Paul De Bievre down under: practical metrology in chemistry and its principles

Paul De Bievre interacted with the Australian national measurement system in the 1990s as it developed its chemical measurement system infrastructure. It was a fruitful and stimulating time when practical measurement—weights and measures in its modern forms—mixed with the ideas of metrology in chemistry. Among the issues discussed were accreditation, a new journal called accreditation and quality assurance (this journal, ACQUAL), clear and accurate communication in measurement, primary methods of measurement and basic principles of metrology in chemistry. I end commenting on the applicability of the practical metrology in chemistry perspective to the development of an international trading system in carbon and its credits: the weights and measures problem of the twenty-first century.