Rant on.

 

Yes, it’s that time of year again.  Time for my semi-annual rant about the idiocy of Springing forward and Falling back.  It’s a little more irritating to me this time (no pun intended) due to personal circumstances; I am just starting into a heavy overtime schedule at work so the loss of an hour of sleep Saturday night was pretty unpleasant.  I felt pretty out of it most of the day yesterday, and I can’t say I have fully recovered yet today.

 

I would put this personal consideration aside except, quite simply, personal consideration is part of my argument against DST.  Not just mine, but that of others.  It’s a proven fact we have biological clocks.  These clocks can be shifted, as frequent travelers can testify, but it’s not easy and a body has to adjust to adjusting.  Frequent travelers can make this adaptation, but with the time shift happening only twice a year, the rest of us have a tougher time.  At least one study has suggested the shift forward in the spring contributes to a rise in auto accidents on the Monday following the shift.

 

Other studies done have offered up conflicting conclusions about the usefulness of this shift.  Some suggest there is a one or two-percent savings in utility (gas and electricity) consumption, others suggest there is an increase in utility consumption.  What this tells me is the actual effects are likely negligible.  Even if studies showing a two or even three percent savings, I don’t think that savings is worth the hassle.

 

There’s an economic impact, too.  Some sporting and leisure industries see an increase in revenues with the Spring change, but other industries such as farming see a decrease in productivity.  Farmers have traditionally opposed DST because while their daily schedules follow the sun, the workers they hire follow the clock.  They lose some of the most productive time of day from their farmhands when the clocks are shifted.

 

The short version of all this is that Springing forward and Falling back is a hassle.  The arguable benefits of these transitions are small at best and are easily countered by the disadvantages.  It’s long past time we ended this time shift one way or another and end it for good.

 

Rant off.