Daylight time in Vancouver
Daylight time begins here in Canada, or more precisely here in Vancouver, Canada, on the second Sunday in March and ends on the first Sunday in November. In 2023, therefore, daylight saving time begins on March 12.
12. March 2023 to 5. November 2023
As is well known, the main purpose of daylight saving time is to make better use of natural daylight. That's why clocks are set forward by one hour during the summer months. So there is more daylight available in the evening, which on the one hand reduces energy consumption, allows for more outdoor leisure activities and, if we're being completely honest, already improves the quality of life in general somewhat. After all, who likes going to work in the dark and coming home in the dark?
In this article I have collected a few facts about daylight saving time. It is about the history of daylight saving time and also about the tiresome discussion with pros and cons.
History of Daylight time
The concept of daylight saving time has been around for centuries. The supposed earliest records go back to Benjamin Franklin in the late 18th century. But it wasn't until the 20th century that daylight saving time became widespread and standardized.
1784 – Benjamin Franklin
The idea of daylight saving time was allegedly first raised in 1784. Benjamin Franklin thought it would save on candles and make better use of natural daylight.
In 1784, he wrote a letter to the editor of the Journal of Paris proposing a change in the daily routine. His idea: people should save money on candles and be more productive by getting up earlier and taking advantage of the morning sunlight.
While he did not directly propose moving the clock forward, some historians believe that his satirical letter suggesting ways to motivate late risers laid the foundation for the concept of daylight saving time.
1895 – George Vernon Hudson
In 1895, New Zealand entomologist George Vernon Hudson proposed a system of advancing clocks by two hours during the summer months - a bit of an exaggeration, but oh well - to make better use of available daylight.
His interest in summertime was based in his hobby of collecting insects. This forced him to do much of his collecting in the evening after work - such a moth is difficult to spot without light. Accordingly, he was frustrated that there was not enough daylight after work to pursue his hobby.
In a lecture in front of the Philosophers' Society in 1895, Hudson therefore argued that his proposed system would be beneficial not only to insect collectors like himself. Farmers, outdoor workers and others would also benefit from the longer daylight hours in the evening.
The idea was ridiculed by a number of members of the Society, but eventually T. K. Sidey, a member of Parliament, pushed through the introduction of one-hour daylight saving time, which was successfully tested in 1927.
1908 – Port Arthur
Here in Canada, the city of Port Arthur in Ontario first introduced daylight saving time in 1908. At that time, daylight saving time had not yet been introduced nationally; that only followed in 1918 as a wartime measure - this won't be the last time you read this - to save energy during the First World War.
Port Arthur passed a bylaw at the local level in 1908 to adopt daylight saving time. However, the necessary approval from the federal government was lacking. The first official application of daylight saving time here in Canada thus occurred in 1918, when it was first introduced as a national measure.
1916 – Germany
The first daylight saving time regulation in modern times was in Germany. Who is surprised! It was introduced during World War I to save energy or coal. On April 30, 1916, the clocks were set forward by one hour for the first time during the summer months so that it was light longer in the evening and less artificial lighting was needed.
After the end of World War I, many countries abandoned daylight saving time. But Germany continued to use it throughout the 1920s and 1930s. In 1940, the National Socialist government ordered year-round daylight saving time. Again, this was to increase productivity during the war.
After the war, Germany initially abandoned daylight time, but reintroduced it in 1980 during the oil crisis. Today, daylight saving time is in effect in Germany from the last Sunday in March to the last Sunday in October.
1966 – USA
In the USA, daylight saving time was also first introduced during the First World War. However, states and cities could decide for themselves whether they wanted to join in. This created a patchwork of different time zones and daylight time schedules across the country. This was certainly great fun for travelers and businesses.
In 1966 the Uniform Time Act was adopted. It introduced a system whereby daylight time in the U.S. begins at 2:00 a.m. on the last Sunday in April and ends at 2:00 a.m. on the last Sunday in October. This allowed states and territories to opt out of daylight time. Condition: The entire state or territory had to go along - individual cities or regions could not introduce daylight saving time on their own.
In 2007, daylight saving time was extended by four weeks by moving the end date to the first Sunday in November.
Daylight time today
Today, over 70 countries follow daylight saving time or a similar schedule. All of them follow the same principle: clocks are set forward by one hour in spring and back by one hour in autumn. However, there are differences in the timing and duration of DST in different parts of the world, and not all countries follow DST at all.
The start and end of daylight saving time are not the same around the world. Here are some approximate dates for the start of daylight saving time in some countries around the world in 2023:
- United States and Canada: March 12, 2023
- Iran: March 22, 2023
- Jordan: March 31, 2023
- European Union (EU), Turkey, Tunisia, United Kingdom: March 26, 2023
- Morocco, Mexico: April 2, 2023
- Egypt: April 28, 2023
- Australia: October 1, 2023 (start of daylight saving time in most regions).
- New Zealand: September 24, 2023
- Brazil: October 15, 2023 (start of daylight saving time in most regions).
Countries without daylight time include: Armenia, Azerbaijan, Belarus, China, Georgia, India, Indonesia, Iceland, Japan, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Philippines, Puerto Rico (United States territory), Russia, Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan.
The Discussion on Daylight time
With daylight time, clocks are set forward by one hour during the summer months. This allows the daylight to be used for longer in the evening. As a rule, clocks are set forward by one hour in spring (i.e. "garden furniture in front of the house") and set back by one hour in autumn (i.e. "garden furniture to the back of the shed"). Why not put garden furniture in the garden and just leave it there? No idea!
Daylight time is a topic that is discussed by policymakers, researchers and the general public. Especially at regulars' tables, glasses tend to fly. The effects of daylight time on energy consumption, public safety and personal well-being are being studied and evaluated by experts from a wide range of fields.
The following pro and con arguments are those most commonly found and do not reflect my own opinion on the subject. Wherever possible, I have tried to substantiate the statements made.
Cons
As with all things in life, not everyone is a fan of daylight time. Critics argue that daylight saving time disrupts sleep patterns, among other things. They also claim that it reduces productivity and increases the risk of accidents due to lack of sleep.
Sleep habits and injuries
The time change can disrupt people's sleep rhythms. Especially in the days following the changeover. This can have a number of negative effects on health, including increased fatigue, lower productivity and a higher risk of accidents.
I wonder how people who work shifts and regularly switch between early and late shifts deal with this argument.
- Adverse Effects of Daylight Saving Time on Adolescents‘ Sleep and Vigilance, 2015
- Barnes C. M., Wagner D. T. (2009). Changing to daylight saving time cuts into sleep and increases workplace injuries. Journal of Applied Psychology, 94, 1305–1317.
- Lahti T. A., Leppamaki S., Lonnqvist J., Partonen T. (2006). Transition to daylight saving time reduces sleep duration plus sleep efficiency of the deprived sleep. Neuroscience Letters, 406, 174–177
Negative impact on agriculture
Farmers often object to daylight saving time because it disrupts their schedules and routines. Cows obviously have trouble adjusting to new milking times, which affects milk production. Why do the cows have to adjust and not the people?
In addition, some plants are also sensitive to the changing times of day and may not grow as well during the summertime.
Increased energy demand
Daylight time was originally intended to save energy. See the comments above on its origin. Critics now argue that in some cases, however, energy consumption can actually increase during summertime. For example, air conditioning consumption may increase during the additional daylight hours in the evening. Savings from the lower lighting requirements cancel this out.
- Kotchen M., Grant L. (2008), Does Daylight Saving time save energy?, Working Paper 14429 National Bureau of economic research
- Rivers N., Shaffer B. (2017) Does Daylight Saving Time reduce Energy Consumption?, Intelligence Memo, C.D. Howe Institute
Economic impairment
The time change can disrupt business plans and operations, especially for companies that operate in multiple time zones. This can lead to confusion, missed deadlines and other disruptions. Investors and stock prices also seem to react to it.
Lack of evidence for the benefits
Despite the arguments in favor of daylight time, some critics argue that there is little evidence of its benefits. For example, studies on energy savings and public safety have produced mixed results. As a result, some argue that daylight saving time is not worth the hassle and disruption it causes.
Pros
There are several reasons why countries choose daylight time. One of the main reasons is to save energy. And more light leads to more visibility.
Energy saving
One of the main reasons for daylight time is to save energy. By using daylight for longer in the evening hours, less energy is needed for artificial lighting. This can lead to significant energy savings.
- Belzer D.B., Hadley S.W., Chin S.-M., (2008) Report to Congress. Impact of Extended Daylight Saving Time on National Energy Consumption
- Awad Momani et al., (2009) The impact of the daylight saving time on electricity consumption-A case study from Jordan
- Havranek T., Herman D., Irsova Z. (2018) Does daylight saving save electricity? A meta-analysis
- Matthew J. Kotchen & Laura E. Grant (2008) Does Daylight Saving Time Save Energy? Evidence from a Natural Experiment in Indiana
More leisure activities
Longer daylight in the evening also moves people to spend more time outdoors. They have more time to pursue leisure activities such as sports, hiking or gardening in the evening after work.
Improved public safety
According to studies, the number of traffic accidents and pedestrian fatalities decreases during summertime. Especially in the evening hours, when visibility is poor or exactly nonexistent. In addition, more daylight hours can reduce crime and make people feel safer in their neighborhoods.
- S A Ferguson, D F Preusser, A K Lund, P L Zador, R G Ulmer (1995) Daylight saving time and motor vehicle crashes: the reduction in pedestrian and vehicle occupant fatalities
- Tuuli Lahti, Esa Nysten, Jari Haukka, Pekka Sulander and Timo Partonen (2010) Daylight Saving Time Transitions and Road Traffic Accidents
- Coate D., Markowitz S. (2004), The effects of daylight and daylight saving time on US pedestrian fatalities and motor vehicle occupant fatalities
Boosting the economy
Companies that specialize in outdoor activities or tourism benefit from the summer season. For example, restaurants, amusement parks and other attractions may see more sales during the summer season.
Improved mental health
Some studies suggest that longer daylight hours in the evening can have a positive effect on mental health. Symptoms of depression and anxiety occur less frequently and the general mood improves.
Conclusion
Opinions on daylight time are mixed. For every argument, studies can be found that prove or disprove it. In the end, it's a very personal thing whether you can handle it or not.
Supporters argue that it reduces energy consumption, promotes outdoor activities and recreation, and boosts the economy through increased consumer spending. On the other hand, opponents argue that the energy savings are minimal, the disruption of natural sleep patterns can have negative health effects, and the time change can cause confusion and inconvenience for agriculture, businesses, and travelers.
Despite the controversies, many countries adhere to daylight time, often with different start and end dates. Ultimately, the decision to adhere to daylight saving time is up to each individual country or region and can be influenced by a variety of factors, including energy consumption, economic considerations and public opinion.
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