Daylight Savings, if you didn't realize, was "turned off" today at 2am. I'll be sad since I love my early mornings dark. Why do we still set the clocks when agrarian culture has been defeated by the Industrial Revolution and its introduction to electricity?
Arguments for it suggest it gives us another hour of daylight to be productive and to be able to run errands after a work shift given whatever daylight is left (stimulates the economy). Also encourages more play outdoors or exercise, promoting Vitamin D health.
I disagree with this "energy-saving" tactic. The errands also mean more energy and gasoline emitted into the atmosphere. As Michael Downing, a Tufts University teacher and author, said, “Give Americans an extra hour of after-dinner daylight, and they will go to the ballpark or the mall — but they won't walk there.”
A report by the California Energy Commission’s Demand Analysis Office concluded that increasing daylight saving time “had little or no effect on energy consumption in California.” Daylight Savings will still be in effect though, due to the Energy Policy Act of 2005. This allowed Daylight Savings to be pushed weeks deeper in to help combat energy problems. That coerces the sunrise to happen at 8:30am, which is a problem for practicing Jews who have morning services on times predicted by the sun. Preraue points out, "“If sunrise is late, religious Jews have to delay going to work or pray at work, neither of which is a desirable situation."
Not only that, television networks dislike the idea. More daylight means people won't be home in time to watch shows/movies during prime time.
