Konspiracy?
Springing an hour forward towards the end of April has always taken time to get used to after a week or two of changing clocks, being late and complaining. Like most farm kids, I was raised to believe that Daylight Savings Time was instituted to allow politicians an extra hour after quittin’ time to play golf. Older now, I can see the fallacy of that argument because politicians don’t punch a clock at either end of their workday.
So why then are we moving the time change up to the middle of March and extending it to the first of November to leave us only 4 ½ months each year on Standard Time? Are we moving closer towards a year-round standard of Daylight Savings Time? I hope so – let’s quit this nonsense of changing all the clocks!
The current record-breaking heat wave in California has made the time change even more difficult to accept with 84 degrees at 5:00 p.m. yesterday. After acclimation to summer temperatures, we embrace the mid-80s, but with snow and frost on the ground less than 2 weeks ago, it feels the same as 110 degrees in July. With our apparent short spring here, there’s also an unparalleled sense of urgency and impatience as if we’re even farther behind on the ranch. It’s enough to make you consider all the ramifications of Global Warming.
Likewise, the argument that Daylight Savings Time reduces energy consumption doesn’t fly with me. Changing the time doesn’t change the hours of darkness or the time required for electric lights. However, pundits of the financial world welcome the change, having already calculated the increase in projected revenue from the recreational sector. That, of course, spells more energy consumption to me. You can’t have it both ways, unless the American people want to believe one thing and practice another. Imagine that!
It’s like leaving the lights on in the hen house: business as usual!