EU says 'go metric,' and this time they're serious
Fact of the day: The three countries that officially do not use the metric system are the United States, Liberia, and Myanmar.
Most of Europe has used the metric system for hundreds of years, and Britain is finally adapting to it. For several years, EU regulations have required (U.S.) firms to label their items with the metric system if they want to sell said items in the EU.
But it's about to get more serious.
The European Commission, according to the Daily Telegraph, wants to ban any mention of so-called English/U.S. customary units on a product - on a label or in an instruction manual, for example. So any dually-labeled goods will have to be changed.
The EU's market power has already humbled Americans by forcing us to give up "fifths" of Kentucky whiskey. (Now it comes in a 750 ml bottle - even in the states.) And Americans are getting used to Coca-Cola in 1.5-liter bottles, which may replace the good ol' 20-ouncers.
The term for this is exporting regulation, or more specifically in this case, exporting a measurement system. And the EU has the market power to ensure compliance.
But no mention of English units? Perhaps that's a bit too far.
Then again, the U.S. probably should have gone metric years ago. But those of us who live in the Superpower State hate to be told what to do by a coalition of small states that (we thought) lost their power in the middle of the 20th century.
Maybe this will be the impetus we need to finally go metric. There was an effort to do so in the 1970s and 1980s, but people actually shot holes in some metric-system speed limit signs out west. Then President Reagan abolished the Metric Board.
But will a change come? Will a Democratic Congress and White House make it possible? We'll see.
Most of Europe has used the metric system for hundreds of years, and Britain is finally adapting to it. For several years, EU regulations have required (U.S.) firms to label their items with the metric system if they want to sell said items in the EU.
But it's about to get more serious.
The European Commission, according to the Daily Telegraph, wants to ban any mention of so-called English/U.S. customary units on a product - on a label or in an instruction manual, for example. So any dually-labeled goods will have to be changed.
The EU's market power has already humbled Americans by forcing us to give up "fifths" of Kentucky whiskey. (Now it comes in a 750 ml bottle - even in the states.) And Americans are getting used to Coca-Cola in 1.5-liter bottles, which may replace the good ol' 20-ouncers.
The term for this is exporting regulation, or more specifically in this case, exporting a measurement system. And the EU has the market power to ensure compliance.
But no mention of English units? Perhaps that's a bit too far.
Then again, the U.S. probably should have gone metric years ago. But those of us who live in the Superpower State hate to be told what to do by a coalition of small states that (we thought) lost their power in the middle of the 20th century.
Maybe this will be the impetus we need to finally go metric. There was an effort to do so in the 1970s and 1980s, but people actually shot holes in some metric-system speed limit signs out west. Then President Reagan abolished the Metric Board.
But will a change come? Will a Democratic Congress and White House make it possible? We'll see.
posted by bp at
12:47 PM
1 Comments:
I'd like to hear what the anti-globalization folks think of this. Since, you know, the metric system is a modern European convention that was spread by war & domination. Not to mention that it seeks to eliminate older, traditional, "autochtonous" measuring units. Just a thought.
Oh, wait. I forgot. Globalization is only bad if it spreads "American" values, not "European" (that is, more "cultured" and "elevated") ones. Non? ;-)
By
Miguel Centellas, at 6:02 PM
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