In 1967: thoughts on Daylight Savings

[Lanya]

http://academics.smcvt.edu/geography/daylight%20savings.htm

[Xavier_Onassis]

I recall once taking my girlfriend to the train station so she could return to New Mexico from Iowa. The train left Columbus, Iowa, but the schedule was Central Daylight Time. The rest of the state was on Standard Time. If we had figured it the other way, she would have missed the once-a-day train.

Drive in movies hated Daylight Time, because they couldn;'t start the film until dark, and in some places that was 9:00 PM or later, which was too close to bedtime.

[Lanya]

I heard that this year, it started a week later than usual because the candy lobby wanted one more hour of daylight for kids to trick or treat!

[Xavier_Onassis]

I heard that this year, it started a week later than usual because the candy lobby wanted one more hour of daylight for kids to trick or treat.
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Usually they say that they should extend Daylight time "for the safety of the children". as though parents are unaware of things like the sunset.

But I suspect that you are entirely right.

In France, it's "cherchez la famme", but in the US it's "Cherchez l'argent".

[Amianthus]

But I suspect that you are entirely right.

And you would be as wrong as Lanya.

[Xavier_Onassis]

And why do you say that?

Do you have the teensiest shred of proof?

The PUBLIC may want Daylight Time extended for the convenience of trick or treating or Hallowe'en parties, but that is not likely to bring the campaign contributions as one might get from Hershey's or Mars. I doubt that I would be moved to contribute much to a candidate on this issue. But I sure bet Mars would.

People like being exploited. They like buying scary costumes, just like they like buying Xmas presents. But they would spend far less without advertising in every newspaper, in every store and on every TV channel. Lots of Germans enjoyed saying Zeig Heil and feeling strong enough to kick some British butt, too, but not so many as did with Goebbels encouragement.

[Amianthus]

And why do you say that?

Do you have the teensiest shred of proof?

Congress changed the days for Daylight Savings to save fuel.

[Lanya]

Ami's right:
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The Energy Policy Act of 2005 went into effect this past spring, changing when Daylight Saving Time starts and ends. So now it starts three weeks earlier, in March, and ends one week later, on the first weekend in November.
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http://www.kcbd.com/Global/story.asp?S=7282580

[Xavier_Onassis]

I think Daylight time is a good idea, and I don't must care when it starts or ends, except I prefer not having to drive to work in the dark.

My mileage seems unaffected by whether I have the lights on or not, or whether I drive in the dark or in the light. I suppose the energy savings is realized somewhere other than in motor vehicles.

[Amianthus]

My mileage seems unaffected by whether I have the lights on or not, or whether I drive in the dark or in the light. I suppose the energy savings is realized somewhere other than in motor vehicles.

Less light usage in homes and businesses, is the claim.

[Xavier_Onassis]

If I leave home early, I turn the lights off at home, but if I go to work in an office, they are turned on sooner.

My observation is that office electricity usage is far more wasteful that home useage. If you drive by an office building at night, there are a greater percentage of lights on than in apartments, where people tend to turn them off when they go to sleep.

Maybe this is different away from Miami.

[Amianthus]

Maybe this is different away from Miami.

As far south as you are, you don't have enough of a seasonal variation in time to make Daylight Savings as effective as it is in the states further north. Of course, you get far enough north - like Minnesota - and the seasonal variations are so large that Daylight Savings again is not as effective. That's why very little (if any) of Canada uses it. It has the most effect on the band of states bordered south and north from about North Carolina to Pennsylvania heading west.

[Amianthus]

As far south as you are, you don't have enough of a seasonal variation in time to make Daylight Savings as effective as it is in the states further north.

Just looked it up. Your shortest day is 10h 31m 43s, while your longest is 14h 45m 04s, with a total variation of 4h 13m 21s.

Minneapolis is short: 8h 45m 56s, long: 15h 37m 08s, variation of 6h 51m 12s, nearly 3 hour difference from Miami.