For many people, in 2024, the only time change that makes sense is the one that occurs when travelling across time zones, making the question of “Is it necessary to switch to Daylight Savings Time (DST)?” a seemingly moot one. With global contact available twenty-four seven and businesses being available the same, it seems an unnecessary burden to challenge our body systems twice a year, throwing off our internal clocks when we haven’t travelled beyond our homes.
Daylight Savings Time was first introduced during World War I, an historical period to all of us enduring it’s impact still, 100 years later. It was a solution to conserve energy and began in Germany, however, Canada followed suite in 1918 and stopped when the war ended. DST was reintroduced at the start of World War II and for much of Canada it remains in place still today. For less than 40% of the world, along with certain cities in each of British Columbia, Saskatchewan, Ontario, and Quebec, DST is a movement of the past. In 2020, Yukon Territory chose to execute legislation to adhere only to Standard Time and is the only province/territory in Canada where the entire territory abides by such law. As a matter of fact, the decision to follow or dismiss DST, is one to be made by individual municipalities, not the provinces (Time Change 2024 in Canada, 2024).
While some may gripe over the bi-annual change, there are several benefits that include:
Energy Conservation – using the daylight time during hours that homeowners are awake, reducing the energy consumption and costs.
Evening Recreation- having daylight after work/school hours leads to increased physical activity and supports positive mental health.
Fewer Robberies – Maple (2022) suggests that with DST there is a 7% decrease in robberies during DST hours.
Decreased Motor Vehicle Incidents – over the span of DST, fewer MVCs are reported as driving in daylight hours is easier than after dark (Maple, 2022)
On the other hand, DST can be the root of some challenges, as well:
Greater instances of cardiovascular disease on the Monday following the change as the body adjusts to a new rhythm, causing strain on its routines.
An increase in motor vehicle collisions in the few days immediately following the change, often due to sleep deprivation.
A variety of sleep and nutrition disturbances that may impact other underlying medical concerns (Maple, 2022).
While the debate is ongoing, in recent years community members have initiated petitions to the Federal Government to institute a national bill to discontinue DST, but the validity of these petitions is, for some, questionable and, therefore, may never drive action.
Surprisingly, there is a person deemed to be an expert on the contentious subject.
Though I was unable to evaluate by who’s decision it was to have this person labelled a guru of DST, Dr. David Prerau has written a variety of books specifically about DST and offers additional claims to its benefits. His recent book, Seize the Daylight, addresses the history, the medical benefits, and offers claims and connections anecdotal in nature for those who wish to dive deeper into DST and the perhaps century old debate.
References
Maple. (2022) How does daylight saving time affect your health? https://mail.google.com/mail/u/2/#trash/FMfcgzGxSHgkpvVHMtLxQrrwTDJhpTTr
Daylight Saving Time 2024 in Canada. (2024) https://www.timeanddate.com/time/change/canada
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