Shining a Light on Daylight Saving Time: History, Purpose, and Debate
Every summer and winter, millions of people around the globe change their clock times and it is either springing forward or falling back as part of Daylight Saving Time also known as DST. This practice is somewhat familiar to many but for some it remains a topic of confusion, debate and maybe frustration. In this blog we will cover What exactly is DST? When did it start and why do we change our clock times by an hour? Which countries or states follow this practice and are there any efforts to change this historical practice or maybe abolish it? Let’s dive deep into the history, mechanics and modern perspectives on DST with some thoughts on its relevance today.
What Is Daylight Saving Time?
Daylight saving time is a seasonal adjustment that comes two times in a year, one in the summer and another one in winter. It is completely personal for individuals to follow this practice or not, it typically means moving time forward by one hour in the summer and back by one hour in the winters. The goal of this practice is to make better use of natural daylight during the longer and warmer days of summer, changing an hour of sunlight from the early morning when many are asleep to evening when people are active. In most of the places around the globe that observe DST, it brings in the summer mainly in March and it ends in the winter around October.
This practice is not a universal practice. It is most commonly followed by the countries with temperate regions where days and night remain nearly equal year round.
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When Was DST First Started?
The history of DST takes us back to a century before but its origins are often debated because this is a practice which is followed by people worldwide. One of the earliest proponents was Benjamin Franklin. In 1784 he casually suggested in a satirical light that Parisians could save candles by waking up earlier to use morning sunlight. Funny thing is that it was not serious at that time when it was a type of need to change time by an hour.
But the credit for the modern version of DST goes to Georger Vernn Hudson who is an entomologist from New Zealand. In 1895 he proposed a 2 hour shift to extend daylight for his insect collecting hobby. After a few years in 1907 a British builder William Willett independently championed a similar idea by arguing it would save energy and improve leisure time. His moto pamphlet was The waste of daylight, gained some traction but it did not immediately take hold
DST was first implemented during the World War first on a very large scale. It was accepted by Germany and Austria Hungary on April 30 in 1916 to conserve coal by reducing the need for artificial lighting. Other countries like the United Kingdom and the United States also followed this practice. As expected during World War 2 this practice once again returned at that time but it became more standardized in many nations afterward.
How Long Does DST Last?
While it is not necessary for people to follow this, the duration of DST varies by region to region or maybe person to person. For example in the United States it begins on the second Sunday of March and it ends on the first Sunday of November which lasts about eight months. This practice was standardized by the Energy Policy Act of 2005 which extended DST by one month compared to past schedules. In Europe this typically followed from the last Sunday in March to the last Sunday in October which is a slightly shorter period. And the rest of the world changes their dates based on local need and climate changes but the general pattern is moving the time by one hour in spring and back in fall which usually lasts about six to eight months.
Why Do We Move the Clock Forward by One Hour?
The main reason for shifting clocks by one hour is to maximize productivity and daylight during waking hours. By borrowing an hour of morning light and adding it to evening, This practice aims to reduce the consumption of energy for example reduce the use for lights and heating and encourage outdoor activity. In the previous time of the days of war , this energy saving topic was critical but in present times studies question its effectiveness.
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Who Follows DST? Are There Exceptions?
DST is followed in 70 countries approximately and primarily in North America, Europe and some parts of Oceania. In the United States all states accept this except Hawaii and Arizona which are outside the navajo nation. Canada also follows this but Saskatchewan does not. In Europe almost everyone follows this. Australia uses it in some states like New South Wales and Victoria but not in states like Queensland.
As one can easily notice that countries or states which are close to the equator, the use of DST is rare. Countries like Japan, India and most of Africa and South America do not use this practice at all as their daylight hours are not enough to justify the change. As for Russia they abandoned DST in 2014 after years of experimentation and China has not used it since 1991.
Is America the Only Country That Changes?
As you read in the above section of this blog, the United States is far from alone. If we talk about global use of this practice then it is used in less than 40% of the countries so it is not a worldwide practice to follow.
Efforts to Change or Abolish DST
This practice does come with its shares of critics and efforts to think that DSt are gaining momentum. Even in the US some states have pushed to make this practice a permanent thing. Florida passed the sunshine protection act in 2018 and California voters approved a similar measure. But the federal approval is still pending, However in 2022 the US senate passed a bill
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What are health experts’ thoughts on this?
Experts are divided; some sleep research shows that this change in routine disrupts circadian rhythms, increasing heart attacks, workplace accidents and even traffic fatalities in the days following the change. A 2016 study in Sleep Medicine found that a 105 spike in heart attack was observed after DST.
Conclusion
Daylight Saving Time was introduced to maximize daylight into people’s lives and to save lots of energy but its existence and usability is not debated among the experts and almost everyone. While some regions ask for this practice to be permanent and some ask for permanent abolition.The concern over health, its effectiveness and economically continues in the present. The future for this practice still remains uncertain as debates continue and arguments evolve.
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