Spring is coming. I can feel it and I can hear it. The birds are vocal, chattering away with each other and undoubtedly discussing the state of the world. The roads are bare, for the moment. Though I haven’t had to use my snowblower this winter, I’m not so foolish as to believe that winter is packing up her bag of tricks to move on; not yet.
As I write this, we are coming up to the “spring ahead” time change on March 9. I’m loving the current early morning light that will be tampered with, and I’ll have to adjust. Every transition to Daylight Saving Time (DST) and back to Standard Time comes with ample discussion, petitions, and complaints. Canada was the first to use DST with Port Arthur of present-day Thunder Bay taking the lead on this policy on July 1, 1908, turning clocks ahead one hour with other cities following suit over the next several years. The change was so popular in Regina, it was established into law in 1916. Europe’s use of DST began with Germany in 1916 with Austria joining in, to reduce the demand of artificial lighting to conserve fuel for the remaining years of the First World War. Standard Time was re-implemented at war’s end until the Second World War in most of Europe.
The idea of DST was first conceived in 1895 by George Vernon Hudson, a New Zealand scientist, and William Willett, a British builder, who proposed a two-hour time shift, but the idea didn’t get off the ground. Benjamin Franklin wrote an essay, “An Economical Project” in 1784, proposing a time change to save candle and oil usage, but most agree it was a work of satire. Britain ran with the idea in 1908, but farmers especially vehemently opposed the bill.
Many studies seem to indicate there are negative side effects to fiddling with our circadian rhythm, which “misaligns our internal clocks with the environment,” according to John Hopkins School of Public Health. Harvard Medical School writes about “The Dark Side of Daylight Saving Time,” citing increased risk of accidents, worsening of depression and anxiety, sleep disruption, increased risk of heart disease, lessened cognitive performance, weight gain. The American Home Shield claims the benefits of more evening light outweigh the risk, with a drop in the crime rate, reduced energy consumption, lower incidence of traffic accidents. Wait a minute – Harvard claimed an increase in accidents; it can’t be both. It seems to be one of those things that has been done for 100+ years, and no one can remember why or how to stop the adjustment, so we keep stumbling forward as though we couldn’t possibly challenge the concept of extending evening daylight.
Some countries never adopted its use due to the disruption of routines/schedules and the cost of such and the lack of evidence of the benefits. Most of Africa and Asia, many Caribbean nations, parts of Canada (the Yukon, most of Saskatchewan, some of Quebec, some areas in British Columbia) do not use DST. The Pew Research Centre states that most countries do not use DST, with more joining the list.
Most seem to enjoy what appears to be a “found” hour in the Fall when we adjust our clocks back, where we grant ourselves permission to lounge in bed. All parents of young children cry out in anguish trying to readjust their youngsters’ sleeping patterns after the shift. Dairy cows certainly don’t appreciate the change. At this stage of my life, I can barely remember what day it is let alone the time, so I have no horse in this race, but it does make me scratch my head when I can’t find any hard and fast evidence about the benefit. Perhaps we have bigger fish to fry at the moment.
wendistewart@live.ca
