Burning Daylight
There was a lot of grumbling in these parts (and I suspect everywhere else) when we turned back our clocks to Standard Time earlier this month. Daylight Saving Time, called Summer Time in Europe, was first adopted in the U.S. 100 years ago during World War I but didn’t become law nationally (with the exception of Arizona and Hawaii) until 1966. While people love those extra long summer evenings, the “falling back” part is not nearly as much fun. And if you think that extra hour of sleep makes up for the switch, the medical evidence says no. It can take up to a week to get your internal clock back in order. Switching has also been linked to increases in road accidents. So why can’t we stay on Daylight Saving Time all year and enjoy evening light without the depressing November change? In March, Florida passed a bill that would put the state on DST year ’round and 26 states including California are considering doing the same. It won’t change anything, though. U.S. federal law only allows states to opt out of Daylight Savings Time. Unless that 1966 law changes, we’ll continue to fall back in November no matter how grumpy it makes us.
For a sarcastic take on DST, check out this stinging Canadian piece originally published in 2016: “Nine reasons to hate Daylight Savings Time.”
Warmest regards,
B. Zimmerman
