Rachel Maddow and her guest debunk all the myths revolving around Daylight Saving Time.
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Basically no one saves energy. It helps business. It makes people feel good.
Spring forward. Set your clocks an hour ahead tonight. Your computer, your cable box, your DVR will all spring forward by themselves.
It pains me to say it, but in the interest of intellectual honesty, Rick Maddow is quite correct here. They proved years ago that no energy is saved. When they wanted to do away with it, the golf courses were the ones to step forward and complain that they made more money with more daylight hours. It’s all about business.
Hey, a broken clock is right twice a day…….see Eric Massa.
It makes people feel good? What? I won’t be feeling very good Monday morning 🙁
In the long run, it improves mental health, according to some studies.
During WWII some places were on double DST. I can’t remember why.
El guapo, do you oppose this glorious time? I end up dreading it in the fall when we go back to normal time.
I never thought it saved energy. All you are doing is trading an hour of darkness in the evening for an hour of darkness in the morning. You still have to run the lights just as much, etc.
However, it is kind of nice to have the sun set later in the evening – so for that reason only, I don’t mind DST.
Some people (and I’m one of them) are affected by diminished light in the winter. Although, I can’t really say that the extra light in the evening in the summer makes any difference to me. It is really just the highly shortened winter days that really get to me. I’ve been in places far south where the summer days aren’t as long (an hour shorter actually) and that doesn’t bother me. What does bother me is when in the winter the days get down to only 9 1/2 hours of daylight. That really gets to me and a lot of other people – although in recent years I’ve overcome that problem, but it used to really affect me in a big way in the winter time. I would definitely not do well living someplace much further north where the days are even shorter in the winter. In fact, I’d do best probably further south where the days don’t vary so much between winter and summer.
That’s a long way of saying – I’m not sure I buy the argument about it DST improving mental health. Although, I guess for some people who really are very severely affected by lack of sunlight – maybe more sun in the summer evenings does help.
Really, as everyone says – it is business who wanted DST.
I will say, I too dread the fall and the turning back of the clocks – and the return of mostly darkness in the weekdays after work is over. I am a bit fanatical about knowing the daily sunrise/sunset time (but that’s more the astronomer in me) and always am happy to see the sun start setting later little by little come the middle of December.
I’m not convinced it’s working 🙂
I’ve decided to boycott DST this year.
I love DST. There is nothing worse than leaving the house before daylight and coming home after its dark.
The only thing I don’t like about daylight saving time is that when I had to drive east to work, the sun would be in my eyes. I would get to where my time and it weren’t incompatible and along came DST for a double dose of sun. grrrr
Emma, that’s ok. Do you think anyone would notice? Were you out of town again?
@Moon-howler That’s my problem–I drive almost directly east in the morning, and directly west in the afternoon for very long stretches. It’s very tiring with the bright sun.
No, I wasn’t out of town–just a little preoccupied this week, Moon.
@Emma
That sun in your eyes is exhausting! Even for a block, much less the 20 miles I was going.
Just wondered. You usually poke your head in. Things have been hopping. (it really isn’t a requirement that you check in. ;))
Actually, with moving to DST earlier in the year now, it still for a short period of time is completely dark when I leave for work.
About half my drive to work is directly east in the morning and directly west in the afternoon – so I can relate to the problem of the bright sun. It is definitely not fun. I guess a lot of people in Northern VA tend to commute east in the morning and west in the afternoon – for at least part of their commute. I would say about 12 miles of my commute is pretty much directly east in the morning and west in the afternoon.
@Moon-howler I noticed! Too many good topics to decide where I want to stir the pot 😉
I’ll just start fresh with the newer threads.
Yeah Moon I hate having to get up an hour earlier. It gets harder every year.
Start Stirring, Emma. Everyone else has.
Rachel Madcow reduced to debunking Daylight Savings Time. Now that is a hoot.
Moon, who is the other person that is still listening to Rachel?