Shedding some light on Daylight Savings Time
A COLUMN By Kathryn Ross
I like Daylight Savings Time. I especially like it in the Fall when we push the clocks back one hour. I enjoy that extra hour.
Oftentimes I save it and wait until the clock strikes midnight and then move the hands back to 11 p.m. That way I can play another set of solitaire or watch ‘Outlander’ a little longer or listen to another audio disc of whatever book I’m listening to. In the morning of the day of the change, sometimes I like to snuggle underneath the covers enjoying an extra hour in bed before changing the clock.
I find that extra hour in the Fall is an extravagance, a small joy, a slight pleasure that makes me feel happy and gives me something to look forward to.
But in the Spring when Daylight Savings Time day rolls around (This year we turn the clocks forward on March 9) I feel robbed. I don’t like having to move the hands on the clock forward. To me it is losing an hour and I have to get things done no matter what I’m doing, writing a story or a column or just sitting around watching the birds in my neighbor’s back yard. I have to have breakfast before it is time to eat lunch.
Regardless of my personal habits, I really don’t find Daylight Savings Time the same nuisance as others. I don’t mind it that much. It doesn’t impact my life, since I don’t live my life according to a clock.
Although I love to collect watches and have several that I like to look at like my ‘Gone With The Wind’ watch or my old watch with the tiny diamond on its face with its black leather watch band trimmed in silver. I even have a watch with a horsehair, silver trimmed watchband. I seldom wear any of my watches, because my wrists are narrow and I don’t like a watch sliding around. And, for the most part I don’t have to be anywhere at a special time. My deadlines are determined by days, not hours.
Still, I do see why some people are concerned about Daylight Savings Time and want to end the practice.
The concept of a Daylight Savings Time has been around for a long while. As far back as the Roman Empire man has attempted to control time. Benjamin Franklin suggested Daylight Savings Time in the 1770s while living in France, in an effort to save on the cost of candles and oil (energy). It wasn’t popular – then.
Today, 34-percent of the world observes Daylight Savings Time (DST) to save energy.
In Canada it is observed in Yukon, parts of Saskatchewan and Nunavut. In the US, all states except Hawaii and Arizona observe Daylight Savings Time. The plan is over a century old. In 1916 it was implemented in England as British Summer Time. It was established in the US in 1918 to conserve energy resources during World War I. It was implemented again during World War II for the same reason. After the war states in the US were free to continue DST or not. The Uniform Time Act of 1966 established the rules for observing Daylight Savings Time.
A 2017 study in the ‘American Economic Journal of Applied Economics’ estimated the yearly shift to Daylight Savings Time caused over 30 deaths annually and an economic loss of $275,000,000 each year. An increase in auto accidents and heart attacks have also been attributed to the change and the disruption of the body’s circadian rhythms are being studied.
The Cons of continuing Daylight Savings Time are: 1. It’s bad for your health. 2 Productivity drops. 3. It’s expensive.
The Pros for continuing Daylight Savings Time are: 1. It promotes safety. 2, It’s good for the economy. 3. It promotes active lifestyles.
In December 2024, before he was sworn in as President, Donald Trump posted, “The Republican Party will use its best efforts to eliminate Daylight Savings Time,” because it is inconvenient and costly.
I haven’t yet heard any more about this latest change, but I’m sure we will. Until then, enjoy that extra hour of sleep.
