I love it when we go to Daylight Savings. And it's 15 degrees.

[Condem]

You can look at a cold-ass day a little longer.

[progressoid]

1. NPR just did a little story about Daylight Savings

Daylight Saving: A Boost For Troubled Economy?

It's debatable — and according to Michael Downing, highly unlikely — that anything is really saved with daylight saving time. "It has never been shown to save any real energy, but it has been a fantastically effective retail spending plan," said Downing, who teaches English at Tufts University and is author of the book Spring Forward: The Annual Madness of Daylight Saving Time.

The Energy Act of 2005 increased the duration of daylight saving starting in 2007, and this year it now extends from early March until the first of November.

Originally, daylight saving was a concept that gained popularity among several countries — including the U.S. — during World War I. But the popular notion that it helps save energy by fitting more human activity in the daylight hours has never been borne out by most of the evidence, Downing said, although one Energy Department study showed electricity use declined 0.03 percent. In fact, the more comprehensive studies indicate that people drive more with more evening light and thus it actually boosts energy consumption, he said.

If there's no savings there, there's also no savings when it comes to retail: People tend to shop more when the daylight hours extend later. The golf industry, for example, managed to double its revenue from equipment and greens fees to $400 million in 1986, a year when daylight saving was extended by an extra month, Downing said. For unknown reasons, convenience stores also typically see a boost when the clocks move forward.

A spokesman for Kingsford Charcoal, the maker of black briquettes, said two years ago when Congress extended daylight saving, it saw another spike in sales, although he declined to quantify it. It's a big enough boost that — despite the wintry weather still affecting much of the country — the company is launching a new ad campaign this weekend to inform people "winter's over, it's time to come out and grill."

...more with audio at link...

http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=101527430

[Condem]

2. progressoid. I got mixed feelings on this one.

On one hand, I love the fact that daylight runs a little longer in March. I'm an early riser (4:45) so the sun isn't going to wake me up. Yet, in the middle of June to mid-July the sun doesn't set until 8:45. I go to bed early, obviously. Tough to do when it's still light and hot as hell. Give me Standard Time. Not so mixed after all.

[rurallib]

3. does anybody remember why DST was expanded to 3/4 of the year?

4 or 5 years ago the bar-b-q industry and the candy industry came with wheel barrows of buckaroos to 'discuss' extending DST with 'friendly' lawmakers. DST brings about a bevy of buying for barbeque and home improvement projects in the spring. In the fall candy sales have nearly doubled for Halloween now that trick-or-treats takes care in the daylight.
As far as I know there was one study done a couple years ago that looked like it was going to show that DST actually caused a major jump in energy consumption. But the plug was pulled on that study before it was done.
And the lawmakers changed the rules because it would save energy and were much surprised when their campaign funds had been unexpectedly fattened.
Jesus Hussein Christ, those campaign finance rules must be changed.

[Condem]

4. I thought it was the farmers, rurallib. Need the extra daylight.

Or the children going to school in the morning. I.'m so confused.

[rurallib]

5. cery=tainly if you've been here all your life you would know farmers

don't want to mess with 'God's Time.'
When I was a kid, the counties that bordered Illinois changed clocks with them. For the longest time we stuck with standard time. Then when some of the larger cities did go they went on DST at different times. Davenport and the river counties went with Illinois (late April to labor day). We went from the first Sunday in June to I believe the second Sunday in August, later it went to Labor day. Rural counties around us never changed. You could run an errand in another town and get there before you left. We were much like Indiana.
When we went statewide I believe it was from the first Sunday in June to Labor day, except for the river counties which still went with Illinois.
Now we change so Atlanta can sell some barbeques.