Sickles Insight

Love it or hate it, America’s annual observance of daylight savings time has been extended an additional two months under the provision of the massive Energy Policy Act of 2005.

Up until this year DST was observed from the first Sunday in April to the last Sunday in October, Now that this new bill has passed, daylight savings time will be observed from the first Sunday in March to the last Sunday in November.

States may choose not to observe daylight savings time under conditions specified by the Uniform Time Act of 1966 (15 U.S.C. 260a.)

Did you know that Daylight Saving Time — for the U.S. and its territories — is NOT observed in Hawaii, American Samoa, Guam, Puerto Rico, the Virgin Islands, the Eastern Time Zone portion of the State of Indiana, and by most of Arizona (with the exception of the Navajo Indian Reservation in Arizona). These states and territories remain on their local “standard” time throughout the year.

Enactment of the Energy Policy Act of 2005 will not alter the rights of the states and territories to choose not to observe daylight savings time.

So, just how does Daylight Savings Time save energy? Well, theory has it that daylight savings time promotes energy conservation. According to the California Energy Commission, energy use and the demand for electricity for lighting homes is directly connected to bedtime. When people go to bed, they turn off their lights, TVs and other appliances, which account for about 25 percent of America’s daily total use of electricity.

Studies done in the 1970s by the U.S. Department of Transportation show that America’s electricity usage is reduced by about one percent during each day that daylight savings time is in effect.

I suppose this makes some sense, though I have to wonder about the dollars and human energy put forth to make this seemingly small change possible. Sure, you say - “I don’t care if my computer clock is off by an hour.” This is fine for you, in your home; but what about computers used to control things - like that of air traffic control towers, your credit card company, or that of your telephone provider? You may have previously read Microsoft’s commitment to the change in the daylight plan. Will DST destroy your computer? No - but local news stations will sure try to scare you into believing it will. And don’t you worry, any story remotely related to an impact from the change in daylight savings time will be prominently told.

Alright, and now a quick review of the history of Daylight Savings Time. Portions of this bulleted section were taken from about.com’s Marcy Zitz.

History of Daylight Savings Time

• First thought of by Benjamin Franklin in his 1784 essay, “An Economical Project”.
• On March 19, 1918, an Act to preserve daylight and provide standard time for the United States was enacted. Daylight Saving Time was set to begin on March 31, 1918 until the end of World War I.
• It was repealed in 1919.
• President Roosevelt instituted year-round Daylight Saving Time during World War II. He called it War Time and it lasted from 1942 to 1945.
• Daylight Saving Time was not a law after 1945 and some locations still used it, which created difficulties for scheduling.
• The Uniform Time Act of 1966 was signed by President Lyndon Johnson. It had Daylight Saving Time begin on the last Sunday in April and end on the last Sunday in October. States that wanted to be exempt had to pass a State law to do so.
• During the energy crisis in the 1970’s, President Nixon signed into law, the Daylight Saving Time Energy Act of 1973. This extended Daylight Saving Time to longer periods in an effort to save energy.
• In 1986 it was amended to start Daylight Saving Time on the first Sunday in April and kept it ending on the last Sunday in October.
• April 2005 - Starting in April 2006 Indiana will join 47 other states in observing DST.
• On August 8, 2005, President Bush signed an energy bill that increased Daylight Saving Time from the second Sunday in March, to the first Sunday in November. (see pros and cons below)

Did you know all of that? I learned a few new things. I suppose I should get to wrapping up - My last thought… Who would have thought that Benjamin Franklin, the guy who founded electricity would shortly thereafter curtail his findings to minimize the use of energy!

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