Written By: Daniela C. at North Fair Oaks Library
Daylight Savings Time is almost upon us. On Sunday, March 9, we will “spring forward” and push our clocks ahead by one hour. However, it hasn’t always been this way, and there is often debate over whether Daylight Savings Time (DST) is even worth keeping. Some countries use DST, while others do not. DST isn’t even universal within the United States! States like Hawaii and Arizona, and territories like Puerto Rico and Guam do not participate, making time conversions even more confusing. So why do we do it?
Science Behind Daylight
First, what is actually happening to the daylight? The Earth rotates on a slight tilt on its axis. This means as it rotates and orbits the sun, different parts of the Earth are being hit with sunlight. The amount of sunlight varies by season for many parts of the world, however, the closer you are to the equator, the less variation there is because it’s usually getting the same amount of sunlight for the full orbit (one orbit being one year). The amount of daylight is especially important for agriculture because farmers depend on the seasons for their crops. The amount of sunlight will affect how plants grow because they rely on the sun to photosynthesize and be healthy. This means farmers also must pick appropriate plants for the amount of sunlight. Hence why many fruits and vegetables are considered “in season” or “out of season.”
History of Daylight Savings Time
What does this mean for today? The rationale for implementing DST, at least in the United States, started with saving fuel and money. Having DST year round was signed into law by President Richard Nixon in January 1974. The idea was to increase evening sunlight so people spent less fuel and energy lighting their homes. In doing so, it would help mitigate a national gas crisis at the time.
Ultimately, it was unpopular because while there was more evening light, the mornings were darker for longer. There was a huge public outcry against kids walking to school in the dark and an increase in traffic accidents. The farmers protested for the same reason, because they couldn’t farm in the early morning hours as they normally would. Those in favor of DST say it provides more time for recreational activities and makes people feel safer walking in the evenings.
Eventually, we landed on the system we have today of changing the clocks twice a year. In March we “spring forward” and push the clocks ahead by one hour, and in November we “fall back” and return to standard time. It will take further legislation to see if DST will continue, change or end all together. In the meantime, enjoy these books about our sun!
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