Dear All,
I have just been reading the text of the speech that President Barack
Obama presented at George Mason University on January 8. His forward
thinking plans particularly struck me as plans that would all benefit
enormously from being conducted using metric system measurements. Here
is part of the text of President Obama's speech:
That work begins with this plan – a plan I am confident will save or
create at least three million jobs over the next few years. It is not
just another public works program. It’s a plan that recognizes both
the paradox and the promise of this moment – the fact that there are
millions of Americans trying to find work, even as, all around the
country, there is so much work to be done. That’s why we’ll invest in
priorities like energy and education; health care and a new
infrastructure that are necessary to keep us strong and competitive in
the 21st century. That’s why the overwhelming majority of the jobs
created will be in the private sector, while our plan will save the
public sector jobs of teachers, cops, fire fighters and others who
provide vital services.
To finally spark the creation of a clean energy economy, we will
double the production of alternative energy in the next three years.
We will modernize more than 75% of federal buildings and improve the
energy efficiency of two million American homes, saving consumers and
taxpayers billions on our energy bills. In the process, we will put
Americans to work in new jobs that pay well and can’t be outsourced –
jobs building solar panels and wind turbines; constructing fuel-
efficient cars and buildings; and developing the new energy
technologies that will lead to even more jobs, more savings, and a
cleaner, safer planet in the bargain.
To improve the quality of our health care while lowering its cost, we
will make the immediate investments necessary to ensure that within
five years, all of America’s medical records are computerized. This
will cut waste, eliminate red tape, and reduce the need to repeat
expensive medical tests. But it just won’t save billions of dollars
and thousands of jobs – it will save lives by reducing the deadly but
preventable medical errors that pervade our health care system.
To give our children the chance to live out their dreams in a world
that’s never been more competitive, we will equip tens of thousands of
schools, community colleges, and public universities with 21st century
classrooms, labs, and libraries. We’ll provide new computers, new
technology, and new training for teachers so that students in Chicago
and Boston can compete with kids in Beijing for the high-tech, high-
wage jobs of the future.
I couldn't help thinking that the metrication elephant had got into
the room again without anyone noticing. See http://www.metricationmatters.com/docs/AMetricationElephant.pdf
to see how metrication in the USA would help to implement President
Obama's plans.
Cheers,
Pat Naughtin
PO Box 305 Belmont 3216,
Geelong, Australia
Phone: 61 3 5241 2008
Metric system consultant, writer, and speaker, Pat Naughtin, has
helped thousands of people and hundreds of companies upgrade to the
modern metric system smoothly, quickly, and so economically that they
now save thousands each year when buying, processing, or selling for
their businesses. Pat provides services and resources for many
different trades, crafts, and professions for commercial, industrial
and government metrication leaders in Asia, Europe, and in the USA.
Pat's clients include the Australian Government, Google, NASA, NIST,
and the metric associations of Canada, the UK, and the USA. See http://www.metricationmatters.com
for more metrication information, contact Pat at [email protected]
or to get the free 'Metrication matters' newsletter go to: http://www.metricationmatters.com/newsletter
to subscribe.
