WeatherCat > WeatherCat General Discussion
Standard Time vs Daylight Saving Time
Blicj11:
One of the most ridiculous government-imposed boondoggles of modern life occurred yesterday at my home at 2:00 AM Mountain Daylight Time when our clocks magically went backward for one hour, transforming into 1:00 AM Mountain Standard Time. What a waste of good clock energy. WeatherCat, of course, handled the change much better than I did. The older I get, the more ridiculous this semi-annual madness becomes.
xairbusdriver:
Didn't notice until this morning; the times on the NOAA Forecasts also changed by one hour. Think of all the wasted bits that were used to do that! [computer]
There is another waste that is seldom mentioned. Each year we waste precious space and probably energy storing an hour of Sunlight from now until next Spring! This is what makes it get dark earlier this Fall and Winter, of course. Then when those hours are released, one a day, to make daylight an hour longer next Spring and Summer. That task takes an unbelievable amount of space for no earthly reason!!! [banghead] [goofy] [rolleyes2]
elagache:
Dear Blick, X-Air, and WeatherCat social observers,
--- Quote from: Blicj11 on November 05, 2018, 10:39:22 AM ---One of the most ridiculous government-imposed boondoggles of modern life occurred yesterday at my home at 2:00 AM Mountain Daylight Time when our clocks magically went backward for one hour, transforming into 1:00 AM Mountain Standard Time. What a waste of good clock energy. WeatherCat, of course, handled the change much better than I did. The older I get, the more ridiculous this semi-annual madness becomes.
--- End quote ---
You are preaching to the choir when it comes to me. I haven't gone back to review the literature, but last time I looked it seems absolutely overwhelming that daylight savings only costs - it doesn't save anything. When the concept was first proposed, lighting was difficult and expensive. It might have made sense then. However today, lighting is an extremely small fraction of our energy costs. On the other hand, the key premise of daylight savings really doesn't apply anymore. People cannot rearrange the lives to take advantage of the extra daylight. More than ever we are bound to the clock of a modern society. Whatever we set our clocks to, we need to live out our regimented lives. As a result, in the Winter we use more energy to heat because we are forced to get up earlier when it is colder. In the Summer we use more energy to stay cool because we shift our activity into the hotter part of the day.
Alas, repealing daylight savings looks to be virtually impossible for a reason that - to me at least - is utterly terrifying. It has become a ingrained tradition with false associations of patriotism and caring for the environment. Whenever I've broached this subject I might as well have been attacking motherhood and apple pie. Stranger still, there are many people who desperately want that extra hour of daylight for psychological and recreational reasons. People in Northern latitudes see the start of daylight savings as a first sign of the end of their winter entombment. Many people want daylight savings for the additional recreational time it provides them with daylight. Even if most people have very little free time at all, so it represents a huge waste of human resources for a very tiny benefit. Moreover this too is probably more illusion than reality, since most people have pigeon-holed their free time as well. For all too many, daylight savings or not, even our free time is regimented like clockwork.
Still, those reasons prevail instead of - a rational attempt to make the best choices for the human race and the planet. It is simply another example of rationality rejected by collective preference. Since as a collective we have also rejected any sort of spiritual salvation, we cannot as whole expect rescue in that manner. if we also intentionally choose to reject rationality - just how long to we expect to endure?
At this point about all I can hope for is da' second coming!!
Oh well, . . . . . Edouard
P.S. Yes, WeatherCat got through the transition just fine for me as well.
Blicj11:
Here is an interesting read about the federal government interference on the topic and how every year someone where I live tries to do something about it, but fails.
https://www.sltrib.com/news/politics/2018/11/05/hate-daylight-saving-time/
elagache:
Dear Blick and WeatherCat observers of da' political process.
--- Quote from: Blicj11 on November 06, 2018, 06:28:05 PM ---Here is an interesting read about the federal government interference on the topic and how every year someone where I live tries to do something about it, but fails.
--- End quote ---
Thanks for sharing. It was an interesting account from another state's perspective. Actually California is voting on a proposition related to daylight savings time. Here is what the League of Women Voters have to say about it:
https://lwvc.org/vote/elections/ballot-measures/proposition-7-conforms-california-daylight-savings-time-federal-law
Sadly it is this sort of confusing propositions that Californians are forced to decide upon essentially every election. It certainly didn't improve my disillusionment or I strongly suspect the disillusionment of many other Californians.
Oh well, . . . . . Edouard
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