Comments on: Is the Moon still metric? http://www.metricviews.org.uk/2007/04/09/is-the-moon-still-metric/ Commentary on the measurement muddle in the UK Tue, 06 Jan 2009 14:31:21 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.0.5 by: Dave Brown http://www.metricviews.org.uk/2007/04/09/is-the-moon-still-metric/#comment-923 Thu, 03 May 2007 10:21:13 +0000 http://www.metricviews.org.uk/2007/04/09/is-the-moon-still-metric/#comment-923 The problem here is this Mr Hope is an American. The United States of America is the last country in the world to go metric. As a country it is home to just 5% of the world's population, but has a disproportionate affect on the world's media. Hence our attempts to familiarise the UK population with metric measures are undermined by a constant stream of acres, pounds, ounces, pints, quarts and gallons from across the Atlantic. If we are ever going to rid ourselves of this archaic system we need to help the USA to metricate as quickly as possible. I'm sure they can learn plenty of lessons from the UK on how not to do it! The problem here is this Mr Hope is an American. The United States of America is the last country in the world to go metric. As a country it is home to just 5% of the world’s population, but has a disproportionate affect on the world’s media. Hence our attempts to familiarise the UK population with metric measures are undermined by a constant stream of acres, pounds, ounces, pints, quarts and gallons from across the Atlantic. If we are ever going to rid ourselves of this archaic system we need to help the USA to metricate as quickly as possible. I’m sure they can learn plenty of lessons from the UK on how not to do it!

]]> by: Philip S Hall http://www.metricviews.org.uk/2007/04/09/is-the-moon-still-metric/#comment-865 Mon, 30 Apr 2007 21:57:27 +0000 http://www.metricviews.org.uk/2007/04/09/is-the-moon-still-metric/#comment-865 The scheme being offered by Dennis Hope that he, in the absence of an explicit prohibition in the International convention, has a right to claim chunks of the lunar surface for himself should not be taken seriously. Frankly I am surprised that so many people (4 million including some big names) have done so. He admits that he (or the people who have bought fancy certificates from him) will not be able to challenge any Government or private enterprise from prospecting in the designated areas but he does claim that no one else will be able to set up private property there without being obligated to his customers. Given that no government or the UN recognise this arbirtary right it raises the question as to whom they would seek a remedy and what court would hear their case (let alone enforce the outcome). If Mr Hope is indeed pricing by the acre and measuring out his pretentious gains in non-metric units then maybe that's par for the course for an enterprise that makes money out of obscuration in trade. The scheme being offered by Dennis Hope that he, in the absence of an explicit prohibition in the International convention, has a right to claim chunks of the lunar surface for himself should not be taken seriously.

Frankly I am surprised that so many people (4 million including some big names) have done so.

He admits that he (or the people who have bought fancy certificates from him) will not be able to challenge any Government or private enterprise from prospecting in the designated areas but he does claim that no one else will be able to set up private property there without being obligated to his customers.

Given that no government or the UN recognise this arbirtary right it raises the question as to whom they would seek a remedy and what court would hear their case (let alone enforce the outcome).

If Mr Hope is indeed pricing by the acre and measuring out his pretentious gains in non-metric units then maybe that’s par for the course for an enterprise that makes money out of obscuration in trade.

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