Irony of ironies
Today we turned our clocks forward in a national effort to conserve energy. Ostensibly, it makes sense. If we gain an hour of natural daylight, then we pay for and use one less hour of electrical light. NOT SO! Actually, many studies have found that this energy saving measure causes many to use more energy. Air conditioners in the warmer southern states and heaters in colder northern states are the primary culprits for this counter-intuitive use of extra energy. Since most of the extra energy we use is generated by coal-fired power plants, things aren't looking, well, "green". Moreover, the time change has always been pushed by big business. When people have more light after work, they go to the mall or shop. And they don't usually walk there... So the carbon footprint only gets deeper. This daylight "savings" reeks havoc on our circadian rhythms, robbing us of an hour of sleep in spring and cash for the extra use of electricity.
***Fun facts:
Daylight savings was first introduced, temporarily, in the United States during World War I, and then again during World War II. In 1966, it was reintroduced across most of the United States and Canada.
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