Re: OT: history of daylight shifting time
- From: "Zootwoman" <zootwoman@xxxxxxxxx>
- Date: 30 Jul 2005 15:14:26 -0700
The idea of daylight saving time was first put into practice by the
German government during the First World War between April 30 and
October 1, 1916. Shortly afterward, the United Kingdom followed suit,
first adopting DST between May 21 and October 1, 1916. Then on March
19, 1918, the U.S. Congress established several time zones (which were
already in use by railroads and most cities since 1883) and made
daylight saving time official (which went into effect on March 31) for
the remainder of World War I. It was observed for seven months in 1918
and 1919. The law, however, proved so unpopular (mostly because people
rose and went to bed earlier than in modern times) that the law was
later repealed.
Daylight saving time was reinstated in the United States on February 9,
1942, again as a wartime measure to conserve resources, this time in
order to fight World War II. This remained in effect until the war
began winding down and the requirement was removed on September 30,
1945.
>>From 1945 to 1966, U.S. federal law did not address daylight saving
time. States and localities were free to observe daylight saving time
or not. This resulted in a patchwork where some areas observed DST and
adjacent areas did not, and it was not unheard of to have to reset
one's clock several times during a relatively short trip (e.g., bus
drivers operating between Moundsville, West Virginia, and Steubenville,
Ohio had to reset their watches seven times over 35 miles). The U.S.
federal Uniform Time Act of 1966 mandated that daylight saving time
begin nationwide on the last Sunday of April and end on the last Sunday
of October. Any state that wanted to be exempt from daylight saving
time could do so by passing a state law, provided that it exempt the
entire state. The law was amended in 1972 to permit states that
straddle a time zone boundary to exempt the entire area of the state
lying in one time zone. The law was amended again in 1986 to begin
daylight saving time on the first Sunday in April, to take effect the
following year.
In response to the 1973 energy crisis, daylight saving in the United
States was begun earlier in both 1974 and 1975, commencing on the first
Sunday in January in the former year and the last Sunday in February in
the latter.
On July 21, 2005 the U.S. House of Representatives and U.S. Senate
agreed to a compromise bill that would extend DST by one month.
Daylight saving time would begin three weeks earlier (on the second
Sunday of March) and end on the first Sunday of November. The House had
previously approved a motion that would have extended DST for two
months. The extension was criticized by the airline industry [3], by
observant Jews [4], and by persons concerned for the safety of children
traveling to school in the dark before the later sunrise [5].
[edit]
Rationales for DST
One of the major reasons given for observing DST in the United States
is energy conservation. Theoretically, the amount of residential
electricity needed in the evening hours is dependent both on when the
sun sets and when people go to bed. Because people tend to observe the
same bedtime year-round, by artificially moving sunset one hour later,
the amount of energy used is theoretically reduced. United States
Department of Transportation studies showed that DST reduces the
country's electricity usage by one percent during each day DST is in
effect.
Part of the reason that it is normally observed in the late spring,
summer, and early autumn is because during the winter months the amount
of energy saved by moving sunset one hour later is negated by the
increased need for morning lighting by moving sunrise by the same
amount. During the summer most people would wake up after the sun
rises, regardless of whether daylight saving time is in effect or not,
so there is no increased need for morning lighting to offset the
afternoon energy savings.
Another perceived benefit of DST is increased opportunities for outdoor
activities. Most people plan outdoor activities during the increased
hours of sunlight. Other benefits cited include prevention of traffic
injuries (by allowing more people to return home from work or school in
daylight), and crime reduction (by reducing people's risk of being
targets of crimes that are more common in dark areas).
When the U.S. went on extended DST in 1974 and 1975 in response to the
1973 energy crisis, Department of Transportation studies found that
observing DST in March and April saved 10,000 barrels of oil a day, and
prevented about 2,000 traffic injuries and 50 fatalities saving about
U.S. $28 million in traffic costs. [6]
[edit]
Criticism of DST
DST is not universally accepted; many localities do not observe it.
Opponents claim that there is not enough benefit to justify needing to
adjust clocks twice every year. The disruption in sleep patterns
associated with setting clocks forward, and thereby "losing" an hour,
correlates with a spike in the number of severe auto accidents, as well
as emotional trauma and lost productivity as tired workers adjust to
the schedule change. It is also noted that much effort is spent
reminding everyone twice a year of the change, and thousands are
inconvenienced by showing up at the wrong time when they forget.
There is also a question whether the savings in lighting costs
justifies the increase in summertime air conditioning costs. While most
people use more sunlight under DST, most people also experience more
heat, which prompts many people to turn on the air conditioner during
the warmer afternoon hours. When air conditioning was not widely
available, the change did save energy; however, air conditioning is
much more widespread now than it was several decades ago. Air
conditioning often uses more energy than artificial lighting.
No formal studies have been performed, but an enormous amount of time
has been spent by software developers to deal with the fact that 2400
hours past 2pm is not necessarily 2pm 100 days later.
DST is particularly unpopular among people working in agriculture
because the animals do not observe it, and thus the people are placed
out of synchronization with the rest of the community, including school
times, broadcast schedules, and the like.
Canadian author Robertson Davies, in The Diary of Samuel Marchbanks
(1947), wrote the following: "I object to being told that I am saving
daylight when my reason tells me that I am doing nothing of the kind
.... At the back of the Daylight Saving scheme, I detect the bony,
blue-fingered hand of Puritanism, eager to push people into bed
earlier, and get them up earlier, to make them healthy, wealthy, and
wise in spite of themselves."
[edit]
DST and the state of Indiana
DST is a long-standing controversy in Indiana, not only as an
agricultural state, but also because the border separating the eastern
and central time zones divides the state. In the past, neighboring
communities sometimes ended up one or even two hours apart. Being
out-of-sync with neighboring states and the national changing of
clocks, it is argued, has a negative economic impact on the state. It
has been demonstrated that some businesses have located outside of the
state once the confusion related to not changing clocks is discovered.
In the current compromise, the state has three kinds of time zones:
77 counties, most of the state, are on Eastern Standard Time but do not
use DST; 5 counties near Chicago, Illinois and 5 counties in the
southwestern corner of the state are on Central Standard Time and do
use DST; and
2 counties near Cincinnati, Ohio and 3 counties near Louisville,
Kentucky are on Eastern Standard time but do observe DST. Their
observance of DST is unofficial in this case, as a strict reading of
the Uniform Time Act would not allow for this situation, but by
observing DST, they remain synchronized with the greater Louisville and
Cincinnati metropolitan areas.
On April 29, 2005, the Indiana legislature voted to begin observing
Daylight Saving Time in 2006; however, what time zone the state will be
placed in is unknown pending federal hearings [7].
.
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