Daylight Saving Time: How it Started & Why Some States Don’t Participate
- Posted on November 2, 2011 at 5:09pm by
Liz Klimas
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Show of hands: who’s excited to “fall back” this Sunday? Some think the illusion of an extra hour of sleep is completely worth it. While others bemoan the fact that it starts getting dark at 4:30 p.m.
Daylight saying time has a contentious 227 year old history that didn’t begin in the U.S. and has many theories as to why it exists. How many of you said it exists for the farmers or for school kids?
According to Congressional Research, daylight saving was originally put in place to give people more daylight hours to work and do other activities. Conceived by Benjamin Franklin in 1784 at the time when he was Minister to France, Franklin felt it was only natural that when it was dark outside, more people would be sleeping and that extending daytime hours according to season would increase productivity.
William Willet proposed that daylight saving time be adopted in British Parliament because doing work and other activities in daylight hours would reduce demand on artificial light. Germany began observing daylight saving to conserve fuel during World War I.
The U.S. went through a lot of back-and-forth regarding daylight saving. The practice was adopted in 1918, abolished for unpopularity after WWI and reinstated during WWII — at this time it was called War Time and took place year round. Several states maintained daylight saving after this ended but it caused much angst to the transportation industry that pushed for uniformed timezones. After the Uniform Time Act of 1966 was passed, states could choose to participate in daylight saving, but the whole state had to adhere to the decision, but now states can split if they are also split according to time zone.
Aside from fuel and energy savings, safety of children headed to school, better operating hours for farmers and the fact that people just like long summer days have been used as popular reasons for daylight saving. Although it seems to have all these positive effects, a 2009 Michigan State University study correlated the time change in favor of summer hours with an increase in workplace injuries. The study found that workers slept about 40 minutes less per night during daylight swings.
Arizona, Hawaii, American Samoa, Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands don’t participate in daylight saving. Indiana used to be split, but opted for daylight saving in 2005. Arizona, for example, doesn’t observe daylight saving due to its extreme heat, which would negate any energy savings by lengthening an already hot day.
This post has been updated.
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Comments (133)
RightPolitically
Posted on November 2, 2011 at 6:03pmI don’t care who thought it up or why. I don’t like it. Leave my clock alone, wud ya!
Report Post »CatB
Posted on November 2, 2011 at 6:36pmBad enough as it was .. a few years ago the Congress changed the dates .. making my auto set clocks useless for the time change.
Report Post »Snowleopard {gallery of cat folks}
Posted on November 2, 2011 at 6:42pmThankfully AZ does not bother with that garbage.
Report Post »Cat
Posted on November 2, 2011 at 7:04pmWe do the same thing …
Report Post »Screw it
B_rad
Posted on November 2, 2011 at 9:48pmIndiana, like AZ, used to not follow DST. Now we have to thanks to the supposedly conservative Mitch Daniels who rammed it through in a fashion similar to Barry ramming Obamacare through. I hate it. When I first moved back to Indiana from Michigan, it was so wonderful to wake up early in the morning to light in the sky. Now we’re lucky to get full light ’till almost 7 am in the height of summer. Our bodies are designed to sleep at night and wake to the daylight. Having to get up when it’s full dark sucks. Worse, we’re so far West and are still on EDT, meaning the sun doesn’t set here until almost 10 pm in the summer. Do you realize how ridiculous it is to have to wait to START fireworks until 10 on the 4th of July? Then, just as the days are getting naturally shorter, we have to switch back, robbing us of natrually getting used to losing the daylight. The whole thing wreaks havoc on our body’s internal clock. Plus all of the supposed “cost savings” they promised to pass this turd never happened, and it’s been reported to have actually cost the state millions. DST sucks, period.
Report Post »Ronko
Posted on November 2, 2011 at 10:45pmI don‘t see what’s wrong with Daylight Savings time, it’s not a government conspiracy. Don’t know why everything is thought to be a conspiracy although sometimes that is the case but not this instance. Arizona has good reasons for not being involved since that area is in a mostly sunny area and gets 100 degrees normally.
Report Post »Marci
Posted on November 2, 2011 at 11:29pmI am in Arizona, glad we don’t have it. Everywhere I have lived before did have it, and I hated it.
Report Post »NeoFan
Posted on November 2, 2011 at 11:31pmPeople have no idea what kind of chaos switching the hours of daylight savings time has on the computer industry.
Report Post »banjarmon
Posted on November 2, 2011 at 11:47pmWhen told the reason for daylight saving time
the old Indian said,
“Only the government would believe that you could cut a foot off the top of a blanket, sew it to the bottom, and have a longer blanket!”
Report Post »Ruler4You
Posted on November 3, 2011 at 11:53amSeems like they pretty well covered every “excuse” under the sun in the caveats list. No way it will ever go back.
Report Post »JHepner
Posted on November 4, 2011 at 9:58amIf you find Daylight Saving Time changes twice each year to be an aggravation, irritation, serious difficulty, or just plain don’t like it, sign the petition to the President at:
Report Post »http://wh.gov/bC9 //
and tell him about your feelings.
Those of you skilled in social media such as Facebook, Twitter, etc,
contact your friends and let them know about this petition. Contact your
local Newspaper, talk-radio person. Help get the word out.
…JH
Dug2Dark
Posted on November 2, 2011 at 6:02pmRememember what barry says: Spring back, Fall Forward. But barry, how many of your 57 states use this???????????????
Report Post »TreeTrimmerJim
Posted on November 2, 2011 at 7:30pmBarry said he had been to 57 with one to go. Listen to the video again.
Report Post »TreeTrimmerJim
Posted on November 2, 2011 at 7:33pmIn the video Berry said he had been to 57 states with one to go… making for a total of 58. All under the national slogan of E Pluribus Unum… sharpest president we have ever had?
Report Post »RavenGlenn
Posted on November 3, 2011 at 11:23amHe said 57 states with one to go AND they wouldn’t let him visit Hawaii or Alaska. That makes 60 total.
Report Post »Quagaar Warrior
Posted on November 2, 2011 at 5:59pm~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Report Post »Just another example of govt. controlling “we the sheeple”.
I hate switching my clock back & forth every year. Why should I have to spend 1 or 2 weeks twice per year physically and mentally adjusting to another stupid idea imposed on me by our all caring govt?
JUST PICK ONE TIME FOR THE YEAR AND LEAVE MY CLOCKS ALONE !!!
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Teaparty-grammy
Posted on November 2, 2011 at 6:10pmI feel the same way. I have a very strong internal clock that does not respond well to having an hour yanked out from under it each year. And it disrupts my sleep patterns for the whole time it is in effect, until the world is finally put “right” again by going back to “real” time. Millions are sleepy, cranky and out of sorts every time this happens. I LOATHE DST and with they would stop messing with the clock, already!
Report Post »Cheeseydog
Posted on November 2, 2011 at 6:33pmI’m with you. My sentiments exactly!!!!
Report Post »CatB
Posted on November 2, 2011 at 6:38pmI too have a strong internal clock and this just screws it up twice a year .. actually I think I am “off” until I fall back each year.
Report Post »HARDWORKPAYS
Posted on November 2, 2011 at 9:41pmWhat time it is is what time it is period! Dumb idiots.
Report Post »4XGrace
Posted on November 2, 2011 at 5:55pmFTTC I say! F it. Who needs it. All the crocked up statistics that they invent saying it reduces accidents and saves electricity. BS I say! BS! It’s a load of horse manure. Bunch of Egotistic Morons playing at being god.
Report Post »trolltrainer
Posted on November 2, 2011 at 5:55pmHate when it gets dark so early. Even though fall comes with an extra hour sleep the getting dark early thing makes me feel worse. I also have no use for daylight at 5:30 am…
Report Post »Todd P
Posted on November 2, 2011 at 7:04pmDITTO! Only the gods should play around with that whole Space/Time Continuum thing!!!
Report Post »TumbleBumble
Posted on November 2, 2011 at 10:25pmI am so surprised to find out that I am in like a non-existent minority!
I don’t mind it at all. Maybe because since I was a kid, it was always talked about in a positive way. I remember walking to school in the morning and how dark it was getting just before the time change in the fall. It was kinda eerie.
Then in the spring, losing an hour of sleep always stunk. But having an extra hour of play time outside totally made up for it!
I’ve just accepted it as a way of life and welcome the change. Kinda like when you move the furniture around in the living room – I like the ‘newness’ for a while, then it’s time to change back. :)
Report Post »wasam
Posted on November 2, 2011 at 5:51pmTwice a year I dutifully dig out my trucks owner’s manual and read line by line “How to set clock”. Last year and this I just said “the hell with it” and left it on standard time. Just mentally add or subtract an hour.
Report Post »ares338
Posted on November 2, 2011 at 5:50pmLeave the frigging time alone. It is a useless practice!
Report Post »Countrygirl1362
Posted on November 2, 2011 at 5:49pmDaylight savings time makes the day no longer than cutting the top off my blanket and sewing it on the bottom makes my blanket any longer.
Report Post »smackdown33
Posted on November 2, 2011 at 5:48pmCall it what you may; just get rid of it.
Report Post »TimDenchanter
Posted on November 2, 2011 at 5:47pmLove the reaction I heard about from Native Americans concerning Daylight Savings Time:
Report Post »“Only the Government would think they could make a blanket longer by cutting a foot of it from one end and sewing to the other.”
AntipasMetochos
Posted on November 2, 2011 at 5:46pmDoes anybody really know what time it is?
Report Post »Does anybody really care?
Although I can’t imagine why,
I don’t have time enough to cry.
And why? I‘m praying this administration’s time is up!
single stack
Posted on November 2, 2011 at 5:44pmI don’t like the way the dislike option is worded. There is no confusion for me. I just think DST is stupid.
Report Post »Also, I get up between 4 and 5 every morning and I would rather have an extra hour of daylight then. Pursuant to rising early, I also go to bed early and in the middle of the summer it’s still daylight when I go to bed.
V-MAN MACE
Posted on November 2, 2011 at 5:43pmThey made up Daylight savings time to rob you of more of your labor and kill an hour of your rest while simultaneously screwing up your biological clock.
Report Post »V-MAN MACE
Posted on November 2, 2011 at 6:04pmWe need to awaken and go to sleep as dictated by our biological clock and the blue light which activates our circadian rhythms, not by some arbitrary government standard designed to modulate your biological clock to negatively affect your body.
It doesn’t increase productivity. It decreases productivity by screwing around with natural rhythms like your sleep-wake cycle. It’s like superimposing information by modulating a carrier wave… like radio.
Report Post »spurjimmy
Posted on November 2, 2011 at 5:43pmIt’s actually “Daylight Saving Time” without the pluralized saving. Yes, it’s petty but sometimes you correct someone to keep them from making further mistakes in the future.
Report Post »flatbroke
Posted on November 2, 2011 at 5:43pmhate it , hate it, hate it! set the clocks ahead in november just when there is already decreasing daylight because of seasonal change, and by the time december 21 rolls around, the sun dont come up till almost 8 in the morning, and the sun sets at 4pm in the afternoon, so if you work late like i do, there is maybe 5 hours of daylight, i am sick of it, and if it were not for the thanksgiving/christmas holidays winter would suck even more!
Report Post »jank0614
Posted on November 2, 2011 at 5:40pmI would prefer a permanent change to daylight savings time year round. I didn’t vote as that was not given as an option.
Report Post »Cape_Lookout_RW_Extremist
Posted on November 2, 2011 at 9:56pmI agree
Report Post »Dinkiecb
Posted on November 3, 2011 at 8:53amput it one way or the other and forget it!! I’m gettin to old to fiddle with clocks
Report Post »skilaxdad
Posted on November 2, 2011 at 5:37pmI would like to have Daylight Savings Time all the time. Don’t turn the clocks back this week, and let DST become Standard Time. But, there’s no option for that, so I can’t cast my vote.
Report Post »jank0614
Posted on November 2, 2011 at 9:00pmYou owe me a Coke!
Report Post »(Or Pepsi if they don’t stop that silly polar bear can)
;)
woodardmk
Posted on November 2, 2011 at 11:20pmI’m with you… I hate getting off work when it’s completely dark out. I like that year-round “War Time” idea from the WWII era
Report Post »John2261
Posted on November 2, 2011 at 5:33pmI think daylight savings time is a waste of time.. No pun intended. But it sounded good.
Report Post »DatabaseSue
Posted on November 2, 2011 at 5:33pmI hate it – not because it is confusing, as I don’t think it is confusing – just a stupid practice in this day and age. I really notice it in the fall and can’t wait to get back to my body time! I’m from Indiana and loved it when we did not change – it was forced on us by Daniels – the one thing I dislike about his service to us
Report Post »mcgrawactor1
Posted on November 2, 2011 at 5:31pmSpring ahead, fall back, spring back or fall forward?? It IS confusing. And who doesn’t stay up later when you know you have an “extra” hour of sleep, thereby negating any benefit!!?
Report Post »B2H
Posted on November 2, 2011 at 5:26pmI‘m glad we don’t have Daylight Savings Time in AZ, no changing clocks :-)
Report Post »ibsoonerfan
Posted on November 2, 2011 at 5:22pmI would have voted I dislike it but that would mean Im confused by setting my clock back one hour. Who do you think I am, I a OWS hippie?
Report Post »Rajabear1
Posted on November 2, 2011 at 5:33pmAhhh, you caught that too? None applied to me–poll structure was squirrely.
Report Post »Slap Shot
Posted on November 2, 2011 at 5:21pmwe need 24 hours of daylight just to keep an eye on the crooks in the White House.
Report Post »kentuckypatriot
Posted on November 2, 2011 at 5:21pmoff topic:
Why can’[t I log into my account and watch GBTV????? I am not a subscriber to GBTV plus just the standard one, and now when you log on to watch today’s show, it says GBTV plus on the tab. WTH??
Report Post »Glenn, I love ya but are you trying to make more money off me? I just want to watch your program.
keithandmissy
Posted on November 2, 2011 at 5:37pmI think you have to have GBTV Plus to watch the 5pm show.
Report Post »Rajabear1
Posted on November 2, 2011 at 5:39pmI noticed something was different with the site Monday-ish and I had a heck of a time navigating to watch live and I DO have the plus membership. In fact, it was such a hassle, I thought maybe they had the day off and weren’t on the air for the day. I also can’t log in from any other computer except the one I was on at the time they switched to GBTV. It just tells me I have no account. Needless to say, I will be screwed if this computer crashes.
Report Post »Welcome Black Carter
Posted on November 2, 2011 at 5:49pmRE: show. If I log in prior to show – no problem. Tune in while in progress – won’t work, have to watch whole show when off air.
Report Post »kentuckypatriot
Posted on November 2, 2011 at 6:57pmupdate if anyone cares:
Report Post »After being on hold with customer service for 25 minutes, I spoke with a woman who said they are having problems today and they received tons of calls on my same problem. Also, I have never had an issue watching the live show being a basic member, that’s why I was concerned. Anyway, they are supposed to have it fixed soon.
retiredLEO
Posted on November 2, 2011 at 7:27pmSame problem today with me. I am at my wits end and am thinking of abanding Beck and his dumb net broadcast
Report Post »TreeTrimmerJim
Posted on November 2, 2011 at 7:41pmWhen I have an afternoon I am going to make a site map of GBTV… what a navigational mess.
Report Post »LetUsReason
Posted on November 2, 2011 at 5:20pmHuh. I always wondered why Arizona didn’t. Makes sense.
Report Post »