NationStates Jolt Archive

Well, here in Western Australia the government has finally implemented daylight saving. From our completely moderate and unbiased local papers, it appears that daylight saving either
a) was the trigger responsible for the Rennaisance and the Enlightenment, and is perhaps the most important invention since fire
b) will kill our children, agricultural industry and lifestyle, and plunge us into a second Dark Age
I don't understand this, for me it seems to be an annoying chore of winding the clocks forward and not much more. So what are your opinions on the subject? This is Western Australian news, so it's feasible that no one will actually care about Daylight Saving, I guess.

It works well for us up here in the North with the unevenness in the amount of light we get during the year, so I like it.

I don't mind it. Only beef I have with it is that I crack my morning horn while on the bus for the first few weeks.

I can never remember when to turn the clock in which direction.

I also never *really* understood the reason for having it. Here, it's usually said that it used to make sense (i.e. saving electricity) at the time it was implemented several decades ago but that today it doesn't actually save any electricity anymore.

Of course every time I think I finally understand why, somebody else comes along and rubbishes that statement, so eh.

I like it when it lets me sleep an hour longer and pushes dusk an hour back.
I don't like it when it does the opposite of both.
Don't ask me when it does what, please. :p

I like daylight savings

If nothing else, it's good for the environment. By getting an extra hour of daylight, there's an hour where you're not using (coal-fired) electric lighting.

It's just annoying here. Supposedly we've kept it because it reduces the number of car accidents early in the morning. I've always wondered how many extra accidents it causes at rush hour in the evening when people are tired after a day at work, and they're faced with a drive home in the dark...

If nothing else, it's good for the environment. By getting an extra hour of daylight, there's an hour where you're not using (coal-fired) electric lighting.
It's just annoying here. Supposedly we've kept it because it reduces the number of car accidents early in the morning. I've always wondered how many extra accidents it causes at rush hour in the evening when people are tired after a day at work, and they're faced with a drive home in the dark...
Hmm, seems you're actually both right - at least this site (http://webexhibits.org/daylightsaving/c.html) agrees with both the electricity saving and the accident reduction, if only by a small margin each:
However, Daylight Saving Time does save energy. Studies done by the U.S. Department of Transportation show that Daylight Saving Time trims the entire country's electricity usage by a small but significant amount, about one percent each day, because less electricity is used for lighting and appliances. Similarly, in New Zealand, power companies have found that power usage decreases 3.5 percent when daylight saving starts. In the first week, peak evening consumption commonly drops around five percent.

Energy use and the demand for electricity for lighting homes is directly related to the times when people go to bed at night and rise in the morning. In the average home, 25 percent of electricity is used for lighting and small appliances, such as TVs, VCRs, and stereos. A good percentage of energy consumed by lighting and appliances occurs in the evening when families are home. By moving the clock ahead one hour, the amount of electricity consumed each day decreases.

In the summer, people who rise before the sun rises use more energy in the morning than if DST was not in effect. However, although 70 percent of Americans rise before 7:00 a.m., this waste of energy from having less sunlight in the morning is more than offset by the savings of energy that results from more sunlight in the evening.

In the winter, the afternoon Daylight Saving Time advantage is offset for many people and businesses by the morning's need for more lighting. In spring and fall, the advantage is generally less than one hour. So, Daylight Saving Time saves energy for lighting in all seasons of the year, but it saves least during the four darkest months of winter (November, December, January, and February), when the afternoon advantage is offset by the need for lighting because of late sunrise.
There is a public health benefit to Daylight Saving Time, as it decreases traffic accidents. Several studies in the U.S. and Great Britain have found that the DST daylight shift reduces net traffic accidents and fatalities by close to one percent. An increase in accidents in the dark mornings is more than offset by the evening decrease in accidents.

The damn sun wakes me up at 6am now. :mad:

its messing me up dam it

Hmm, seems you're actually both right - at least this site (http://webexhibits.org/daylightsaving/c.html) agrees with both the electricity saving and the accident reduction, if only by a small margin each:

Huh, never thought about that. If it saves energy, I'm all for it. :)

In England we put our clocks back in october and it sucks. gets dark at 4 now. we should have them at 1 hour forwards now, and put them an extra hour in the summer. goddamn it.

I can never remember when to turn the clock in which direction.
"Spring Forward, Fall Back"


I think... we don't have Daylight Savings here in Hawaii... but I still got some in my desk drawer here...

*opens drawer*

:eek:

I've been robbed!

I don't mind it. Only beef I have with it is that I crack my morning horn while on the bus for the first few weeks.

...does that mean what I think it means? :eek:

I think it's bad to switch the time. We learned in Psychology that when the switch in spring occurs and people lose and hour of sleep, there are about 7% more car accidents on that day than in the time before it, and that when the switch in fall occurs and people gain an hour of sleep, there are about 7% fewer accidents than in the time before it.

...does that mean what I think it means? :eek:

I dunno... but considering the image I just got...



I hope not... :eek:

Well, here in Western Australia the government has finally implemented daylight saving. From our completely moderate and unbiased local papers, it appears that daylight saving either
a) was the trigger responsible for the Rennaisance and the Enlightenment, and is perhaps the most important invention since fire
b) will kill our children, agricultural industry and lifestyle, and plunge us into a second Dark Age
I don't understand this, for me it seems to be an annoying chore of winding the clocks forward and not much more. So what are your opinions on the subject? This is Western Australian news, so it's feasible that no one will actually care about Daylight Saving, I guess.

Does that mean you're no longer 3 hours behind us now?

I like being able to walk home in twilight at 9pm.

Does that mean you're no longer 3 hours behind us now?

we all ways be behind you and we only move it one hour forwards

we all ways be behind you and we only move it one hour forwards

But no longer 3 hours.


I like it, to me it seems that it makes 12 closer to when the sun is in the centre of the sky.

I think it's bad to switch the time. We learned in Psychology that when the switch in spring occurs and people lose and hour of sleep, there are about 7% more car accidents on that day than in the time before it, and that when the switch in fall occurs and people gain an hour of sleep, there are about 7% fewer accidents than in the time before it.I think that's more to do with the amount of sleep people get as opposed to messing with people's body clocks. I can't remember where to find the infomation, but the vast majority of the west subsist on less than 8 hours of sleep a day. So by putting the clocks back people get one extra hour towards the recommended amount. Getting the right amount of sleep has huge effects on reducing stress and susceptibility to disease and ill health.

But no longer 3 hours.


I like it, to me it seems that it makes 12 closer to when the sun is in the centre of the sky.

it still mess with my body clock

I don't like it. I don't like having to walk home when it is already dark. I normally like take a walk in park after I am done at university for the day and instead I just go home so it means I get far less exercise.

It's stupid and unnecessary. Go live in Phoenix for awhile.

I always think its a rather dumb idea early in the season, right when it happens. But as the time drags on and the darkness is still inconvient, after the time move, I go "oh, okay."

In England we put our clocks back in october and it sucks. gets dark at 4 now. we should have them at 1 hour forwards now, and put them an extra hour in the summer. goddamn it.
No, we should just stop fucking around with it and do what humans did in the millennia up to the 20th century - get up at dawn, go to bed at dusk.

No, we should just stop fucking around with it and do what humans did in the millennia up to the 20th century - get up at dawn, go to bed at dusk.

No, everyone should be like me and go to bed at dawn and then get up for lunchtime. *nods*

No, everyone should be like me and go to bed at dawn and then get up for lunchtime. *nods*

i use to go to bed at 10am get up at 3pm

i guess it's a good idea, but i get confused by it every year. i can never remember which way the clocks are supposed to go.

No, we should just stop fucking around with it and do what humans did in the millennia up to the 20th century - get up at dawn, go to bed at dusk.

That'd mean you were only awake for about nine hours in winter...

I don't understand why Britain doesn't stay at GMT+1 all the time, maybe +2 in winter. It was light at 740am when I got up today (*shudder*), but it'll be dark at 4. Wouldn't it be more useful to be light between about 8.30-5.30 or so when people are actually out and about?

That'd mean you were only awake for about nine hours in winter...
Suits me fine! :D

I don't understand why Britain doesn't stay at GMT+1 all the time, maybe +2 in winter. It was light at 740am when I got up today (*shudder*), but it'll be dark at 4. Wouldn't it be more useful to be light between about 8.30-5.30 or so when people are actually out and about?
I can understand the arguments for it, but I still think the system works fine as it is. And it worked fine a hundred years ago before they brought in DST.

I think that's more to do with the amount of sleep people get as opposed to messing with people's body clocks. I can't remember where to find the infomation, but the vast majority of the west subsist on less than 8 hours of sleep a day. So by putting the clocks back people get one extra hour towards the recommended amount. Getting the right amount of sleep has huge effects on reducing stress and susceptibility to disease and ill health.

True, but when the clocks are moved forward they lose an hour of sleep. (And I get less than 8 hours a day.)

i guess it's a good idea, but i get confused by it every year. i can never remember which way the clocks are supposed to go.

I just remember "Spring Forward, Fall Back" :)

That'd mean you were only awake for about nine hours in winter...

I don't understand why Britain doesn't stay at GMT+1 all the time, maybe +2 in winter. It was light at 740am when I got up today (*shudder*), but it'll be dark at 4. Wouldn't it be more useful to be light between about 8.30-5.30 or so when people are actually out and about?

I find the idea that Greenwich would usually be at GMT+1 rather amusing.

Beaut! More time for Cricket and Footy!

pointless. how did people ever come up with something so ridiculous?

pointless. how did people ever come up with something so ridiculous?

Where in the world are you from?

It is actually not an unsensible idea in places with long summer days where it gets light well before many people are up.

In places closer to the equator it becomes a little less useful.

I like daylight savings

If nothing else, it's good for the environment. By getting an extra hour of daylight, there's an hour where you're not using (coal-fired) electric lighting.

fuck the environment, to qoute the texan on simpsons \texan accent "you got environment in springfield, in texas we got a'rid of all that" \texan accent
:D

Where in the world are you from?

It is actually not an unsensible idea in places with long summer days where it gets light well before many people are up.

In places closer to the equator it becomes a little less useful.

What the hell are you talking about? In places where there's long HOT summer days, you want LESS daylight hence why Arizona has not enacted DST.

Where in the world are you from?

It is actually not an unsensible idea in places with long summer days where it gets light well before many people are up.

In places closer to the equator it becomes a little less useful.

does it really matter when it light?

does it really matter when it light?

Yes. When it's light we don't have to use up electricity on lighting.

Yes. When it's light we don't have to use up electricity on lighting.
so? that does not save up much electricity at all.

The perks of living one degree above the equater :D

What the hell are you talking about? In places where there's long HOT summer days, you want LESS daylight hence why Arizona has not enacted DST.

Where did I mention 'Hot' days? The whole point is the usefulness of daylight savings depends on where in the world you are.

In England at the peak of summer you get about 6 hours of night time, from 9pm until 3pm (without daylight savings). The daytime at 3-4am is not really used, and people often prefer daylight to nighttime. For example it makes driving safer for a start, and people use less lighting and heating across the nation. So if you move the clocks so it gets light at 4am and dark at 10pm nobody notices the 3-4am shift, but everyone gets more useable daylight in the evenings.

Now - near the equator you might get 10hours of night each day, and it will get light at 5am and dark at 7pm. While you can shift the clocks an hour that will affect people commuting in the morning - the daylight hours are not being moved from a time when nobody uses them - they are useful hours that are being affected. The net result is little or no benefit. Hence it is a bad idea.

The closer you get to the Equator the less useful daylight savings is. Arizona is closer than England, hence part of the reason Arisona has not enacted it/

so? that does not save up much electricity at all.

Say in the UK - you have 60,000,000 people who will all be using less lighting and heating. The difference does add up when you take into account the entire population.

Also - it makes roads safer during daylight saving hours due to better light when 99% of people are driving.


In places as far from the equator as the UK it is a useful thing which has no real downside.

so? that does not save up much electricity at all.

Better than nothing. That and it tends to be warmer during the day(as in when it's light). So less spent on heating.

True, but when the clocks are moved forward they lose an hour of sleep. (And I get less than 8 hours a day.)I know, I was just commenting on the theory on why accidents are more likely. Your psychology course seemed to be suggesting it was to do with body clocks rather than the amount of sleep.

...does that mean what I think it means? :eek:
Depends.
Did you immediately think of a grubby, infantile double entendre?

If so, then yes, you are thinking what it means.
Well done.

It kind of sucks here in Maine when we go off DST in the fall. Right now, and for the next few weeks, the sun sets before 4 pm. In the summer, DST keeps the sun from rising at 4 am.

Right now, and for the next few weeks, the sun sets before 4 pm. In the summer, DST keeps the sun from rising at 4 am.
THat gave me the image of a giant clock telling the sun it can't peek over the horizon until 4am.
"Wait...wait, I said! It's not 4am yet! Almost...almost...Now! Off you go! Have fun in the sky today sunny!"

THat gave me the image of a giant clock telling the sun it can't peek over the horizon until 4am.
"Wait...wait, I said! It's not 4am yet! Almost...almost...Now! Off you go! Have fun in the sky today sunny!"

You mean that's not what happens?
*world view shatters*
*dies*
*ouch*

That'd mean you were only awake for about nine hours in winter...

I don't understand why Britain doesn't stay at GMT+1 all the time, maybe +2 in winter. It was light at 740am when I got up today (*shudder*), but it'll be dark at 4. Wouldn't it be more useful to be light between about 8.30-5.30 or so when people are actually out and about?

Well, yeah, daylight saving time theoretically is good (there is saving of something). But it just messes with my head that change of our and I don't like it.

And I don;t care about one more hour of light in winter, since anyway all light hours I am at work. And at work we have these daylight lamps...

I loathe daylight savings time. This is the first year we've done it since I've been alive. It feels like 10 in the damn morning and it's only 9. I thought I'd get used to it, but I haven't.