Daylight Saving Time; Is It Really Saving Anything?

Sunday, November 2 at 2 a.m. once again we will be forced to turn our clocks back to standard time.  By most, the "fall back" of daylight saving time is the darling in this twice a year procedure, where the dreaded “spring forward”is always looming around the wintery corner to steal it's hour back. 

What if we didn’t “fall “out of daylight saving time?

What would happen if we kept our clocks just how they are?

There are movements out there to do just that, end daylight saving time, or staying on a permanent daylight saving time like Arizona, Hawaii and the like. While supporters argue for the intention of it’s validity and they bolster about its attributes, ranging from saving energy via lighting to having more daylight for outdoor activities. 

The internet is inundated with articles illustrating the history of DST and the logic behind its inception with Ben Franklin wanting to save candles to its application in WWI and WWII attempting to conserve resources.  But we no longer need burn candles for light and longer days shift energy consumption to people turning on their air conditioning instead of a light.

While studies have shown several negative effects on an individual’s cognitive and emotional wellbeing disrupting the body clock and there is an increase in heart attacks and car crashes. We still go through this ritual of resetting our clocks twice a year forcing our natural state to align with this arbitrary standard of time keeping.

Farmers have always been staunch opponents of the daylight saving time and oddly they are the group of people that most believe we adopted the DST for, which is much the opposite.

So why do we still have daylight saving time? Who does it benefit? 

The economy! Of course! 

With more daylight house you can shop more, or golf more. It appears golf  and barbecue weigh heavy, as well as the Chamber of Commerce on behalf of small businesses lobby to keep daylight saving time.

Here in Texas, HB 150 was an attempt to abolish DST and have a straight standard time, but failed to do so. There was HB 363 which would set up a task force to conduct studies on the efficacy of continuing with daylight savings time, and it has not come up for a vote as of yet.

The debated conversation is definitely taking place with momentum growing in the movement to abolish daylight savings time all together.

Personally I think we should find a permanent standard time and stick with it.  Arizona and Hawaii already have a single time and never switch. Maybe we could find one that fits more of the natural rhythm of the environment and our human needs, which have changed drastically since daylight savings time was first implemented. We need a standard that is updated and congruent with the evolution of our lives today.

Marijuana Reform in a New Light?

Chris Weigant, a political writer and blogger has been a contributor to the The Huffington Post since 2006, posted a blog titled Taking Marijuana Reform Seriously in which he points out how finally the “war on weed” is gaining some ground in political debates and conversation. Public opinion increasingly in favor of ending this war and reforming the policies that make it illegal are pressuring candidates to He brings to light the moderator’s lack of research and need for more direct questions, but gives applause that the issue is being approached with much more interest than ever before.

Weigant convincingly gives examples of dialogue used by politicians to maintain an ambiguous attitude towards federal legislation regarding marijuana reform. He shines light on some steps that could easily be ordered by the president (bypassing Congress) to downgrading marijuana’s federal classification.  He shows the absurdities of the Schedule I and II lists and how a simple downgrade could realign this argument into a productive solution.

What I really liked about the authors commentary was his ability to provide the questions he wishes the moderators would ask, along with follow up questions. I felt as though he was well informed and the validity of his questions would have some concrete response with possible steps forward in the struggle to end this senseless war.

Along with quotes taken from the recent Democratic debate and the president’s apathetic approach to policy change, Weigant contrasts these, with widespread public acceptance and demand for legalization attempting to illuminate the fact the conversation on reform is gaining ground.  I would speculate that his intended audience would be of like minded citizens who also consider the asinine laws and incarceration rates surrounding the “war on weed” as ridiculous and also to encourage those in the position of interviewing public officials to do some research and ask solid questions and demand substantial responses.

Supplementary to Weigant’s blog, I stumbled on this editorial on The New York Times site Congress and Obama Are Too Timid on Marijuana Reform, providing a little more affirmation the conversation is happening.