When do we set the clocks forward
That time is upon us once again, with only a few days left of life in standard time, those days of forever light, higher air conditioning costs, and never-ending sun begin on Sunday, March 11, at 2am. It is then when we lose an hour. We set our clocks back and fight the urge to return to our beds while the sun is still shining at nine o’clock at night. I hate daylight saving time (DST).
(Wikipedia) Daylight saving time (DST)—also summer time in several countries including in British English and European official terminology—is the practice of advancing clocks so that evenings have more daylight and mornings have less. Typically clocks are adjusted forward one hour near the start of spring and are adjusted backward in autumn.
Though mentioned by Benjamin Franklin in 1784, the modern idea of daylight saving was first proposed in 1895 by George Vernon Hudson and it was first implemented during the First World War. Many countries have used it at various times since then; details vary by location.
The practice has been both praised and criticized. Adding daylight to evenings benefits retailing, sports, and other activities that exploit sunlight after working hours, but can cause problems for evening entertainment and other occupations tied to the sun. Its effect on health and crime is less clear. Although an early goal of DST was to reduce evening usage of incandescent lighting, formerly a primary use of electricity, modern heating and cooling usage patterns differ greatly, and research about how DST currently affects energy use is limited or contradictory.
DST clock shifts present other challenges. They complicate timekeeping, and can disrupt meetings, travel, billing, recordkeeping, medical devices, heavy equipment, and sleep patterns. Software can often adjust computer clocks automatically, but this can be limited and error-prone, particularly when DST protocols are changed.
There are a few states that are fortunate enough to enjoy standard time year around, with Hawaii and Arizona immediately coming to mind, along with Midway and Wake Islands for you world travelers.
Aside from losing that precious hour of sleep, there are health problems beyond depression that seem to come after Daylight Saving Time. A study, published in the New England Journal of Medicine, determined that after the Daylight Savings time change, risks of heart attacks actually rise.
In case you’re wondering we can thank the Republican Congress for moving DST up from Sunday April 27, to Sunday March 11 in 2007. They claimed it was good for people who had to heat their homes, but that’s another story.
Let me add that life will not return to normal until November 4, 2012 when we return to standard time.
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Exactly. Where do I go to sign the petition?
I hate DST. The one in fall isn’t hard, but this one messes with my body and head something awful. Blech.