Spring Forward
March 10, 2013, most of the clocks in the U.S. will spring forward an hour. While some folks depend on the groundhog to tell them if winter is over, others no for certain the end is in sight when it is time to spring forward. Day Light Savings Time (DST) begins at 2 a.m. on March 10, so put a spring in your step and don’t forget to set your clocks an hour forward this weekend!
Sure, you’re going to lose an hour of sleep, but the following day is Sunday, so relax. And sure, it will be a little darker at 6a.m. on Monday, but that won’t last long. The added hour of daylight at the end of the day more than makes up for it.
So before you head to bed on Saturday, March 9, turn your clock ahead by one hour. And yes, it’s a pain marching around the house springing all of your clocks forward, but it should put a spring in your own step if you think of it as your way of hastening the sun’s return to longer days. Besides most of your digital stuff took care of itself while you were sleeping.
Ben Franklin came up with idea of DST as a way to save energy. The idea didn’t catch on until WWI, but only lasted a few years until returning during WWII, but was dropped again during peacetime. In 1966, Congress passed the Uniform Time Act, which standardized Daylight Saving Time. Finally the Energy Policy Act of 2005 set the new start of DST as beginning in March.
DST was implemented to save energy, however, since times have changed so drastically it really serves no purpose. Not all 50 states in the U.S. spring forward and fall back each year. Hawaii and Arizona don’t nor do the U.S. territories like American Samoa, Guam, Puerto Rico, and the Virgin Islands.
Not everyone is a fan of DST. There is a petition drive on the “We the People” White House website to have it eliminated, claiming that studies have shown the time change is a health risk, leading to a loss in productivity. Plus the petitioners say DST is “really annoying.” So far not enough people have signed it to make it eligible to be considered by the President.