Sunday, November 3rd, 2024 Daylight Saving Time

Today, Sunday, November 3rd, 2024, we had to turn our clocks back an hour, marking the end of Daylight Saving Time or DST for this year. 

DST is the practice of adjusting clocks forward by one hour in spring "spring forward" and setting them back an hour in the fall "fall back". The overall goal was to extend evening daylight during warmer months. In the New York area, we make this shift twice a year: once in March and once in November. So today we “fell back” an hour. That means an extra hour of sleep. Not fun when you are on night duty.  

Historically speaking , DST was first suggested by Benjamin Franklin in 1784 to save on candle usage by utilizing longer summer daylight hours. 

However, modern DST was officially introduced during World War I, mainly to conserve fuel by reducing the need for artificial lighting. Then Germany became the first to implement it in 1916, followed by other countries, including the U.S. The practice was standardized across the U.S. in 1966 with the Uniform Time Act, though not all states observe it. This has led to calls in recent years to eliminate DST altogether.

In the United States, the following states and territories do not observe Daylight Saving Time:

Arizona (except Navajo Nation)

 Hawaii

American Samoa

Guam

Northern Mariana Islands

Puerto Rico

U.S. Virgin Islands

These states and territories all remain on Standard Time year-round and do not adjust their clocks forward or back like we do in the majority of the States.

Originally, DST’ main objective was energy conservation, but recent studies have shown mixed results on its effectiveness. Although it can reduce the need for evening lighting, it may also lead to increased use of heating or cooling, which can offset any energy savings. DST can also impact people’s health and well-being, as the time shifts disrupt sleep patterns, potentially leading to productivity issues and higher accident rates, especially after the spring forward shift. People often run late that day, forgetting to adjust their clocks, both physical and internal. 

In a nutshell, DST is intended to make better use of daylight, but its overall impact remains hard to assess, especially when balancing energy use, health, and economic effects. Hopefully, there’ll be more discussion on this in the future, and maybe even a decision to do away with it for good.

Now we know more and I hope that helps. 

I remain your Pal 

Ronnie