Costs Of Daylight Time Outweigh Benefits, Says Morning Fog

Regular readers by now might think I had not noticed that the U.S. went on daylight saving time last Sunday.  Rest assured that I didn't.  

Yes, spring is in the air, the witch hazel bloomed as usual in February, the forsythia has sythed, the crocuses have croaked, and daffodils are poking out, the birds are getting more active -- and across all this timeless scene of cheer and renewal, we choose to cast a pall of darkness.   One day the morning walk is pleasant, and the next, it's back to stumbling around in the dark.

I've pointed out many times that "daylight saving" saves nothing, least of all energy, a fact that even Congressman Ed Markey's skewed attempt at self-justification (a Department of Energy study) has been unable to refute. 

We need to realize that any infinitesimal saving of energy that might result from "daylight time" (accidental and random, if any) is counterbalanced by more measurable negative effects:

• The increase in heart attacks as we shift from daylight to "normal" time and back again has been documented.
• Working folks who need to get their exercise before going to work (or who are just plain early risers) are deprived of sunlight, which stimulates the body to produce essential vitamin D.  What are the health consequences to the nation?  Will we all look as pasty as Congressman Markey?
• The time and effort involved in running around setting our clocks forward and back, if it were studied, would surely turn out to be significant.  Of course the electronic gadgets reset themselves automatically these days (unless you're the owner of an iPad, apparently) but oddly, the number of those that do not is also growing.  In the latter category, around my house, are the microwave (admittedly old), security system (likewise), and four recently installed thermostats, all of which must be reset manually.  Not to mention a half-dozen clocks, two or three wristwatches, and the clock in the car.  It takes an hour to get to them all.  And that's just a single home.  Multiply by millions.  Multiply by adjustments needed in factories and workplaces.  It's huge, and it far overshadows those much-touted but fictitious benefits we derive from "daylight saving."

Comments

[Gabbygeezer]

Yes, indeed. Staying with this now antiquated system is silly. Believe recent news said that a vast nation, Russia, was giving up on time zones because of a demonstrated lack of benefits. Same sort of thing.