[LEAPSECS] Leap seconds decision deferred until 2015

[Richard B. Langley]

Some of the news reports were in error. Canada did not switch sides.  
Here is a quote from one of Canada's delegates:

"We can confirm [that] Canada's position at the just concluded RA was  
opposition to the elimination of  the leap second. It is a position we  
have consistently held at previous ITU surveys. In fact, at the RA,  
Canada contributed significantly to rallying support for either  
maintaining the status quo or as a minimum postponing the decision. In  
the end, support and opposition to the proposed change were about even."

I have learned that an agenda item for WRC-15 is being drafted to look  
at the issue again after further studies at the ITU that will explore  
a variety of options to providing a universal continuous time standard.

-- Richard Langley

On 19-Jan-12, at 5:07 PM, Richard B. Langley wrote:


> It seems Canada switched sides! No mention of China's stand in the  

> article.

>

> -- Richard

>

> On 19-Jan-12, at 2:51 PM, Daniel R. Tobias wrote:

>

>>

>> On Thu, January 19, 2012 9:03 am, Tony Finch wrote:

>>> http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/science-environment-16625614

>>

>> I knew it... it's enough of a "hot button" issue among the handful of

>> people who care about it that nobody wants to commit to actually  

>> taking

>> any action, so it will just keep bouncing around between study  

>> committees

>> indefinitely.  Maybe 100 years from now they'll still be debating it.

>>

>> That's what happens when you've got something that polarizes the

>> interested parties sharply, with one subset strongly favoring change,

>> another subset strongly favoring the status quo, and the vast masses

>> outside these groups not particularly caring one way or the other,  

>> so that

>> there will never be enough massive outside pressure to force the  

>> governing

>> bodies to take action instead of calling for yet another committee.

>>

>> It's not like this is an issue that will lead to people marching on  

>> the

>> capitol, rallying under the Washington Monument to hear a charismatic

>> speaker saying he has a dream of no more leap seconds (or of leap  

>> seconds

>> forever), or holding tea parties or occupation encampments to press  

>> for

>> one side or the other on this issue.  These sorts of mass movements  

>> can

>> sometimes force action when the politicians would rather just keep  

>> batting

>> the hot potatoes around, but they're not going to develop here.

>>

>>

>> -- 

>> Dan

>> Dan's Web Tips: http://webtips.dan.info/

>> Dan's Mail Format Site: http://mailformat.dan.info/

>> Dan's Domain Name Site: http://domains.dan.info/

>>

>>

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>

> -----------------------------------------------------------------------------

> | Richard B. Langley                            E-mail:  

> lang at unb.ca         |

> | Geodetic Research Laboratory                  Web: http://www.unb.ca/GGE/ 

>  |

> | Dept. of Geodesy and Geomatics Engineering    Phone:    +1 506  

> 453-5142   |

> | University of New Brunswick                   Fax:      +1 506  

> 453-4943   |

> | Fredericton, N.B., Canada  E3B  

> 5A3                                        |

> |        Fredericton?  Where's that?  See: http:// 

> www.fredericton.ca/       |

> -----------------------------------------------------------------------------

>


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| Richard B. Langley                            E-mail:  

lang at unb.ca         |

| Geodetic Research Laboratory                  Web: http://www.unb.ca/GGE/ 

  |

| Dept. of Geodesy and Geomatics Engineering    Phone:    +1 506  

453-5142   |

| University of New Brunswick                   Fax:      +1 506  

453-4943   |

| Fredericton, N.B., Canada  E3B  

5A3                                        |

|        Fredericton?  Where's that?  See: http:// 

www.fredericton.ca/       |
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