Daylight Savings Time, love it or leave it? Only two states do not observe DST – Hawaii and Arizona – but is it here to stay? Florida introduced a bill that would have made the “Spring Forward” permanent, but it failed to pass.
DST was intended to make better use of daylight during the longer days of summer. Shifting an hour of daylight from the morning when people are typically asleep just seemed to make sense.
The practice was first proposed by Benjamin Franklin in 1784 while acting as U.S. Ambassador to France. He suggested Parisians could save candles by waking up earlier to take advantage of morning sunlight. It was later advocated in 1895 by George Hudson, a New Zealander and again in 1907 by William Willett of Great Britain. By 1916, it had been adopted by Germany and Britain as well as other countries in an effort to conserve fuel for the war effort by reducing the need for artificial lighting. It was implemented in the United States in 1918, although its use has fluctuated over time.
Today, it is used by more than 70 countries, but its effectiveness is constantly debated. Most people see it as an annoyance, but proponents claim it saves energy, reduces accidents and promotes outdoor activities. As a reminder to replace smoke detector batteries twice yearly, it’s not a bad idea.
Long evenings by the fireside are great, but I would make DST permanent. Whatever your opinion, it’s a good conversation starter at your next Kaffeeklatsch.
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