What Exactly are We Saving?

What Exactly Are We Saving?

Spring forward! Fall back! Twice a year, we put ourselves through this nonsense. And for what? So that we can arrive too early or too late, depending on the season? So that, just as we’re adjusting to the fact that it’s too dark out going to or coming back from work, we can be plunged into deeper darkness? So that we run frantically about the house, changing every damned clock on every damned appliance lest we think we’ve moved into a different time zone between the kitchen and the living room? What benefits are derived from this travesty known as Daylight Saving Time?

One of the earliest arguments in favor of moving the clocks forward in the spring came from an English gentleman in the early 20th century who was annoyed at having to cut his golf game short when dusk approached. So, we suffer every six months because some fellow couldn’t finish the back nine by 7:00 PM?

Advocates of DST argue that moving the clock around saves energy. I’m not sure how. In the spring, getting up one hour early means you’re simply moving your consumption forward an hour. In the fall, you get up an hour later. Same thing: you’re simply moving your consumption around. Actual official studies in energy consumption found no significant savings linked to DST and, in fact, some studies revealed an increase.

Last year, our brilliant government decided to move the DST date forward four weeks. The intensive re-coding and patching that was required as a result negated any possible benefit that could have been derived from such a move. I know from personal experience how absolutely irritating this particular directive was. Thousands of computer systems, as well as tens of thousands of mobile devices on our campus alone, had to be patched and tested. Compared to those frantic few months, the Y2K debacle was nothing. And, unlike the Y2K scramble, a good number of the patches were unsuccessful and much disruption ensued as problems were discovered.

The United States is among a minority of countries, mostly in the northern latitudes, who go through this bi-annual ritual. Many countries that once followed the tradition have dropped it. Could it be they’ve come to the conclusion that the energy expended moving time-pieces around does not justify any miniscule savings that might arise? As more and more appliances and devices depend on a standardized time to function correctly, this question becomes more significant.

The human body has enough trouble adjusting to the natural change of seasons: some suffer through the winter’s shorter sunlit hours with Seasonal Affective Disorder. Why add to the stress by forcing the populace to rise an hour earlier before the season dictates it? Researchers have found a correlation between the spring time shift and an increase in traffic accidents. Studies suggest that the first couple of weeks following the time change wrack havoc on our bodies: people are drowsier, slower to react. One hour’s less sleep can make quite the difference.

Consider abolishing the twice-yearly time warp. What would happen? There would be an initial scramble to re-code computer systems to take out the time change. And then … there would be … nothing. No more running about the house, changing the myriad clocks on each little appliance and system. No more missing church on Sunday or getting late to work on Monday because we forgot to run about the house, changing the myriad clocks.

Granted, we would need some other way to remind us to change the batteries in our smoke detectors. But perhaps, given the reduction in mental and physical stress, we can remember this all on our own.