Daylight-saving time is a system established to reduce electricity usage by extending daylight hours (clocks are set ahead one hour). Why is this done? Because at different times of the year – in the spring/summer -- , there is more light than darkness, and some of this light is early in the morning when people are sleeping and is wasted. So for example, if the sun rises at 5:00am during standard time in June and sets at 7pm, daylight savings transfers the “hour of light”, so daylight is now from 6am – 8pm. This is important as a lot less energy is needed during daylight hours than during evening hours. It also gives us the benefit of an hour extra sunlight to enjoy the outdoors in the summer.
This year, standard time begins on at 2am on on Sunday, November 2, 2008 and daylight-saving time begins Sunday, March 9, 2009. In the past, daylight-saving time began in April and ended in October. However, an energy bill signed by President George W. Bush on August 8, 2005 extended daylight-saving time as part of a long-term solution to the nation's energy problems. The new law extended daylight-saving time by four weeks - beginning three weeks earlier and ending one week later. Also under this law, the entire state of Indiana now observes daylight-saving time. Prior to the new laws, only certain areas of the state observed the time changes.
There are a few exceptions to the above. In the United States, Hawaii and most of Arizona do not follow daylight-saving time – which is why the clocks at both ends of Hoover Dam (One side Nevada and the other side Arizona – are the same part of the year and an hour different during the other part of the year.
Other Countries:
· About 70 countries around the world observe daylight-saving time.
· Neither China nor Japan observes daylight-saving time.
· Many other countries refer to "daylight-saving time" as "summertime."
The history of daylight-saving time Benjamin Franklin is thought to have come up with the idea for daylight-saving time in 1784 - In a whimsical letter to a French journal, he said that Parisians could save thousands of francs a years by waking up earlier during the summer because it would prevent them from having to buy so many candles to light the evening hours. In 1918, The U.S. first adopts daylight-saving time, in the same act that created standard time zones, in an effort to save energy during World War I. It didn't prove popular, and, as a result, it was repealed the following year.
12 comments:
I had no idea Arizona didn't have a DST. Now I'm wondering why? Thanks for all the interesting facts, I learned something this morning.
It never made much sense to me. Now atleast I know why. Still don't make sense. I'm like you, I think we just need to leave it as it is.
I like this time best also. I always say, now we are on the sun's time, which is the right time.
I must have made a mistake. It sounds like Daylight Savings Time will continue on forever unless we just take all the clocks out of the house.
Oh I love Summertime with the long light evenings until nearly 11.pm. I hate it when we go back to GMT and the dark evenings.
Roll on 29 March 2009 when we go back to British Summertime - even if we don't get much of a summer!
Thanks for this information, it's really interesting finding out about other parts of the world.
Hello Patty! How are you and Abe?
Thanks for the funny emails etc, your are a 'swell kinda gal' (is that the type of thing Abe would say?)
My new job is fine and it is nice to work with people for a change.
Love to Abe and I wish you both a sooper dooper week!
m]
A lot of interesting history of the creation of time saving, I understand it has some benefits but think we could juggle things without the change which just aggravates me for a week each time.Thanks for sharing.
Great research, Patty, and most interesting information. I think Ann is right, the suns time is the right time!
Speaking of sun, we had 75 degrees today with lots of sunshine. What a great day.
Good night, Patty.
Great information, Mrs. L. One of our Sunday School members mentioned Ben Franklin in connection with DST. So.. he's the culprit, eh? I'm with you! I like "real" time. Folks (like me) just need to get up earlier in the morning during the summer, so as not to waste that precious daylight.
I love the Child's Garden of Verses (Robert Louis Stevenson) poem: "In winter, I get up at night, and dress by yellow candle light. In summer, quite the other way, I have to go to bed by day." Evidently, there was no DST when that was written. :)
My personal clock is messed up and have been up since 3 am from this time change.I think this is going to be a long day.
I hate changing the clocks! It's stupid and just messes up my schedule.
Post a Comment