As Americans are preparing for the approaching Daylights Saving time on the 14th of March, and are getting ready to push their clocks forward one hour, it is a good time to ask: what is the purpose of doing this every year? Read to find out!
Every year, 70 countries observe Daylight Savings (DST), which is a period of time when clocks are turned backward for 1 hour until the seasons change and they are turned forward 1 hour again. This span of time, which is around 7-9 months from fall to spring, varies from country to country, and the days when they turn their clocks 1 hour forward and backward also vary.
Historically, the idea for the U.S. to observe DST was proposed by Benjamin Franklin, who believed that resetting clocks during the summer months would help conserve energy, since during the summer, the sun stays out for a longer period of time, and people can have an extra hour of brightness instead of using electricity to power their lamps and lights.
In May of 1916, a century after this proposal, Germany was the first country to observe DST. This was because it allowed them to save on resources such as fuel to provide light during World War 1 and many European countries soon followed after. In 1918, the United States began observing DST as well.
After the end of WWI, President Woodrow Wilson still wanted the U.S. to observe DST. However, since most of American citizens were farmers or people who lived in rural areas at that time, they weren't in favor of this decision because it took away an hour of their morning light. Therefore, DST wouldn't be observed in the U.S. anymore until the time WWII came along in 1942, and President Franklin re-established DST as "War Time".
When WWII ended, U.S. citizens were given the free choice in their states and towns to decide whether or not to observe DST. Therefore, in 1966, Congress passed the "Uniform Time Act", which made it so that states that wanted to observe DST will turn their clocks on the same days to put an end to the disorder of time across the nation.
DST has been a well-established annual time period only since 2007, when the Energy Policy Act of 2005 became effective and the current dates in November and March became standard for the entire nation.
Worldwide, less than 40% of all nations practice DST annually. They decide to observe this because of the benefits it gives to providing more daylight during summer months and allowing the span of days to be longer. The longer and brighter days are due to the fact that when Earth revolves around the sun during summer, the tilt of its axis makes it so that the Northern Hemisphere is pointed directly at the sun, making the span of daytime significantly longer than in winter months. Regions of Earth that are located further away from the equator experience a greater difference during the different seasons, and therefore is more beneficial for them to practice DST.
What benefits does DST give us? For starters, you can save on your electricity bills! Additionally, statistics from research have shown that fewer car accidents have happened during the daytime compared to when it's dark outside, suggesting that taking advantage of this brighter hour can reduce the amount of automobile crashes in general. Full-time workers who would otherwise not have free time after work during the day can also get in their outdoor leisure time as well as exercise.
Therefore, Daylight Savings can also be referred to as Energy Savings, since its original purpose was to conserve energy. However, the majority of nations, as well as several states in the U.S. itself, prefer not to observe this event, as it disrupts their schedule and can confuse their established routines and dates.
Readers in the U.S.: remember to turn your clocks forward on the 14th! Unfortunately, this might mean 1 less hour of free time, but it is a sign that summer is soon coming and we can enjoy the longer and warmer days! What is your perspective on Daylight Savings Time? Let us know in the comments!
Reference(s):
Bryner, Jeanna. “Daylight Saving Time 2020: When We Change Our Clocks and Why.” Livescience.Com, 31 Oct. 2020, www.livescience.com/56048-daylight-saving-time-guide.html.
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