Love it or hate it (and I am a big fan), we are “leaping forward” today rather than in April thanks to legislation sponsored 8 years ago by Ed Markey.
Those who would prefer to turn back the clock have the option of voting for the other guy.
Please share widely!
kirth says
It’s stupid, and causes unnecessary hassle and even traffic accidents.
I notice that the ever-authoritative Boston Herald thinks we all gained an “extra hour of sunshine” because of DST. We don’t gain anything from it.
Christopher says
…(and the linked article struck me as an exercise in finding something to complain about) that will happen regardless of when the change is made. Of course we don’t gain an hour of sun all at once (though the days are getting longer with or without DST), but I for one will appreciate the extra hour in the evening more than I will notice lost hour in the morning. I believe the other argument for DST is that it can save energy.
kirth says
Daylight Saving Wastes Energy, Study Says
Pablo says
You want to cite a study from Indiana, the center of time silliness in the United States?
Let’s think about Terre Haute, Indiana. ( 39°28′11″N 87°23′23″W ) On this, the first day of Daylight Saving Time, Terre Haute’s sunrise is 8:08 and sunset is 7:52. Yes, Daylight Saving Time is a bit extreme in Terre Haute, as people are using a ton of lights in the morning because every child is out of bed, out of the house, and on the way to school before the sun rises. Of course, sunrise after 8:00 a.m. is going to generate lots of need for morning electric illumination and heat.
Let’s do some math here. The earth has 360 degrees of longitude. There are 24 house in a day. Divide the earth by 24 hours worth of time zones, each time zone is 15 degrees wide. The center of the time zone world is defined as 0 degrees east or west longitude, and the time zone naturally extends 7°30′ on either side of the center.
The center of the time zones occur every 15 degrees. Heading west from Greenwich (England, not Connecticut) the center of the astronomical time zones occur at:
15°00′ GMT -1
30°00′ GMT -2
45°00′ GMT -3
60°00′ GMT -4 (Atlantic Standard TIme)
75°00′ GMT -5 (Eastern Standard Time)
90°00′ GMT -6 (Central Standard Time)
The natural boundary between the Eastern and Central time zone is 82°30′ W. Where is this on a map? Somewhere between Cleveland (41º 50′ N, 81º 68′ W) and Columbus (39º 96′ N, 83º 00′ W) Ohio. Because it makes no sense to run time zone boundaries through crowded metropolitan areas, boundaries are adjusted to create natural divisions. It doesn’t make much sense to run a time zone boundary through eastern Ohio, but moving it all the way west to the Illinois-Indiana border? It’s okay if you really want that, but don’t complain when the rest of the nation wants to join you in enjoying the benefits of setting the clocks ahead.
The Indiana – Illinois border (and the current time zone border) is at 87° 31′ 30″ W, deep in the heart of what should be the Central Time Zone. When we are on standard time, Indiana is already running with the clocks set ahead an hour. Astronomically, Indiana should be in GMT -6 with Chicago, instead most of the state sets the clocks ahead to GMT -5. When we begin Daylight Saving Time, Indiana sets their clocks ahead to GMT – 4, TWO HOURS ahead of sun time.
This is why the good people of Indiana need to use so much electricity to compensate for the very late sunrise, and why a state that goes from daylight saving time to double daylight saving time might not be the best test case for an argument on the merits of DST in the rest of the country.
By the way, Boston is at Longitude: 71°03′42″W, and the natural divide between the Atlantic and Eastern time zones is 67°30′ W. We are a better fit for the Atlantic Time Zone than Indiana is for the Eastern.
Jasiu says
As someone who grew up in Michigan (also in the eastern time zone), I was thinking the same thing. I was used to playing outside in daylight during the summers until 9:30 and it never got dark in the winter before 5. It was a shock to me when I moved here and I had to learn to deal with 4:15 sunsets! But you are exactly right – this time of year, it is dark when everyone wakes up for work and school, so of course the lights go on.
kirth says
Do you have an analysis of how things are in Australia, too? There are other studies, too.
Also.
Also.
There are lots more. Do you have any actual studies to back up your ideas?
tblade says
I don’t care about the morning daylight, I love the late afternoon/evening daylight.
Changing the clocks may or may not be stupid – I will let others hash that out – but I like Eastern Daylight Time waaayyyy better than the Eastern Standard Time we use over the winter.
I am so pumped about a 6:47pm sunset!!! So pumped.
kirth says
I guess you don’t commute to work eastbound on Rte 2 outside 495. When I did, there were always parts where you had to drive directly into the sun as it rose above the horizon. Blinding. There were always people who hadn’t cleared all the snow or dirt off their windshields, and suddenly couldn’t see at all. Lots of accidents and near-accidents. As the season went on, the sun was higher, and the problem lessened. Then DST happened, and we had to do it all again. I’m sure there are other roads where the same thing happens, but Rte 2 is the one I experienced, so I know it. But you get your late sunset, so it’s OK.
tblade says
Solar glare is always a problem for someone. It is a nightmare being driving blindly down the street/highway hoping for the best. I’ve experienced it plenty of times.
But I would be fine with not jumping back in forth. I left work at six today and it was nice to leave in the daylight.
kirth says
If we went to Atlantic time. I really don’t care, so long as we stop this idiotic flip-flopping.
stomv says
and so do the parents of kids who walk to school, even if it’s just a few blocks to the bus stop. Morning light on kids on their way to school is a big public safety improvement, real or imagined.
Trickle up says
We don’t walk to school any more (she takes the T bus to the high school) but we never had to walk in the dark.
My big beef about the morning and school is that high school starts too early.
stomv says
It’s why I think “fall back” is important… and an important morning activity which we should consider when determining *when* (and if) we implement DST.
scout says
I have long thought this was a major problem. In the globe article about Menino not closing school the other day, it mentioned that the buses pick up the first kid around 6:00AM. That means the probably need to be up in the 5’s!! Awful.
Also, the time change is such a pointless disruption. Just choose one or the other and stick with it. It doesn’t much matter which.
Pablo says
Most of my clocks are connected to the Internet and change automatically. Wasn’t very disruptive at all. Joyous, actually, anticipating driving home in the daylight. I look forward to this day!
The only thing I don’t like about DST is setting the clocks back in November. Blah.
jconway says
It wastes money and energy and productivity.
I would say this and the initial Iraq vote are the two dumbest things Ed Markey has done in Congress.