(Reuters) – Daylight saving time, a observe affecting virtually 400 million individuals throughout North America, is as soon as once more within the highlight as debates over its necessity proceed. This twice-a-year ritual of adjusting clocks ahead in spring and again in autumn has been ingrained in American, Canadian and Cuban life for greater than a century. Nevertheless, latest legislative proposals and shifting public sentiment are prompting a reevaluation of its relevance in right this moment’s society.
WHEN DO THE CLOCKS CHANGE?
Daylight saving time within the U.S. and another international locations ends on Nov. 3 at 2 a.m. native time, which means individuals will acquire an additional hour of sleep. Mornings will likely be brighter however it’ll get darkish earlier within the night. The saying “spring forward, fall back” serves as a useful reminder for adjusting clocks.
Within the UK and different European international locations, daylight saving time, also referred to as summer season, ends on Oct. 27.
Daylight saving time all the time begins on the second Sunday in March and ends on the primary Sunday in November in the USA. This contrasts with the UK and European Union, the place summer season begins on the final Sunday in March and ends on the final Sunday in October.
WHEN IS THE SHORTEST DAY OF THE YEAR IN 2024?
The shortest day of 2024 will likely be on Dec. 21, which marks the winter solstice. Daytime range considerably throughout latitudes within the Northern Hemisphere. Areas close to the North Pole will likely be plunged into full darkness whereas southern areas will nonetheless recover from 10 hours of sunshine.
Subsequent yr, daylight saving time will begin on March 9 and finish on Nov. 2.
WHY WAS DAYLIGHT SAVING CREATED IN THE US AND HOW DID IT START?
The trendy thought of fixing the clocks with the seasons might be traced again to a minimum of the late nineteenth century, when New Zealand entomologist George Hudson (NYSE:) proposed it to preserve vitality and lengthen summer time daylight, one thing which might have benefited his personal passion of amassing bugs after work.
The thought was sluggish to realize traction till World Conflict One, when European states sought any methods to preserve gas. Germany was the primary nation to undertake daylight saving time in 1916. The United States adopted in 1918.
The observe went by way of many variations earlier than the USA standardized it in 1966 within the Uniform Time Act, which permits states to decide out of it however to not keep on daylight saving time completely.
WHY IS DAYLIGHT SAVING TIME CONTROVERSIAL?
A standard fable is that the U.S. adopted daylight saving time to profit farmers, however in actuality many farmers are against the observe for being disruptive to their schedules.
The unique motivation to preserve gas can be below debate, as research have discovered little, if any, vitality financial savings from the shift, based on the U.S. Congressional Analysis Service.
Opponents level to different research which have discovered opposed well being results linked to sunlight saving time, akin to a spike in deadly visitors accidents, coronary heart assaults, strokes and sleep deprivation within the days after clocks are moved ahead an hour each March.
A March 2023 YouGov ballot discovered that 62% of Individuals need to finish the observe of fixing clocks, although solely 50% most popular to maintain everlasting daylight saving time.
DO ALL US STATES OBSERVE DAYLIGHT SAVING TIME?
No. Hawaii and Arizona, aside from the Navajo Nation, don’t observe daylight saving time. The U.S. territories of American Samoa, Guam, the Northern Mariana Islands, Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands additionally observe everlasting commonplace time.
Whereas daylight saving time is widespread throughout the USA, 19 states have handed laws to completely use daylight saving time if Congress have been to permit it, based on the Nationwide Convention of State Legislatures.
IS THE US ENDING DAYLIGHT SAVING TIME?
The USA is just not ending daylight saving time any time quickly, although there may be proposed federal laws referred to as the Sunshine Safety Act that may make daylight saving time everlasting.
The laws, launched by a bipartisan group of senators, was handed by the Senate in 2022 however stalled within the U.S. Home of Representatives as a result of lawmakers couldn’t agree on whether or not to maintain commonplace time or everlasting daylight saving time.
The group of senators reintroduced the invoice final yr and it has been referred to the Committee on Commerce, Science and Transportation to evaluation. The invoice would want to move the Senate and Home earlier than President Joe Biden may signal it into legislation.