Sure, Daylight Saving Time is great in the fall when we gain an extra hour. But if you were like us here at USDemocrazy, there was nothing fun about losing an hour last weekend. Here is your guide to the ever-so-controversial Daylight Saving Time.
The History
Daylight Saving Time has only been officially used in the past 100 years, but ancient civilizations appeared to have a similar system. Many civilizations would change their daily lives to match the patterns of the sun.
Though many men (Benjamin Franklin, George Vernon Hudson, William Willett) produced their own variations of daylight savings, the official use of Daylight Saving Time (DST) in the United States was in 1918. President Wilson signed the law into effect during World War I. The purpose was to conserve energy during wartime.
A man named Robert Garland, a Pittsburgh worker who had seen the success of DST in Europe, is said to be the “father of Daylight Saving”. So in fall? Thank him. In spring? Blame him.
The United States’ reaction to DST was not good though. Seven months after the law was signed, it was repealed. President Franklin D. Roosevelt then brought back the law in 1942. We’ve been enjoying (or hating) DST ever since.
The Controversy
Like most people, we only enjoy DST 50% of the time. But as technology has changed our schedules even more, many people argue DST is pointless.
In 2006, a study in Indiana compared two counties where one had DST and one did not. The conclusion? “DST results in a 1-percent overall increase in residential electricity demand, and the effect is highly statistically significant”.
In a 2007 study, two Australian regions were compared. One used DST, one did not. The conclusion? In DST regions, energy was reduced in the evenings but it was conversely increased during the mornings.
Chmura Economics and Analytics also estimates that the United States loses $434 million because of DST.
The Conclusion
I guess that is up to you to decide! What are your views on Daylight Saving Time? Is it worth the gain and later the loss of an hour?
