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Events Calendar » Daylight Saving Time
Daylight Saving Time
Nov 2, 2008
Okay ya'll, move your clock hands back an hour at 2AM - it's what you've been waiting for...sleeping in an hour. But I don't think that's the reason we do it...
Gotta Love the Wikipedia Links:
Health
DST has mixed effects on health. In societies with fixed work schedules it provides more afternoon sunlight for outdoor exercise, which can contribute greatly to health. It alters sunlight exposure; whether this is beneficial depends on one's location and daily schedule, as sunlight triggers vitamin D synthesis in the skin, but overexposure can lead to skin cancer. Sunlight strongly influences seasonal affective disorder; DST may help in depression by causing individuals to arise earlier, but some argue the reverse. The Retinitis Pigmentosa Foundation Fighting Blindness, chaired by blind sports magnate Gordon Gund, successfully lobbied in 1985 and 2005 for U.S. DST extensions, but DST can hurt night blindness sufferers.
Clock shifts reduce sleep duration and efficiency, particularly for late-risers after clocks spring forward; effects can last for weeks. The government of Kazakhstan cited health complications due to clock shifts as a primary reason for abolishing DST in 2005.
...Adding daylight to afternoons generally benefits retailing, sports, and other activities that exploit sunlight after working hours but it can cause problems for agriculture and other occupations whose hours depend on the sun.Extra afternoon daylight appears to cut traffic fatalities;its effect on health and crime is less clear. DST is said to save electricity by reducing the need for artificial evening lighting,but the evidence for this is weak,and DST can boost peak demand, increasing overall electricity costs.
"Daylight saving time." Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia. 29 Oct 2007, 19:10 UTC. Wikimedia Foundation, Inc. 29 Oct 2007 .
