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Why does daylight saving time exist?

Mar 18, 2022

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The Senate has unanimously passed legislation that would end changing clocks. The bill will now head to the House and, if passed, will be sent to President Joe Biden’s desk. As lawmakers debate daylight saving time, many are wondering why we have it in the first place.

Germany was the first to adopt the practice during World War I as a way to conserve fuel. The rest of Europe followed soon after. The United States didn’t begin using daylight saving time until 1918. It was unpopular and abolished after World War I.

Daylight saving time didn’t become standard in the U.S. until the passage of the Uniform Time Act of 1966, which mandated standard time across the country within established time zones. It stated that clocks would advance one hour at 2 a.m. on the last Sunday in April and turn back one hour at 2 a.m. on the last Sunday in October.

Daylight saving time has continued to evolve. It now starts at 2 a.m. on the second Sunday of March and ends at 2 a.m. on the first Sunday of November. The change was advocated in part to allow children to go trick or treating in more daylight.

Only two states don’t observe daylight saving time: Arizona and Hawaii.

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WE JUST MOVED OUR CLOCKS FORWARD – AND YOU MAY NOT HAVE TO EVER MOVE IT BACK 

 

THE SENATE JUST PASSED THE SUNSHINE PROTECTION ACT. IT WOULD MAKE DAYLIGHT SAVING PERMANENT

 

LISTEN I WAS LIVING OVERSEAS FOR THE LONGEST TIME – AND ONLY TOOK IN THE FACT THAT WE LITERALLY CHANGE TIME TWICE A YEAR WHEN I MOVED BACK *IT’S A FOREIGN CONCEPT IN MOST PARTS OF THE WORLD* 

 

SO WHY DO WE EVEN HAVE IT IN THE FIRST PLACE?

 

WELL IT STARTED IN WORLD WAR 1 AND COMES DOWN TO OUR USE OF ENERGY

THE IDEA IS THAT MAKING BETTER USE OF NATURAL DAYLIGHT IN PLACES FURTHER FROM THE EQUATOR CONSERVES ENERGY

 

BUT *JUST HOW MUCH* IS UP FOR DEBATE

 

A 2017 ANALYSIS FOUND THAT DAYLIGHT SAVING HELPED US SAVE .34 PERCENT OF ELECTRICITY USE ON AVERAGE – IT MAY NOT SOUND LIKE MUCH – BUT THAT’S EQUIVALENT TO WHAT IT TAKES TO POWER MORE THAN 65,000 HOMES. FOR AN ENTIRE YEAR. 

 

REGARDLESS – EXPERTS SAY THE TOLL ON OUR HEALTH ISN’T WORTH IT, ARGUING OUR SLEEP CYCLE NEEDS TO BE CONSISTENT. 

 

THE SUNSHINE PROTECTION ACT STILL HAS TO PASS THE HOUSE TO BECOME LAW – DO YOU THINK IT’S A GOOD IDEA OR SHOULD WE HIT SNOOZE ON THIS ONE??

LET US KNOW IN THE COMMENTS BELOW