Here & There Column 11-15-11

Why Don't We Keep DST Year Round

Are we a nation who wants to use more energy or less energy?
A discussion two Saturday nights ago when we "fell back" with our clocks one hour from Daylight Savings Time (DST) to Standard Time brought on some interesting remarks and got the brain wheels churning with several thoughts.
One in our group offered the comment that the change to DST allows us to use less energy in lighting out homes and communities use less electricity with municipal lighting and shopping malls would also use less electricity in lighting their parking lots.
It is also a fact that in 2005 DST became four weeks longer as a result of the passage of the Energy Policy Act which extended DST by four weeks from the second Sunday of March to the first Sunday in November.
This Act was put into law with the hope that it would save10,000 barrels of oil each day through reduced use of power of businesses during daylight hours.....this does seem logical.
This procedure some said could not come up with energy savings using DST.
During DST the sun appears to rise one hour later in the morning and stretches the day longer by setting one hour later and discussion by our group indicated the following:
1. DST could reduce road accidents and injuries.
2. DST gives more social time with family and friends.
3. DST can boost the tourism industry because it increases the amount of outdoor activities.
4. DST can save energy due to less artificial light needed during the evening hours.
A lot of folks favor DST all year round but as long as the politicians and government have their fingers in this topic no predictions can be made where DST will go in the future.