On March 13, 2022 in the US, Daylight Saving Time (DST) started. If officially ended on November 6, 2022. DST always begins on the second Sunday in March, while it ends on the first Sunday in November.
What is Daylight Saving Time?
Folks often say the expression "spring forward, fall back" in order to remember how to adjust their clocks. With DST, people adjust the clocks forward one hour from Standard Time during the summer months. When the fall comes, they change them back again.
According to Almanac, the idea behind this is it allows us to make better use of natural daylight. When you move the clocks forward one hour in the spring, it gives us more daylight during summer evenings. On the other hand, moving it back one hour in the fall gives us more daylight during winter mornings.
Who is DST's True Founder?
An Englishman named William Willet is said to be the first true proponent of Daylight Saving Time. He is a London builder who came up with the idea one early morning while riding his horse in 1907.
Willet noticed that even though the Sun had risen, the shutters of houses were still tightly closed. He made his manifesto of the personal light-saving campaign, "The Waste of Daylight," where he noted how everyone appreciates the long, light evenings.
His manifesto also noted that the bright light of an early morning in Spring and Summer months are seldom used, resulting in 210 hours of daylight wasted. This, according to Willet, is a defect to man's civilization; thus, England should recognize and remedy it.
Determined to make his idea work, Willet lobbied businessmen as well as members of Parliament and the US Congress. He spent a small fortune lobbying.
His proposal is for the four Sundays in April, clocks will be put 20 minutes ahead. In September, the process will be reversed on consecutive Sundays. However, the people did not accept his proposal. Instead, it was met mostly with ridicule.
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What are the Impacts of DST?
People have many opinions about DST. According to the book David S. Perau entitled "Seize the Daylight: The Curious and Contentious Story of Daylight Saving Time," clock adjustment has real and immediate economic benefits.
With DST, there is increased overtime work. However, along with it is the reduction in power for electric lighting. According to Mashable, that reduction averaged to about 20 percent.
The 20 percent reduction in power use means a cutback of about 1 percent of the total coal used in a year, which can be considered a huge reduction already.
DST and the US Legislation
In March, the US Senate passed legislation making daylight saving time permanent in the country starting in 2023. The approval is part of a move to promote brighter afternoons, hence, more economic activity.
The measure, which is called the Sunshine Protection Act, is approved by the Senate unanimously through a voice vote. However, according to Reuters, the bill must still pass the House of Representatives before President Joe Biden sign it.
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