Daylight Saving Time / British Summer Time

[Mithrandir]

Quote from Wikipedia on the current state of Daylight Saving Time in the USA (excluding most of Arizona, Hawai'i and Indianna, of course, who, in places, don't observe DST):

The schedule for 2006 in the United States is that DST begins on the first Sunday in April (April 2, 2006), and changes back to standard time on the last Sunday in October (October 29, 2006). Beginning in 2007, DST will start on the second Sunday in March, and change back to standard time on the first Sunday in November. Under Section 110 of the Energy Policy Act of 2005, the U.S. Department of Energy is required to study the impact of the daylight saving extension no later than nine months after the change takes effect. Congress has retained the right to revert back to the daylight saving schedule set in 1986 if it cannot be shown that there are significant energy savings from an extension of daylight saving time.

On the UK, the debate about what to do here is on-going. Some people like me would like to see GMT all year round, others would like to see GMT + 1 (BST, CET) all year round, and others would like us to have GMT + 1 in the winter, and GMT + 2 in the summer (which is how the Europeans do it), on top of those, there are some people who think Scotland and possibly Northern Ireland should be in a different time zone to England and Wales if we were to adopt a European time. So there are about five options and no one can agree.

[Blaen]

Wow, that's damn confusing. I say just look into the sky and when the sun's directly ahead it's noon. Everything else should be simple to work out.

[Moreta]

Yeah  but in places like England, in the Winter the sun never gets directly over head It kinda goes round the side

To be honest Im quite happy with how things are now. I like how the time zones work. We certainly shouldnt be following the rest of Europe. Its called the GMT because it goes through Greenwich. If we change our time then it cant really me GMT anymore can it and it would totally mess everything up. No its fine as it is, dont fix something if its not broken.

[Mithrandir]

Yeah  but in places like England, in the Winter the sun never gets directly over head It kinda goes round the side

To be honest Im quite happy with how things are now. I like how the time zones work. We certainly shouldnt be following the rest of Europe. Its called the GMT because it goes through Greenwich. If we change our time then it cant really me GMT anymore can it and it would totally mess everything up. No its fine as it is, dont fix something if its not broken.

Not in the summertime, though. In the summer Greenwich doesn't have Greenwich Mean Time.

[Moreta]

Indeed, but my point is that if we changed it to GMT +1 and GMT +2 then we'd never have GMT and that would totally defeat the point lol!! For it to remain GMT there must be some point in the year when England actually goes by GMT.

[Mithrandir]

Indeed, but my point is that if we changed it to GMT +1 and GMT +2 then we'd never have GMT and that would totally defeat the point lol!! For it to remain GMT there must be some point in the year when England actually goes by GMT.

Don't you think we should just have GMT all year round?

[Moreta]

Well that would make even more sense now wouldnt it, but I do feel for the poor farmers But yes, changing the time at all does seem a little random.

[Mithrandir]

Well that would make even more sense now wouldnt it, but I do feel for the poor farmers But yes, changing the time at all does seem a little random.

Actually, it's the farmers who suffer. I'm not sure where this argument about farmers come from (because so many people use it), but if you think about it, like the rest of us, they have to get up an hour earlier than everyone else.

Wikipedia: "DST is particularly unpopular among people working in agriculture because they must rise with the sun regardless of what the clock says, and thus the people are placed out of synchronization with the rest of the community, including school times, broadcast schedules, and the like."

[Mojo Toner]

I say leave it, its tradition

[Dan]

Exactly what does changeing the time + 1 hour and -1hour actually do.

To me all it seems to do it confuse people and in some cases extreamly
. . .
annoy them as well


Bhaal

[Mojo Toner]

Exactly what does changeing the time + 1 hour and -1hour actually do.

To me all it seems to do it confuse people and in some cases extreamly
. . .
annoy them as well


Bhaal

it attempts to keep the sundials pointing to mid day when it is mid day. It has to be changed because of the change in the earths rotation around the sun and stuff.

[Mithrandir]

Exactly what does changeing the time + 1 hour and -1hour actually do.

To me all it seems to do it confuse people and in some cases extreamly
. . .
annoy them as well


Bhaal

it attempts to keep the sundials pointing to mid day when it is mid day. It has to be changed because of the change in the earths rotation around the sun and stuff.

Actually, the main argument these days is that somehow it saves energy on lighting, etc.

However, research has shown that this is actually a flase economy due to the increase in the use of air conditions, for example (and probably water), as well as the cost of road accidents on the weekends of the clock change, as well as the inconvenience to businesses and computer systems the change in the clocks causes (and sleeping patterns).

[Dan]

hmmm interesting.


Bhaal

[Vårn]

it would still be greenwich mean time, that's a referance to the time zone, not the measurement of time used by common consent within that zone. as for the issue itself, i'd be as happy to keep to GMT year round, but then mostly i'm just lazy. upside is i wouldn't get those unlucky extra unpaid hour night shifts, downside is i wouldn't get the hour shorter night shifts, and i wouldn't get to laugh at the numpties who come in an hour early/late

[Anne]

Slightly late for this discussion, but I found an interesting chart today. 



It shows the most dangerous months for various fatal incidences.  Now I'm not surprised that salmonella is most dangerous in summer, nor am I that surprised that heart failure rates go down in summer when we're all on holiday and nicely relaxed - but look at the RTAs.  For years we've been told that we have to move the time zones around because it's more dangerous driving in winter in the dark.   Erm - not according to that chart.  November to March seem to be the safest months to be on the roads.

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