Daylight Savings 2011 Ends in November

Spring ahead, fall back--this is how we are supposed to remember when to set our clocks for daylight saving time or DST. It is a good generalization, but it does not give a precise answer. For daylight savings 2011, we set the clocks back on November 6.

A brief history

Daylight saving time, also know as daylight savings time, was enacted into law in 1918. Germany was the first country to implement an official daylight saving time in order to conserve coal during World War I. It was not mandatory for all states to observe daylight savings time.

During World War II, the U.S. made it mandatory for all states to observe daylight saving time. The time change was observed without interruption from February 9, 1942 until September 30, 1945. Conservation of resources for the war effort was the reason for this.

Further changes were made to daylight saving time through the Energy Policy Act of 2005, which extended daylight savings time from April through October, to March through November.

Where is Daylight Saving Time observed?

Federal law does not mandate state compliance with daylight savings time. Arizona, Hawaii, Guam, the Northern Marianas Islands, the U.S. Virgin Islands, and American Samoa do not observe daylight saving time. They remain on standard time for the entire year.

Good or bad

Daylight saving time has its problems. In Arkansas, for example, many school children travel for up to an hour each way by bus to get to school. During daylight saving time, they have to wait at the bus stop in the dark every morning. This situation does not occur during standard time.

It has not been proven that changing to daylight savings time from standard time saves money or electricity. The folks at standardtime.com feel that if daylight saving time actually saves resources and money we should change over to it permanently. If it is not saving money or resources then we should dump it and follow standard time.

If you live in the majority of areas that observe the time change, 2:00 a.m. on November 6, 2011 is when you should set your clocks back. Most cell phones and cable/satellite boxes with clocks will reset automatically. Don't wait up for the end of daylight savings 2011, you can set the clocks before you head off to bed the night before. This way you won't be late for school or work.

Sources:

National Geographic News, "Daylight Savings Time 2011", Brian Handwerk

"End Daylight Saving Time", standardtime.com