http://www.unc.edu/~rowlett/units/

“What countries besides the U.S. have not adopted the metric system?

Many U.S. teachers think the answer is “Liberia and Burma” (make that Myanmar). Let’s give Liberia and Myanmar a break! All countries have adopted the metric system, including the U.S., and most countries (but not the U.S.) have taken steps to eliminate most uses of traditional measurements. However, in nearly all countries people still use traditional units sometimes, at least in colloquial expressions. Becoming metric is not a one-time event that has either happened or not. It is a process that happens over time. Every country is somewhere in this process of going metric, some much further along than others.”

In addition to Phil’s comment, it is not in the interest of business, industry or government to make it easy for people. The goal is to sell goods and people buy more goods at a higher price when they are confused. The traders know this. Without laws to enforce fair trade, no fair trade will exist.

Now-a-days it seems the politically correct way to go is to allow the same situation to exist as existed in Europe prior to metrication; that is have a muddle of measurements that keeps the buyer confused and make as much money as possible at the consumer’s expense.

Here is another metric article from the same paper from last May. It seems there is some resistance and the resistance is giving the traders the opportunity to cheat. If the people would just accept it and move on, less opportunity for cheating would result

Consumer Concerns
The progress of metrication in Guyana
By Eileen Cox
Sunday, 2007-05-27

Evadne Benfield, Head of the Information Services, Guyana National Bureau of Standards, has reported on the progress of metrication in Guyana. There is still resistance to the change from the imperial system and, sad to say, the resistance is chiefly among consumers. As buyers of vegetables and fruits we are still making our purchases in pounds and not in kilogrammes. We refuse to think of mass instead of weight and will not accept that a pound is almost equivalent to 1.1 kilogrammes [oops! that should be “nearly half a kilogram - Ed]. So the vendors, with their metric scales, are also confused and on many occasions we do not get value for our money.

Here is what Evadne has to say:

“A subject which has generated much public interest and debate is the metric issue. Many persons particularly vendors in the retail sector are doubtful that Guyana will fully become metric, but more and more because of emerging trade agreements and world trade, the use of a commonly used system for measurement has become necessary.

“Guyana recognized this fact and began switching over to the metric system in the late seventies/early eighties but encountered setbacks at that time, particularly with the older generation, who were doubtful that Guyana could switch over to the metric system. This was mainly due to reservations and resistance and the perception of a large segment of the population that the principles of the metric system are difficult to understand.

“This view is even portrayed today especially in our municipal markets, where consumers and vendors take a half-hearted approach and attempt to use both systems using metric devices. But this state of affairs cannot be allowed to continue and Guyana cannot afford to remain in isolation as it needs to move more swiftly towards fully implementing the metric system, considering that all of our neighbours are completely metric [as are] most of the other countries around the world, with the exception of a few which continue to use the imperial system. We also need to take cognizance of the fact that the Caricom and single market is about to come on stream, and with it the need to have one common system of measurement for the region.

“In the field of trade and commerce, nearly all world trade is conducted in the metric system, and the switch-over is inevitable because the world is rapidly becoming a closely knit society and global village. In addition, industries and the economy will benefit tremendously from improved trading abilities and opportunities in world markets, and in fact this is the opportune time to retool machinery, etc, to facilitate the change-over.

“Already there are sectors of our society that have made significant strides in switching over and are benefiting from the change. Notably our petroleum, soft drinks and other beverages are already sold by litres. The same can be said for the following sectors:

a) rice-milling and exporting sectors

b) health care institutions

c) hardware manufacturers

d) telecommunications services

e) courier services

f) supermarkets

“The metric system has many virtues, the most obvious of which is its decimal nature. To convert from a smaller unit of measure to a larger, or vice versa, it is necessary only to divide or multiply by 10,000, 1000 and so on. Also the system is international with metric measures having precisely the same significance in every country.

“The metric system is therefore the simplest and most universally used measurement in the world. For that reason it is vital for all stakeholders to expeditiously drive the metrication process forward as significant strides have already been made in Guyana.

“The legislative breakthrough came on January 1, 2002, when Order Number 4 of 2001 under the Weights and Measures Act came into effect, making the metric system, the official and legal system of measurement in Guyana. However, this is just the beginning as much more work needs to be done (especially the education process) to have all legislation in our country fully changed over to the metric system.

“The Guyana National Bureau of Standards which in June of the year 1997, took up the challenge and re-launched the national metrication campaign, has been working together with the National Metrication Committee to spearhead the national metrication campaign and has established mechanisms and organizational networks to complete the process. Work is in progress and intensive training and sensitization sessions with market vendors and retailers are ongoing. There are also live television workshops. However, while the campaign has experienced encouraging success, everyone is not totally committed.

“So, Guyana and Guyanese young and old, ministers, clergymen, farmers, merchants, schoolchildren, taxi drivers, this is a golden opportunity to adopt and embrace a modern, simple, more widely used and logical system of measurement that will make for greater efficiency.

It’s time to throw out the obsolete and cumbersome imperial system. After all is said and done, we are living in a metric world.”

The value of completing metrication and working in a single system stands up just fine on its own merits and can be promoted for those very reasons.

Let’s hope reason and good sense will prevail over xenophobia and fear of change.

Guyana presumably had a less than complete conversion but has seen the value of getting its act together.

Metric makes slow but inevitable progress in the UK despite rather than because of the Government.