Daylight Saving Time

If you are like me, you try to stay aware of deadlines, appointments, holidays and upcoming family celebrations. Despite the fact that many of these special days occur on the same date each year, they tend to sneak up on us. One event that is sure to sneak up on millions of people this year is Daylight Saving Time. This annual ritual will begin on March 11 when millions of American's will "spring ahead" by turning their clocks forward one hour at 2:00 in the morning.

The idea of Daylight Saving Time has always centered on energy and economics. Thoughts about this concept date back to 1784 when Benjamin Franklin wrote an essay titled "An Economical Project" in which he talks about saving money by using natural light instead of artificial light, which at the time was provided by candles. He noticed that people would sleep until late in the morning after the sun had already been up for several hours. They would stay awake until long after the sun went down, having to rely on candlelight, all the while complaining about the cost of candle making supplies. Today, the purpose of Daylight Saving Time is to allow us to make better use of daylight hours and reduce the consumption of resources for powering lights and appliances we use in the dark hours. Some people are in favor of this practice and happily set their clocks ahead one hour in the spring and back one hour in the fall. Others are very much against it. There are arguments on both sides of the fence regarding how much money and resources are actually saved, how some industries are impacted by the time change and how our health and well being are affected by the time change.

For as long as I can remember Daylight Saving Time started sometime in April and ended in late October; so I was surprised to learn that Daylight Saving Time has undergone many revisions through the years. For example, from February 2, 1942 to September 30, 1945 President Franklin D. Roosevelt instituted a long term Daylight Saving Time. Then from 1945 to 1966 there was no federal law regarding this practice. During that time local governments could set up their own regulations regarding Daylight Saving Time but there was no obligation to do so. Obviously no regulation caused much confusion - especially with travel, commerce, and broadcast media - so President Lyndon Johnson signed the Uniform Time Act of 1966. This act clearly defined the start and end dates for Daylight Saving Time across each time zone in the United States. In 1986, legislation was passed that set the start of Daylight Saving Time at 2:00 a.m. on the first Sunday in April and the end at 2:00 a.m. on the last Sunday in October. With a few exceptions, it has been the plan that most of the US has followed.

The change that we are now about to experience was set in motion in August 2005 when President George W. Bush signed the Energy Policy Act of 2005. This legislation changes the start date of Daylight Saving Time to the second Sunday in March and the end date to the first Sunday in November, thus extending the length of Daylight Saving Time. The purpose is again to save money and resources. The actual effects on energy consumption during this time will be reviewed by the Secretary of Energy to see if extending Daylight Saving Time has the desired outcomes. If not, Congress reserves the right to revert back to the 1986 Daylight Saving Time plan - the one we currently observe.

I, for one, am glad this change is taking place. By this time in the winter season, my energy is zapped. I am tired of waking up when it is dark and eating dinner when it is dark. I long for more sunlight and being able to spend more time outdoors. Time will tell if this experiment fares well for the masses, but I already know my vote.