I see the website is now updated to reflect the EU's unfortunate cave to pressure on this.
About the second item, US revision of the FPLA to allow metric-only, can anyone provide an update on where we stand with this? On the USMA website, it says that by the end of next year "The US should allow metric-only packaging by amending the Fair Packaging and Labeling Act". Does that mean the US is expected to do that because of some schedule or timetable? Or simply that USMA would like that to happen? From: Martin Vlietstra Sent: 10/06/2008 10:20 PM To: U.S. Metric Association Subject: [USMA:41801] RE: TED and National Metric Week 2008 So far, the EU has not "backed down" - the amendments to the directive have not yet been formally signed, event though they have been agreed. Amongst the requirements of the modified directive are: 1) A requirement to use metric units in all advertising literature 2) Permission to use supplementary units alongside metric units, provided that the supplementary units are no larger than the metric units. For full details, see http://ec.europa.eu/enterprise/prepack/unitmeas/uni_ms_en.htm. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- From: [EMAIL PROTECTED] [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] On Behalf Of Victor Jockin Sent: 06 October 2008 19:24 To: U.S. Metric Association Subject: [USMA:41798] RE: TED and National Metric Week 2008 Are the "future metric deadlines" at the link http://lamar.colostate.edu/~hillger/dates.htm still accurate? I thought the EU backed down indefinitely on that requirement. About amending the FPLA to allow metric only, does anyone know the status of that? I understand that the EU asked us for that change, but I have no idea what kind of weight that has (no pun intended). From: Martin Vlietstra Sent: Monday, October 06, 2008 10:36 AM To: U.S. Metric Association Subject: [USMA:41797] RE: TED and National Metric Week 2008 It might be a bit late this year, but for next year it might be worth identifying a number of well-known landmarks that are one kilometre long - for example the width of the Hudson River in New York City. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- From: [EMAIL PROTECTED] [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] On Behalf Of Paul Trusten Sent: 05 October 2008 17:02 To: U.S. Metric Association Subject: [USMA:41794] TED and National Metric Week 2008 Dear TED Officers and Participants, National Metric Week is under way! The week of the year containing the tenth day of October (the tenth day of the tenth month) is observed annually by both the National Council of Teachers of Mathematics and the U.S. Metric Association (USMA, www.metric.org) to emphasize the importance of the metric system in the U.S. USMA, a non-profit, national organization, has worked since 1916 to establish the International System of Units (SI, or the modern metric system) as the Nation's primary system of measurement. TED is the meeting place for the best new ideas. However, a well established, global dea is still relativel new in the U.S.----modern measurement. The U.S. remains the only nation that has no official plan to change over to the International System of Units (SI, or the modern metric system), as the Nation's primary system of measurement. Despite all of TED's productivity, its U.S. participants are being forced to lag behind the rest of the world intrinsically when it comes to measurement. TED's global reach may be hindered occasionally by this ongoing measurement gap. As the organization of the world's most fascinating thinkers and doers (www.ted.com), TED ought to be talking about this drag on some of its members. Whether it is done officially, as one of its 18-minute "talk of a lifetime," or as an ongoing informal chatter in your vitally cerebral cloakrooms, the failure of TED's native land to metricate may be both an embarrassment and a hindrance to its theme. Please consider spending the coming week pondering the information available at USMA's Web site, particularly the timeline history of SI in the U.S. (http://lamar.colostate.edu/~hillger/dates.htm). Please look at the events since 1866: this is an idea that has struggled to be born in America. Perhaps the people connected with TED can serve as midwives. SI-incerely, Paul Trusten, R.Ph. Public Relations Director U.S. Metric Association, Inc. www.metric.org 3609 Caldera Blvd. Apt. 122 Midland TX 79707-2872 US +1(432)528-7724 [EMAIL PROTECTED]
