Spring Forward for Daylight Savings: But What’s the Point?
Saturday, March 13th, 2010
I have mixed feelings about Daylight Savings (I realize
technically there’s no “s” at the end of “Savings”, but I think it
sounds better 
), and I always ask myself: what is the
point? After doing a bit of research, it certainly appears many
others ask the same thing. Its benefits?
- More time for outdoor activities
- Saves electricity as light extends well into the evening hours
- Some studies have shown crime rates are lower during Daylight Savings
Its drawbacks?
- The complexity of it all, including remembering to set the clocks back and forward
- We lose an hour of sleep. I mean let’s be real here: it still gets darker earlier in the winter and later in the summer no matter what, so why mess with the clocks?
- Just when it started to get brighter earlier, now it’s going to get dark again
- It’s not mandatory, so not everybody observes it! Take a look at this DST map (blue indicates DST is observed, orange indicates DST is no longer observed, and red indicates DST was never used)
As you can see, Arizona and Hawaii are the onl states in the U.S. that have found DST rather useless. About 95% of Africa isn’t on DST, including my new home (for 2 years) South Africa. A great deal of North America and Europe, however, have found DST worthy of continuing.
So, don’t forget to spring your clocks forward! But I’d like to know: what are your thoughts on Daylight Savings? Is it worth it? Are Arizona and Hawaii doing the right thing by not messing with the clock? You decide.
Have a great weekend, everyone!
Matthew Leach
Forecasting Kitsap
Questions? Comments? E-mail me at: forecastingkitsap@live.com
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