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Is Daylight Saving Time Worth Saving?

Daniel_Stuckey writes "In politics, health, and academia, there are plenty of detractors that say daylight saving might not be worth saving. One vocal opponent is Missouri State Representative Delus Johnson, who wants to end the watch and clock switchery altogether. In short, he says we should spring forward this one last time, without ever falling back. He wants Missouri – and other states willing to join a pact – to permanently adopt daylight saving time and call it Standard Time. He's sure that it'll increase economic development in the later part of the year; giving people a little more daylight to do their Black Friday shopping. Matthew J. Kotchen and Laura E. Grant at the National Bureau of Economic Research have argued that DST has had adverse effects on energy spending. They calculate some extra $10-16 million spent by Indiana due to time changes. Their research concluded it's probably a much bigger loss in other states. A year ago, Motherboard's Kelly Bourdet reported on a health study that concluded DST might actually kill you. Chances of heart-attack were stated to increase by 10 percent on the days following the spring change, and to decrease by 10% after gaining the hour in the fall." There's even a We The People petition about it.

8 of 646 comments (clear)

  1. Missouri by CanHasDIY · · Score: 4, Interesting

    It's nice to see a mention of one of my great state's reps that, for once, doesn't involve them doing/saying something unspeakably stupid...

    Yea, I'm talking about you, Todd Akin and Rory Ellinger.

    --
    An enigma, wrapped in a riddle, shrouded in bacon and cheese
  2. Re:NO. by Freshly+Exhumed · · Score: 5, Interesting

    UTC with NTP... that's the way to go. Goodbye local time forever!

    --
    I deny that I have not avoided attaining the opposite of that which I do not want.
  3. Health effects by jeffb+(2.718) · · Score: 4, Interesting

    So, heart attacks go up by 10% in the wake of spring-forward, but fall by 10% in the wake of fall-back? The solution is clear, then -- we need to adopt an official 25-hour day.

    The twice-yearly clock shift really is a silly, silly exercise. Not so silly as a uniform, one-size-fits-all, year-around schedule for work, school, and entertainment, but silly all the same.

  4. Re:Kill it by geekoid · · Score: 5, Interesting

    I will miss it, as well many people in the north.
    Some things you should probably consider:
    1) No one is trying to trick mother natures, if you think it's about that, then you are fucking stupid and STFU
    2) There is no indicator that, overall, money is wasted
    3) "In a modern world where clocks are set by the atom "
    This underscores how ignorant you small minded you are. It has nothing to dodo the the accuracy of a clock.

    More daylight in the evening is beneficial and enjoyable.

    Yo do know we live on a globe, right? and that northern states are impacted more by the shifting about of daylight? And there aren't a lot of places that get an exact amount of day and night every year? and that not everyone gets to pick there work hours? and people do more outside in the evening then in the morning? People use more electricity for lighting in the evening then they do in the morning?

    Most people get up just in times to shower, eat and then go to work. Not a lot of relaxing hang around tyime. and if there where it would be colder anyways
    Bunch of short sighted morons.

    --
    The Kruger Dunning explains most post on /. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dunning%E2%80%93Kruger_effect
  5. No need to change it... by coldmist · · Score: 4, Interesting

    My wife looked into this, from a legal standpoint.

    Daylight savings is simply a federal standard for which days of the year participating states will change their times.

    Read that again.

    It's really a state-by-state issue, where any state can voluntarily not participate.

    Talk to your state reps if you want to make a difference.

    --
    Don't steal. The government hates competition.
  6. This has been tried before by sjames · · Score: 4, Interesting

    In January 1974, the U.S. went to DST early to conserve energy. It did mean we went to school in the dark. It also meant school kids had an excuse to play with flashlights (entirely unnecessary, but a good enough excuse and fun for the younger kids). It was a great novelty, and it was nice to have more sunlight after school when it was actually useful. Due to fear of kids getting hit by cars (in spite of the flashlights to make them visible), we went fell back again the next fall.

  7. Re:Morning sunlight is a waste by mill3d · · Score: 5, Interesting

    Wouldn't that just push the problem further by a few degrees?

    --
    Nothing is enough for whom enough is too little - Confucius
  8. Re:NO. by draconx · · Score: 4, Interesting

    I've advocated making all even months 30 days and all odd months except November 31 days with November receiving the leap year day. Simplifies things completely and never leaves people guessing, except for if it's a leapyear or not.

    If we're going to change the months, we should just have 13 months of 28 days each, a nice even 4 weeks per month. That has one leftover day per year (two on leap years), which would not be part of any month or week. We'll call those "nameless days" or something and would fall between saturday of the last week of the year, and sunday of the first week of the next year. Those days would be holidays and everyone can have a big new year's party.