Bear Valley Blog

Daylight savings time will come to an end on 11/2/08, the first Sunday in November, and clocks will be set back 1 hour at 2 am, becoming 1 am local standard time. Well, except in Hawaii and most of Arizona where they don't use it. So, where did this phenomenon come from? Whose idea was it? What is the purpose?

Willima Willett, A Londoner, first seriously advocated the idea of shifting daylight and published a pamphlet entitled "Waste of Daylight" in 1907. On an early morning ride one day he was struck by the fact that the blinds of nearby houses were closed, even though the sun was up. It was, apparently however, the brilliant statesman, Benjamin Franklin, who first conceived the idea in 1784 in an essay called "An Economical Project."

In the United States a law was first enacted in 1918 to preserve daylight and provide standard time so that afternoons have more daylight and mornings have less. The poster at left is from that successful campaign. For more information about the poster please visit Wikipedia. In 1919 after World War I the unpopular law was repealed. It continued in some locations causing confusion particularly in the broadcasting and transportation that had to publish new schedules each time a state or town began or ended daylight savings time. For instance, in the 1960's, in one 35 mile stretch of highway between West Virginia and Ohil, one bus line and its passengers had to endure 7 time changes. So, in 1966, the Uniform Time Act was signed into law by then President Lyndon Johnson creating daylight saving time to begin on the last Sunday in April and end on the last Sunday in October. The law has been revised a couple of times to get us to the beginning and ending dates we have today.

Daylight saving time, or summer time, is thought of as a way to make better use of daylight. We change our clocks during the summer months to move an hour of daylight from the morning to the evening. The rationale is that people like it, there are perceived energy and economic benefits, fewer traffic accidents and fewer violent crimes. DST was extended into November on the theory that more people would turn out to vote if it is still light when they return to work. Retailers love it as people are out of their homes playing and shopping instead of at home watching TV.

Personally, I love DST because I'm an outdoor person and it allows me more time outdoors in my garden and with my animals. The only problem with it for me is that I really miss it when it's gone. Please remember to change your clocks this November 2.