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Set back for metric martyr


metric scales 		Imperial scales confiscated

LESS than a week after the EU ruled that he could continue selling in pounds and ounces, Woodford Green market trader, Colin Hunt, has had his scales confiscated.

Mr Hunt, from Woodside Road, runs a fruit and veg stall in Hackney and has been involved in a running battle with the council since being convicted in 2000 of failing to display prices in kilograms.

On September 7 an inspector from Hackney trading standards office came to his stall and told him he had five days to replace his imperial scales with their metric equivalents, but Mr Hunt thought the heat was off after a ruling from the European Union that left decisions over the use of imperial measures to individual governments.

Census Bureau Data Reveal


Census logo 		In USA one in 5 spoke a language other than English

In 2006, about 8 million more people spoke a foreign language at home than in 2000. Nationally, one in five (19.7 percent) over age 5 spoke a language other than English at home, compared to 17.9 percent in 2000. Among states, California (42.5 percent) had the highest percentage in this category, followed by New Mexico (36.5 percent) and Texas (33.8 percent). About one in 10 California households were linguistically isolated, which means everyone 14 or older in those households had at least some difficulty speaking English.

All people born outside USA are using METRIC system.
20% of the population used to Metric is not a small number.
I guess illegals are not included

European Commission misleads on metrics


Günter Verheugen 		Günter Verheugen 'misleads' on metrics

The European Commission is accused of misleading the public after saying it will allow Britain to retain pints, miles and ounces alongside metric measurements.

The UK Metric Association (UKMA) said Verheugen's statement does not mean that traders can go back to weighing and pricing in imperial measures. Just as they do now, traders will have to weigh or measure goods in metric units (kilograms, litres or metres) at the checkout and also display prices in metric units - with the option of a supplementary indication in non-metric units.

Picture: Günter Verheugen

EU given up on metric - answer is NO


EU flag 		Comment: EU gives up on metric Britain

Is this a victory? Not really. It’s just maintaining the status quo - half metrication which infuriates a large proportion of the public.

The media have finally caught up with the news that our masters in Federal Europe have, at least for the time being, given up on forced metrication in England.

However, despite the headlines boldy declaring that Federal Europe has given up on metricating England, they are still very much committed to ensuring that foreign metric measurements are here to stay. Anything you sell still has to be weighed or measured in metric with our own imperial weights and measures as an additional, less prominent, piece of information. You will still be prosecuted by Trading Standards for not using foreign metric weights and measures even though imperial is used by more people than metric.

A KILOGRAM JUST IS NOT WHAT IT USED TO BE


Metric kilogram 		Fun fact: prototype mysteriously losing weight

The 118-year-old cylinder that is the international prototype for the metric kilogram, kept tightly under lock and key outside Paris, is mysteriously losing weight -- if ever so slightly. Physicist Richard Davis of the International Bureau of Weights and Measures in Sevres, southwest of Paris, says it appears to have lost 50 micrograms compared with the average of dozens of copies.

For scientists, the inconstant metric constant is a nuisance, threatening calculation of things such as electricity generation. But for most people, it won't mean anything. "The kilogram will stay the kilogram, and the weights you have in a weight set will all still be correct," Davis said.

EU gives up on metric Britain


Steve Thoburn 		Britain can carry on using imperial measurements

Europe's Industry Commissioner Gunter Verheugen said: "There is not now and never will be any requirement to drop imperial measurements."

European Union commissioners have ruled that Britain can carry on using imperial measurements such as pints, pounds and miles.

The decision will not affect current law on metric measurements, but means imperial equivalents can be used too. It follows years of wrangling between London and Brussels over metrication.

Picture: Steve Thoburn made headlines around the world over his campaign.

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