According to a recent study by the University of California has determined, beyond a shadow of a kilowatt, that daylight savings time doesn't work, unless you count making people grumpy from lack of sleep. In fact it was found that daylight savings time actually COST Indiana residents an extra $8.6 million in electricity bills due to more air conditioning in the evening and more heaters on cool mornings. Per Professor Matthew Kotchen, who pioneered the study, "I've never had a paper with such a clear and unambiguous finding as this."
Also in the article was mention of a study in 1976, three years after most of the nation began DST, which found "no significant energy savings after the switch."
But by all means, let's ignore the goals of DST, goals that this study has shown are actually thwarted, and continue this trend. Why? Because like a liberal, excuse me, progressive policies, they just make you feel good. Kids, as long as you feel like you're doing a good thing it doesn't really matter if you are in actuality doing harm. That's our lesson for today.
3 comments:
Okay, aside from seeing a few social and family benefits that Daylight Savings Time brings, I never did see the argument regarding saving energy for the very reasons that the U of C study found.
I really think the primary reason Indiana did it was because industry wanted it. Having us be on the same time pattern as the rest of the country makes communicating across country less difficult if your clients and customers know when your office hours are...and vice versa. With my family all being on the West Coast, I've found that it can be difficult for everyone to figure out when it is okay to call on small scale.
As far West as we are, I think it would make more sense for us to be on Central Time, and the fact that we aren't makes me think that it is industry's doing as well. Eastern Time is just easy to figure out when you live anywhere else in the country. People get confused with those middle things. They can't even have their t.v. shows on at the right time ;)
When we lived here when my husband was in seminary (12 years ago), it seemed like everyone was whining about not having Daylight Savings Time. "Everyone else does it, why can't we?" We even had a friend that got really messed up when he forgot about daylight savings time and had been called to preach just north of the Michigan border, and he forgot about the difference and missed the service! "Michigan and Ohio did it, and some of them even work in Fort Wayne, so why can't we have it too? was a frequent mantra it seemed. Being wedged right into the corner with them made things hard on some people.
But we had just gotten back from vicarage in Arizona and they didn't have it either. But their attitude was "Daylight Savings Time...just because the rest of the country wants to be stupid, doesn't mean that we have to be." But then again, they tried to open up the Grand Canyon with the state militia when Clinton shut down the government. They just are that kind of people. I like them.
Okay, I'm blabbering, but I like hiding in here. It's quiet and peaceful...and things like Daylight Savings Time are much more pleasant to deal with than fixing dinner and getting the two loads of dishes in my sink done....so sorry for rambling.
I guess I could've summed this all up by saying "You're right."
See, there I go again.
It takes me about a week to adjust.
I really despise Daylight Slavings Time.
That same study confirmed that the Eastern Blue Bird prefers cigarettes with filters over those without. The whole "menthol" thing is still up in the air.
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