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In defense of daylight savings

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jmyrlefuller:
A slightly expanded version of a short editorial I penned on social media:

Twice a year, every year, we get a barrage of complaints from self-proclaimed “experts” telling us we should get rid of Daylight Saving Time because it supposedly messes with our circadian rhythm and causes health problems, car crashes, dogs and cats living together, etc. All those problems would supposedly disappear if we just stayed on one or the other all year, they say.

Well, if you're like me, you tend to naturally wake up with the sunrise. Today is the last day of DST, and the sun is not up until 8 a.m. I woke up to run an errand at 7:00 and it was still dark. If we stayed on DST year round, we'd be waking up in the dark all winter—early January sunrise wouldn't come until almost 9:00! Changing back and forth between DST helps keep the clock somewhat in phase with sunrise.

It's crude, yes, and I suppose down south where the differences in daylight aren't as drastic, it isn't as useful, but here, it makes perfect sense. Now, I suppose you could use some other method that doesn't require the abrupt shifts that happen twice a year, but they'd likely mangle up our existing clocks to the point of uselessness, so in terms of a practical compromise, DST is better than the alternatives.

Keep Daylight Saving Time the way it is.

DB:
"supposedly messes with our circadian rhythm"

Supposedly?

Really?

jmyrlefuller:

--- Quote from: DB on November 01, 2020, 01:53:25 am ---"supposedly messes with our circadian rhythm"

Supposedly?

Really?

--- End quote ---
Yeah, supposedly. And consider the alternative: do you think having to spend all morning in the dark all winter WOULDN'T mess with the circadian rhythm?

catfish1957:
I'll just simply say, I wish they would leave it one way or the other. 

mountaineer:

--- Quote from: catfish1957 on November 01, 2020, 01:13:49 pm ---I'll just simply say, I wish they would leave it one way or the other.

--- End quote ---
That's where I stand. One of the other. I kind of prefer daylight saving time, though.

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