Jack Yesner Week 8- Why Do We Still Have Daylight Saving Time?

  This past Sunday, many Americans woke up more refreshed and well-slept than on a typical Sunday. This is because this past Sunday was the end of daylight saving time. Daylight saving time is the action of switching the clocks ahead during the summer months to conserve daylight during the workday. The original purpose of this conservation was to save energy by not having to use as much artificial light. However, in current times, since there is an abundance of energy, this purpose has become obsolete. Should daylight saving time still be practiced?

Daylight saving time was first mentioned by Benjamin Franklin over 200 years ago, in 1784, although it was not implemented in the United States until 1966, under the Uniform Time Act. The Uniform Time Act federally mandated that the clocks would switch one hour ahead from the first Sunday in April until the first Sunday in November. This policy remained in place for forty years, until George W. Bush extended daylight time by one month. Currently, daylight saving time starts every year on the first Sunday in March, and ends on the first Sunday in November. 

Back when energy was scarce, the benefits of saving daylight vastly outweighed the downsides, but in the modern era, this might not be the case. Switching the clocks forward in the summer is estimated to save just 0.5% electricity per day, and the switch is linked to a higher demand of energy which actually causes a net increase of energy use. The real problem of daylight saving, though, occurs from the disruption of our circadian rhythm. The human body has a natural “clock” that regulates the sleep cycle and drowsiness. When this cycle is disturbed, such as during daylight saving time, the whole body can be disrupted. Studies have revealed that on the Monday after daylight saving time begins in Spring, car accidents increase by 6% and heart attacks increase by 25% percent, causing hundreds of unnecessary fatalities.

Following these reports, lawmakers in many areas are attempting to cease the use of daylight saving time and switch to daylight time (DST) for the full year. In the state of Hawaii and on the Navajo reservation in Arizona, daylight time is already in use year-round, and nineteen other states are attempting to follow suit. A major advocate for stopping daylight saving time is Florida senator Marco Rubio. He has introduced the Sunshine Protection Act, which would make daylight time permanent nationally. While it has gained significant traction among other lawmakers, the bill has yet to be discussed in the House or the Senate. Another bill, H.R. 214, would make daylight saving time optional for states and has also gained widespread popularity, but has not been discussed either. 

What are your thoughts on daylight saving time? How has it affected you? If you were a lawmaker, would you advocate for daylight saving time to end?


Daylight Saving Time | Definition, History, & Facts | Britannica

Sources:

Comments

  1. AnonymousNov 8, 2021, 7:59:00 PM

    I think that daylight savings is a waste, although this past daylight saving, we got an extra hour of sleep. If I was a lawmaker, I would have daylight savings not be a thing anymore, because it just screws up everyone daily routines.

    ReplyDelete
  2. AnonymousNov 9, 2021, 11:28:00 PM

    I do not like daylight saving time. The change always makes me tired and unbalanced for a week. Personally, I believe it is an unnecessary change that just confuses most people.

    ReplyDelete

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