Daylight saving will end at 3am on Sunday, April 7, when clocks should be turned back to 2am. The time change will give everyone an extra hour in their day on Sunday, but people should expect the sun to start setting an hour earlier. This weekend, Victorians will have an extra hour of sleep.
Some state lawmakers in New York are proposing bills to make daylight saving time permanent, citing health effects and lost productivity due to the time change. They argue that the current system is outdated and hinders the economy. The bills propose using daylight saving time year-round, but a final version could make standard time permanent instead. Lawmakers are also working with neighboring states to develop a federal plan. The move to make daylight saving time permanent is being considered by 30 states across the US.
Daylight Saving Time has a long history that spans over a century and is driven by two world wars, mass confusion, and a desire to enjoy more sunlight. The idea of changing the clocks in the spring and fall was proposed by George Vernon Hudson in New Zealand and William Willett in the UK, but it wasn't implemented until Germany adopted it during World War I. The United States and other countries followed suit. After World War II, the US Congress passed the Uniform Time Act to standardize daylight saving time across the country.
Currently, about 70 countries observe daylight saving time. The extra daylight allows people to spend time outdoors, exercise, and engage in activities after work. However, there have been debates about the practice, with some advocating for using standard time or daylight saving time all year. Lebanon faced confusion when the government delayed the start of daylight saving time by a month. Changing the clocks twice a year leads to grumbling, and there have been attempts to stick to one time system year-round. In Thunder Bay, Canada, there was confusion when one city changed time zones while the other didn't. Today, Thunder Bay observes daylight saving time and enjoys long summer days.
Lawmakers in New York are joining the conversation by proposing bills to make daylight saving time permanent in the state. They argue that the current system disrupts sleep patterns and has negative effects on health and productivity. The bills propose using daylight saving time year-round, but a final version could make standard time permanent instead. Lawmakers are also working with neighboring states to develop a federal plan. The move to make daylight saving time permanent is being considered by 30 states across the US.
In Iowa, the debate about time change is also taking place. An article by Ryan 'Brain' Brainard on khak.com explores what the days in Iowa would look like with no time change. If Iowa stopped observing daylight saving time, there would be two options: permanent standard time or permanent daylight time. Under permanent standard time, the sun would rise at 4:40 a.m. in June and set at 7:52 p.m. in Iowa. Under permanent daylight time, the sun wouldn't rise until 8:30 a.m. in January and December, resulting in dark mornings but an extra hour of sunlight in the evening. The author of the article prefers permanent standard time due to the extra daylight in the morning. The article discusses the pros and cons of each option and asks readers if the time change should be stopped.
Tommy Tuberville, a columnist for Sand Mountain Reporter, supports the idea of making daylight saving time permanent. He argues that changing the clocks disrupts sleep patterns and has negative effects on health and productivity. Tuberville mentions that studies have suggested that the shift in time increases the risk of cardiovascular disease and physical injuries. He also highlights that the original purpose of daylight saving time was to conserve energy and better use resources during World War II. Tuberville mentions that he joined Sen. Marco Rubio and a bipartisan group of colleagues in reintroducing the Sunshine Protection Act to make daylight saving time permanent. He believes that permanent daylight saving time will provide extra sunlight in the evening and encourage more physical activity. Tuberville also mentions that farmers are greatly affected by daylight saving time, as additional sunshine during working hours means more time to work in the fields and potentially a more profitable bottom line. He notes that Alabama, along with 18 other states, has already passed legislation to end the practice of changing clocks. Tuberville urges Congress to pass the Sunshine Protection Act to make daylight saving time permanent before the next clock adjustment in the fall.
Clocks in Europe spring forward two weeks after America due to variations in historical and cultural practices. Americans aim to preserve energy and boost the economy by springing the clocks forward by one hour on the second Sunday of March. The altered date for daylight savings took effect in 2007. Before then, the US shared the same date as Europe. People all over the US saw the time leap forward by an hour on March 10, 2024. Clocks in Europe will go forward on March 31, which will result in the five-hour time difference reinstated. EU legislation on seasonal clock changes requires all member states to switch to summer time on the last Sunday in March and back to their standard time on the last Sunday in October. Daylight saving time was created to obtain as much sunlight as possible. There are only about 70 countries worldwide that use daylight savings.
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Sources: [Shafaq News](https://shafaq.com/en/World/Springing-Forward-The-history-and-controversy-of-Daylight-Saving-Time), [khak.com](https://khak.com/what-would-our-days-in-iowa-look-like-with-no-time-change/), [Sand Mountain Reporter](https://www.sandmountainreporter.com/columnists/article_fcd499f8-ee17-11ee-adc0-13a503aa8c6d.html), [Irish Star](https://www.irishstar.com/news/us-news/clock-change-different-date-america-32476707), [Riverine Herald](https://www.riverineherald.com.au/news/daylight-saving-is-coming-to-an-end-3/)