Daylight Savings Time

Daylight Savings Time, It’s nearly time to ‘Spring Forward.’ At 2 a.m. on the morning of Sunday, March 11, we’ll be springing our clocks forward-and losing an hour of the day, for Daylight Saving Time. The good news: sunset will be an hour later.

You may have noticed the annual tradition of Daylight Saving Time has crept forward a bit. We used to spring forward on the first Sunday in April and fall back on last Sunday in October. But a couple years ago, Congress changed the date-adding more Daylight Saving Time to the calendar. This year, it will run from March 11 until Nov. 4.

Unless you’re in Arizona, Hawaii, Puerto Rico or the U.S. Virgin Islands. They don’t do Daylight Saving Time.

Around the world, about 75 countries and territories have at least one location that observes Daylight Saving Time, according to TimeandDate.com. On the other hand, 164 don’t observe the time change at all.

Benjamin Franklin has been credited with the idea of Daylight Saving Time, but Britain and Germany began using the concept in World War I to conserve energy, the Washington Post observes. The U.S. used Daylight Saving Time for a brief time during the war, but it didn’t become widely accepted in the States until after the second World War.

In 1966, the Uniform Time Act outlined that clocks should be set forward on the last Sunday in April and set back the last Sunday in October.

Day Light Savings Time

Day Light Savings Time, The last vestige of saving time ends at 2 am on Sunday, November 6, residents set their clocks back one hour.

Most Americans associate the summer time with summer. Spring forward in March as the weather gets warmer and people spend more time outdoors. Moving clocks forward gives an extra hour of daylight after work each day.

In November, falling clocks to standard time, and the extra time is shifted to the morning.

History of Daylight Saving Time

Benjamin Franklin wrote an essay in 1784, savings of natural versus artificial light. Some Franklin credit as the author of DST.

Congress passed the first law regulating the time the March 18, 1918, a law that establishes rules and daylight saving time. A year later, daylight saving time was repealed, and local governments were allowed to decide to continue the use of the extent of summer.

During the Second World War, the DST is used throughout the year to save electricity. After the war, the DST has again become a matter of local choice.

The Uniform Time Act of 1966 made the starting date of daylight saving time on the last Sunday of April and the end date of the last Sunday in October. Local jurisdictions have the option to use or not.

Congress passed the hours of emergency power saving Time Conservation Act 1973, in response to the oil embargo in the 1970s. Most states observe daylight saving time from January 6 to October 27, and in 1975, from February 23 to October 26. In 1976, the start date changes to the date set in 1966.

In 1986, Congress changed the start date until the first Sunday in April since 1987.

The time change occurred in 2007 in response to Congress passes the Energy Policy Act of 2005. The Energy Policy Act changed the start of daylight saving from the first Sunday in April until the second Sunday in March and ends daylight saving time on the first Sunday of November instead of the last Sunday in October.

At that time, federal officials said extending DST by an additional period of four weeks, reduce energy consumption by the equivalent “of 100,000 barrels per day of delay.

Why we do it

Despite the many theories as to the reason for changing the time, the most common reason is to save energy, especially during the two world wars.

As Americans began to use more gadgets, small appliances, televisions, stereos – the demand for electricity grew. Today most people have at least one computer, television and lots of gadgets and electricity use is at its highest point ever.

More and more research is being done to create energy efficiency and affordability. Research in the production of electricity from renewable resources like wind, sun and water, is at its highest point ever.

White some argue that it is not beneficial to change the time, officials say that the basic premise proposed by Benjamin Franklin in 1784 is still true – all U.S. households use the most electricity before and after work and after the sun it gets.

Having an extra hour of daylight after the workday ends also allows more time to play outside, participate in sporting events and shopping, so there is a strong feeling of summer the weather is good for the economy. Health officials believe it helps to keep Americans in shape with the people who are less inclined to take a walk or jog at night. The results are mixed regarding the effect on crime. Preachers church attendance report is usually in the morning after. The companies say more employees are late for work.

Some ask why not use daylight saving time all year. The main reason seems to be the public.

Many people do not like daylight saving time in the winter. Parents complain of having to send their children to school in the dark. People do not like driving to work in the dark. Some religions bind their services to the rising and setting sun and prefer the standard time all year, like those involved in agricultural activities. Twice a year the weather changes go against the grain, they say.

Still, some argue that it would be best to pick a moment and let that be. Research shows most car accidents happen in the first weeks after the change, as people try to adjust their sleep patterns. Students have trouble staying awake during morning classes. Change is especially difficult for shift workers and others who work nights or hours long. The jury is still out on whether or not there are good or bad time for a person’s biological clock.

Regardless of their opinion, do not forget, Sunday, November 6th is the day to set the clocks back one hour before bedtime. And do not forget to check the batteries in your smoke detector and change the timers on sprinklers.

Daylight Savings 2011

Daylight Savings 2011, This is the time of year when everyone starts to wonder, when is supposed to “fall back” for daylight savings. It is autumn, after all. Should not we all be banging your head against the steering wheel, trying to remember how to change the timers time our car back soon? Hell, I have watches that have not “come forward” which can only be reused once the great swicheroo happens.

All business can be confusing. Especially after the government extended a month in 2007. According to the Energy Policy Act of 2005, DST begins at 2 AM on the second Sunday in March and ends at 2 am on the first Sunday in November. In 2011, it will be November 5.

Daylight Saving Time is observed in most of the United States. If you live in Hawaii, American Samoa, Guam, Puerto Rico, the Virgin Islands, or most of Arizona, however, do not bother to watch exchange. If you’re wondering how only the “majority” Arizona may be the summer time, the Navajo Indian Reservation maintains local daylight saving time, even though the rest of the States’ decision to avoid it.

Basically, it’s a wonder that none of us knows what time is it at all.

So why are we going to all this trouble to change our clocks back and forth during the year? DST plans to save energy that gives us more in the afternoon and evening sunlight. If it really does is much debated.