Conceived by Benjamin Franklin over 200 years ago, the idea of Daylight Saving Time had its foundations in energy savings. It was implemented in the United States during both world wars and was later standardized by the Uniform Time Act in 1966. Nowadays, controversy surrounding the subject has supporters claiming that Daylight Savings Time conserves energy otherwise spent on artificial light; promotes outdoor activities in the evening, reduces traffic accidents, and is beneficial for businesses. This paper will present and explore the opposing view that changes in energy usage over the years have made Daylight Savings Time obsolete, as it no longer serves the goal for which it was developed. Actual energy savings are inconclusivein some cases
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This may have been more applicable in the past than it is today, however, since the savings from reduced illumination in the evening might be offset by the increased use of modern electronic equipment and the cost of heating and cooling systems. In a review of the literature on the effect of DST in energy use, researchers Aries and Newman (2008) concluded that while some studies show reductions in electricity use of approximately 0.5 to 2%, many others show no effect or an opposite effect, "particularly if gasoline consumption is accounted for." (p.14). Gasoline consumption increases with increased recreational activity when people spend a greater amount of time outdoors in extended daylight hours, while the combustion of gasoline leads to increased air pollution. Similarly, an experiment conducted in Southern Indiana by Kotchen and Grant (2011) found that "the [DST] policy costs Indiana households an average of $3.29 per year in increased electricity bills, which aggregates to approximately $9 million over the entire state . . . [and] social costs of increased pollution emissions that range from $1.7 to $5.5 million per year (p.4). These findings do not justify the continued use of Daylight Savings Time, especially considering the various disadvantages associated with …show more content…
In the absence of definitive evidence to the contrary, it can be said that this policy has outlived its usefulness in modern times. Like Arizona, Hawaii, Puerto Rico, the Virgin Islands, American Samoa, Guam, and the Northern Marianas Islands, that do not observe DST, the rest of the United States should follow suit and abolish this policy. By doing so, this country will be better synchronized with the rest of the world and its citizens will avoid negative physiological, social, and economic
This may have been more applicable in the past than it is today, however, since the savings from reduced illumination in the evening might be offset by the increased use of modern electronic equipment and the cost of heating and cooling systems. In a review of the literature on the effect of DST in energy use, researchers Aries and Newman (2008) concluded that while some studies show reductions in electricity use of approximately 0.5 to 2%, many others show no effect or an opposite effect, "particularly if gasoline consumption is accounted for." (p.14). Gasoline consumption increases with increased recreational activity when people spend a greater amount of time outdoors in extended daylight hours, while the combustion of gasoline leads to increased air pollution. Similarly, an experiment conducted in Southern Indiana by Kotchen and Grant (2011) found that "the [DST] policy costs Indiana households an average of $3.29 per year in increased electricity bills, which aggregates to approximately $9 million over the entire state . . . [and] social costs of increased pollution emissions that range from $1.7 to $5.5 million per year (p.4). These findings do not justify the continued use of Daylight Savings Time, especially considering the various disadvantages associated with …show more content…
In the absence of definitive evidence to the contrary, it can be said that this policy has outlived its usefulness in modern times. Like Arizona, Hawaii, Puerto Rico, the Virgin Islands, American Samoa, Guam, and the Northern Marianas Islands, that do not observe DST, the rest of the United States should follow suit and abolish this policy. By doing so, this country will be better synchronized with the rest of the world and its citizens will avoid negative physiological, social, and economic