?
about 1 month ago
tymes
Metric things would do 3 things... #1 stupid people would try to undertstand it or grasp it while more important things were addressed beyond their limited scope, #2 when people talked about 1 degree global warming they would understand how really bad it was because it was 2-3 degrees fahrenheit. #3 it would help education and US students and US populace. Finally also do ISO dates 2008-11-22.
about 1 month ago
usma
The focus of metrication would be on commerce. I believe that sports rules are generally outside of commerce. I'm confident that U.S. football and other U.S. sports could continue to use yards or feet without affecting the progress of national metrication.
about 1 month ago
Totakeke
Football can still be in yards, just like in Canada. ;)
about 1 month ago
nc50
Though I am not personally against this, I think it will never happen for one simple reason: American Football. "First down and 9.144" just doesn't have the same ring to it.
about 1 month ago
mpalumbo
"I doubt it COULD have any impact on gdp"
Well, you're wrong. Sorry! :)
about 1 month ago
Totakeke
We should do it regardless of how it affects the GDP. I think the transition to digital television, which, apart from freeing up parts of the radio band, will do nothing to help the GDP at all. At least as a metric country we would do better on the foreign market.
about 1 month ago
usma
But, ynot56, how things are measured is, in part, how the world works.
How things are measured determines the form in which things are manufactured and sold. If metrication is a non-issue, it is only so because it has suffered in silence for years. Surely, it is time to discuss the U.S. gaining the metric-system advantage. The national silence on metric has been deafening since about 1982.
about 1 month ago
Ynot56
Silliest non-issue ive seen on this site.
This is only about how things are measured, not how the world works.
I doubt it COULD have any impact on gdp
about 1 month ago
digdug
Bottom line is that going metric is a good thing for the economy. It equals jobs. The process of converting to metric alone will create plenty of related positions. But more importantly, as has been pointed out before, much more business will come our way since we'll be able to communicate with the rest of the world, not just in English, but in metric as well.
about 1 month ago