But what if we advanced the clocks this weekend and never had to turn them back? The idea is gaining some traction after a bipartisan group of U.S. senators this week reintroduced a bill that would eliminate standard time and keep daylight saving time year-round.
Daylight saving time was created to make better use of sunlight during the summer. But as days get shorter in winter, many people experience depression. (Daron Taylor/The Washington Post)
The Sunshine Protection Act, proposed by Sen. Marco Rubio (R-Fla.), along with four Republican and three Democratic senators, says we should ditch standard time since we only use it four months of the year, from November to March. “The call to end the antiquated practice of clock changing is gaining momentum throughout the nation,” Rubio said in a statement.
Florida’s state legislature passed its own version of the bill in 2018, as have 15 other states, including California, Oregon, Tennessee and Maine. Individual states, however, aren’t permitted to change their DST schedules without federal approval from the Department of Transportation, which means an act of Congress would be required.
The United States first introduced daylight saving time in 1918, two years after Germany and other European countries started advancing the clocks to conserve fuel and energy during World War I. Congress abolished the practice after the war, and it was not used again nationwide until President Franklin D. Roosevelt introduced year-round DST during World War II from 1942 to 1945.
The United States also experimented with year-round DST during the 1970s energy crisis, from January 1974 to October 1975. The dark winter mornings were not too popular, however, and ever since, we’ve switched the clocks back to standard time during the winter months.
Since 2007, DST has begun on the second Sunday in March and ended on the first Sunday in November. Hawaii and Arizona are the only two states that do not observe daylight saving time.
Critics of our current DST schedule argue that changing the clocks twice a year disrupts sleep schedules, increases car accidents as well as the risk of heart attacks, seasonal depression and other health issues. Using DST year-round, as Rubio and others are advocating, would improve our society’s health, as we wouldn’t have to adjust our clocks and sleep schedules. More evening light during the winter months would also give people extra time to exercise outdoors after work, as well as benefit the economy.
READ FULL ARTICLE: www.washingtonpost.com/weather/2021/03/12/daylight-saving-time-spring-forward/
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