01 November 2008

Turn the clock back, 2008 edition

I've written about Daylight Saving Time (European Summer Time) in the past, usually with a photo of the notation on the Filofax diary page. Tonight, I wasn't able to get a clear photo, but my Filo for Sunday, November 2 says "Daylight Saving Time ends, Canada & USA*," with the parenthetical "*information correct at time of going to print."

The parenthetical is necessary because Canada and the USA are currently out of sync with European Summer Time, which ended on October 26. The U.S. Congress decided that extended Daylight Saving Time would save more energy. That is arguable. I've heard the argument that it doesn't save energy because more light in the evening keeps people outside and driving in cars, instead of heading home and going to bed early.

What do you think?

Another parenthetical: (I'm writing this while watching "Are You Being Served AGAIN," so for this reason alone I feel I can speak with some authority on European Summer Time :) ).

3 comments:

  1. Are you free Mr Humphries... yes I'm free...

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  2. Last weekend we rolled back our clocks for European summer time, and it was very depressing for it to suddenly be dark at 5pm! And it's still weeks until the shortest day! It was nice to have a week where the time difference between here and family in the US was an hour less, making it easier to make phone calls at reasonable times. This past Sunday they rolled back their clocks an hour so now we are back to 7 hours difference.

    Incidentally, I grew up in Indiana where we didn't observe Daylight Savings Time. We didn't change our clocks. Half the year we were on EST and the other half we were on Central time. It was pretty confusing. A couple of years ago, amid much controversy, Indiana began observing Daylight Savings Time. So now they are on EST all year round.

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  3. I think that the sttitude to daylight savings time depends on how far north or south you live. If you live farther North it is good to wake up in the light for just a while longer but the dark evenings are a bit depressing. However by December it only feels as if its light between 10am and 2pm anyway so we are depressed all Winter.


    However Summer months with daylight all hours, now that is worth it......

    Superpooky (couldn't mind my password for blogger!)

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