Daylight Saving Time: Love It or Hate It?
It’s the beginning of Spring — which means, yep, “Spring Ahead!” Some people love daylight saving time (DST), some love Standard Time (ST), what’s your vote? Personally, I like when the days are longer and the sun sets closer to 9 p.m. rather than 5 p.m. This year, daylight saving time began on Sunday, March 12 and stays with us until Sunday, November 5, 2023.
Germany and Austria were the first countries to use DST in 1916 during WWI. Residents of Port Arthur, Ontario began the practice in 1908, with other cities in Canada’s provinces of Saskatchewan, Winnipeg, and Manitoba following in 1914. In the US, “Fast Time” (as it was called then), was introduced in 1918 but was repealed until WWII when President Franklin D. Roosevelt reintroduced the measure instituting year-round DST or “War Time” DST. War Time DST was continuous from February 9, 1942 to September 30,1945. During this time the US time zones were called “Eastern War Time,” “Mountain War Time,” “Central War Time,” and “Pacific War Time.” After the surrender of Japan in 1945, the time zones were renamed “Peace Time.”
From there, it was all over the place. From 1945 to 1966 there were no rules for DST in the US. This caused massive confusion — especially for travelers using trains and buses and the broadcasting industry. In 1966 the Uniform Time Act was established providing the framework for a nation wide synchronized DST schedule starting the last Sunday of April lasting till the last Sunday in October. The catch states were able to opt out, and some did.
During the 1973 oil embargo, congress ordered a year round DST that was effective January 1974 through April 1975. The order was put in place to save energy but was amended to allow for a return to standard time during the winter months when it was realized that the measure yielded only a small savings. The energy crisis subsided in 1976 and a DST schedule was revised a number of times until the Energy Policy Act of 2005 that began in 2007 and is in place today. The US Senate unanimously passed the Sunshine Protection Act in 2022 but for the bill to become law, allowing states to observe DST year-round, it has to be approved by the House of Representatives and signed into law by the President. This has not happened. For now the law only allows states to opt out of DST but not to follow it year-round. More than 350 bills and resolutions for removing DST have been proposed in states across the US since 2015 and 19 states have enacted legislation for permanent DST.
Pros and Cons of DST;
- Pro – Extra hour of daylight in the evening to be outside to play. (Tourism Industry loves DST)
- Con – Doesn’t really save energy especially with our modern day habits on screens.
- Pro – Less artificial light.
- Con – Changing the time, even by an hour, can disrupt body clocks and circadian rhythm leading to health risks.
- Pro – Lighter in the evening promotes road safety.
- Con – Darker in the mornings.
Polling — A 2020 poll found 40% of Americans want to stay on Standard Time all year with 31% wanting DST year round. 28% want to keep the time change twice a year.
Another poll was conducted in 2022 finding 44% of Americans want DST year round and 31% want to stay on Standard Time all year with 35% changing it twice a year.
Confusing? I’ll say. I’m sticking with my vote. I want DST all year round.
Penny and her family moved to Chapel Hill in 1998. She soon joined the Town of Chapel Hill’s Telecommunications and Technology advisory board and was appointed by the town to the OWASA board of directors where she served 6 years and held the Vice Chair position. In 2009 she ran and was elected to the town council in Chapel Hill, and in 2012 ran and was elected to the BOCC where she served 8 years, the last two as chair of the board. Penny owns and operates a personal chef and catering company and has been published in Cary Magazine, Gourmet Magazine, INDY Week, Southern Neighbor and News14. She lives in Carrboro with her mom Jersey Jacky. You can find her on Twitter and Instagram
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