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Daylight Savings Time
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 Daylight
savings time - we have all heard of it. We all participate
in it… but what exactly is daylight savings time, and why
do we have it? Daylight savings time was started so that we could
“save” daylight. The United States went on extended
daylight savings time around 1975. Daylight savings time keeps the
daylight for when we want it - during the time that we are
active at work and school. Daylight savings time is most common
in temperate regions, because of the great variation in the amount
of daylight versus darkness throughout the seasons in these regions.
Is daylight savings time really necessary, though? Does it really
help us if it starts to get light outside at 7am rather than 8am,
etc.? One of the major reasons for daylight savings time does not
have to do with peoples’ preferences at all. Rather, one of
the major reasons for daylight savings time is for energy conservation.
In theory, residential electricity use is reduced because of daylight
savings time - the amount of electricity that people use at
home is contingent upon when the sun sets and goes to sleep and
when people do. People tend to go to bed at the same time all year
round. Therefore, if we artificially move the sunset one hour later,
a person will need to use less energy - he will not need to
keep the lights on as long just because it is dark outside if he
is in bed.
The need for morning lighting in the winter is also important.
During the summer, people generally wake up after the sunrises no
matter what - the days are simply longer. During the winter,
though, people are only likely to wake up after the sunrises if
the time of that sunrise is artificially changed by daylight savings
time.
Daylight savings also allows an increase in opportunities for outdoor
activities. It is important that people get out and do something
and remain active, even during the winter months, and it helps if
it is still light outside when they want to be outside.
Daylight savings is also good because it is light outside when
people drive home from work - there is less of a chance of
accidents when the drivers can see better because of the light.
There is also the chance that daylight savings time reduces crime
(it reduces that chance that a person will be the target of crimes
that are more common in dark areas).
Of course, not all people have good things to say about daylight
savings time. In fact, daylight savings time is not accepted universally.
There are many places that do not actually observer daylight savings.
Some people do not like have to adjust their clocks twice a year
for so few perceived benefits. Other people do not like the disruptions
in sleep patterns from setting the clock forward or back -
this actually correlates with auto accidents and lost productivity.
Also, some people simply forget to change their clocks and they
may show up late or early to work, etc.
Also, daylight savings time may add to an increase in summertime
air conditioning costs. More sunlight at home means that people
are also experiences more heat at home. Air conditioning often uses
even more electricity than lighting does.
There is also the chance that because of the added daylight, more
people are going to jump in their cars to enjoy it, and therefore
add to pollution.
Also, people working in agriculture do not appreciate daylight
savings time - their animals most certainly do not observe
it!
There are many more reasons why people do not like daylight savings
time. Many of the reasons that people criticize daylight savings
time are the same reasons that people praise it - there is
debate over whether or not daylight savings time actually decreases
the energy that people use or the number of traffic accidents. There
are many more experiments that must be run before it can be decided
exactly how good of an idea daylight savings time really is.
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