More Daylight, Please
I heard a report on Marketplace today (WOOD-TV story) about a bill in congress which now includes a provision to extend Daylight Savings Time by a month on either end — two extra months of more daylight per year! The change a couple weeks ago was fantastic - it’s great to be getting home while it’s still daylight out - but there are some really practical aspects of the change. Americans use less energy during Daylight Savings Time — they use less electricity (about 1%) for lighting in the evenings because it’s light outside. Some even think that the plan will “reduce greenhouse gases and reduce strain on the nation’s power grid.”
Still, there are some poo-pooing this plan. The primary opposition seems to be limited to farmers. To be honest I really don’t understand their opposition. The interview clip with a farmer in the story only serves to make him sound like a mumbling idiot. E-nun-ci-ate! I guess that’s why they have lobbyists working for them.
I’d really like to see this make it through. Two of my sides are heavily supportive. The energy savings - 1% is a lot! - appeals to my practical side; the increased evening daylight appeals to my outdoorsy side. I’m surprised there isn’t more about this out on the web. You’d think all of the hybrid late-rising computer nerd/Boy Scout types would be going ape over it. This one is, anyway.
April 12th, 2005 at 11:46 am
I haven’t even heard an argument against it, what is their position? I cannot even think of a possible argument against it off the top of my head. I am definitely for it as well, I feel completely different leaving work while it is still light out. Ben Franklin was a smart man!
April 14th, 2005 at 7:32 am
I dunno man, the article I read puts our oil consumption at 20,000,000 barrels a day and said the savings would equate to 10,000 barrels a day– that’s only a 0.05% savings. Now think of the development costs that will be incurred by private industry to change all the software and integrated electronics devices to account for the new time change standards. Plus oil is a commodity whose price is artificially controlled anyway. So if we reduce our consumption, the producers will raise their prices to make sure they’re still hitting their bottom line.
Don’t get me wrong–I’m in favor of instituting DST all year round, but I say it shouldn’t be done under the guise of cost savings. Those of us who work for large corporations or the government know that implementing “cost savings” frequently ends up costing more than the money that will be saved.