Spring Back?

Are you wondering why Daylight Savings Time (DST) seems to be happening a little early this year? DST is really an interesting phenomenon with a colorful history.

DST is being increased this year by one month. We get three extra weeks in the Spring and one extra week in the Fall. This change is occurring with the hope that we can realize a 1% energy savings from this minor change.

Now, there are some who would suggest that the energy savings will not happen, based on a recent Study out of Berkely. The researchers concluded that a DST extension that was mandated in Australia in preparation for the 2000 Olympics resulted in more net energy consumption, rather than savings.

I, for one, am willing to give this a shot. It is hard to extrapolate information gleamed from one study about another continent to the U.S. Besides, a 1975 U.S. Department of Transportation Study concluded that DST could save Americans 1% of energy consumption (ref). The same study also estimated a 0.7% reduction in automobile fatalities. That's enough for me!

Hey, maybe it won't work. Fine. We can go back, right? We are looking now for that low hanging fruit that we need to get done now to reduce our global carbon emissions. This one seems like a no-brainer to me. Plus, I get to stay outside longer in the evening!