# As long as we're at it, why not make daylight savings... **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [November 3, 2003, 4:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/as-long-as-were-at-it-why-not-make-daylight-savings/211170 "2003-11-03T16:22:09Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![xvxdarkknightxvx](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/x/34f0e0/32.png) [@xvxdarkknightxvx](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/xvxdarkknightxvx)\ **Post date:** [November 3, 2003, 4:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/as-long-as-were-at-it-why-not-make-daylight-savings/211170/1 "2003-11-03T16:22:09Z")
As long as we’re at it, why not make daylight savings a more drastic change than just one hour? It doesn’t really make sense to force everyone to remember to change their clocks for a one hour time change. If the sun goes down at 8 pm in the summer (on average), it should go down at 8 pm in the winder (on average). Why didn’t they make daylight savings shift time three hours during the winter? ---
**Author:** ![Titan2](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/ecd19e/32.png) [@Titan2](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Titan2)\ **Post date:** [November 3, 2003, 4:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/as-long-as-were-at-it-why-not-make-daylight-savings/211170/2 "2003-11-03T16:41:27Z")
If the sun goes down at 8 in the winter,it wouldn’t rise until about 9AM or so.Would be sure to put a crimp in the 9 to 5ers lifestyle.Might work for the farmers tho, hearing the morning crow at a more civilized time in the morning 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Gary\_T](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/3ec8ea/32.png) [@Gary\_T](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gary_T)\ **Post date:** [November 3, 2003, 4:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/as-long-as-were-at-it-why-not-make-daylight-savings/211170/3 "2003-11-03T16:42:40Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by xvxdarkknightxvx \* > **As long as we’re at it, why not make daylight savings a more drastic change than just one hour?** Because there’s no reason to? Because no one has actually proposed it? Because it would cause much worse problems than it might solve? \*\* > [@](#): > > It doesn’t really make sense to force everyone to remember to change their clocks for a one hour time change.\*\* Pray tell, why not? \*\* > [@](#): > > If the sun goes down at 8 pm in the summer (on average), it should go down at 8 pm in the winder (on average).\*\* Pray tell, why? \*\* > [@](#): > > Why didn’t they make daylight savings shift time three hours during the winter? \*\* See above. It appears you have no understanding of daylight saving time, what it’s for, and why it is used. I assure you it’s not so that the sun can set at the same clock time every day. You may find this helpful: [http://webexhibits.org/daylightsaving/](http://webexhibits.org/daylightsaving/) ---
**Author:** ![Achernar](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/e274bd/32.png) [@Achernar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Achernar)\ **Post date:** [November 3, 2003, 5:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/as-long-as-were-at-it-why-not-make-daylight-savings/211170/4 "2003-11-03T17:39:58Z")
Also realize that your idea is unfeasible if you’re working with a wide range of latitudes: sunrise and sunset times depend greatly on how far you are from the equator. For instance, in the middle of winter, Seattle only gets about 8.5 hours of daylight per day, while El Paso gets about 10 hours. (Then in the summer, it’s switched - Seattle gets more daylight per day than El Paso.) So if you synch up Daylight Saving Time so that the sun sets in northern cities around the same time in Winter as in Summer, it can be up to a few hours off in southern cities. ---
**Author:** ![Kent\_Clark](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kent_clark/32/105_2.png) [@Kent\_Clark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kent_Clark)\ **Post date:** [November 3, 2003, 5:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/as-long-as-were-at-it-why-not-make-daylight-savings/211170/5 "2003-11-03T17:47:55Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Titan2 \* > \*\*…Might work for the farmers tho, hearing the morning crow at a more civilized time in the morning 🙂 \*\* Farmers already hate daylight savings time as it as. The cows need to be milked when the cows need to be milked. They don’t care what time the sun comes up. ---
**Author:** ![BrotherCadfael](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/977dab/32.png) [@BrotherCadfael](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BrotherCadfael)\ **Post date:** [November 3, 2003, 5:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/as-long-as-were-at-it-why-not-make-daylight-savings/211170/6 "2003-11-03T17:48:43Z")
During WWII the US did go to so-called War Time, which was an extra hour on top of DST, for a total shift of two hours. Presumably this was done to save electricity and fuel for the war effort, although, like aluminium drives and so forth, the benefit may have been more in elevating civilian morale than making more resources available for the war effort. ---
**Author:** ![amarone](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/e0b2c6/32.png) [@amarone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/amarone)\ **Post date:** [November 3, 2003, 5:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/as-long-as-were-at-it-why-not-make-daylight-savings/211170/7 "2003-11-03T17:56:22Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by BrotherCadfael \* > \*\*During WWII the US did go to so-called War Time, which was an extra hour on top of DST, for a total shift of two hours. Presumably this was done to save electricity and fuel for the war effort, although, like aluminium drives and so forth, the benefit may have been more in elevating civilian morale than making more resources available for the war effort. \*\* If double DST elevates civilian morale, then why not do it all the time? Did someone decide, “OK, war’s over, time to make the populace miserable again”? ---
**Author:** ![panache45](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/panache45/32/64_2.png) [@panache45](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/panache45)\ **Post date:** [November 3, 2003, 6:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/as-long-as-were-at-it-why-not-make-daylight-savings/211170/8 "2003-11-03T18:01:51Z")
One of the main arguments for returning to Standard Time is that it adds an extra hour of daylight in the morning, so kids won’t have to go to school in the dark. ---
**Author:** ![BrotherCadfael](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/977dab/32.png) [@BrotherCadfael](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BrotherCadfael)\ **Post date:** [November 3, 2003, 6:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/as-long-as-were-at-it-why-not-make-daylight-savings/211170/9 "2003-11-03T18:09:00Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by amarone \* > \*\*If double DST elevates civilian morale, then why not do it all the time? Did someone decide, “OK, war’s over, time to make the populace miserable again”? \*\* Double DST was presumably quite inconvenient, so when the war was over, it was dropped imediately. During the war there were a number of conservation efforts on the home front. The best known are gas and tire rationing, which did indeed free up significant resources for the war effort. However, a number of reports (no cite, unfortunately) have claimed that scrap metal drives, saving bacon fat, etc., had no significan impact other than the boost in morale from the sense of shared sacrifice, that “We’re doing our part”. ---
**Author:** ![roadrunner70](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/e19b73/32.png) [@roadrunner70](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/roadrunner70)\ **Post date:** [November 3, 2003, 6:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/as-long-as-were-at-it-why-not-make-daylight-savings/211170/10 "2003-11-03T18:29:33Z")
My wife _hates_ DST… She sez the extra hour of sunlight fades her drapes. ---
**Author:** ![BobT](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/8e8cbc/32.png) [@BobT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BobT)\ **Post date:** [November 3, 2003, 6:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/as-long-as-were-at-it-why-not-make-daylight-savings/211170/11 "2003-11-03T18:44:17Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by kunilou \* > \*\*Farmers already hate daylight savings time as it as. The cows need to be milked when the cows need to be milked. They don’t care what time the sun comes up. \*\* That’s true, but the number of cows in the US that actually need a human being to be milked during any part of the process are pretty rare now. But that’s more of a factor that most dairy farms are big operations now. A guy with a 50 or so cows is pretty unusual. Farmers hated daylight savings time back during WWI. I think they dislike it now just to be contrary. ---
**Author:** ![bughunter](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/aeb1de/32.png) [@bughunter](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bughunter)\ **Post date:** [November 3, 2003, 7:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/as-long-as-were-at-it-why-not-make-daylight-savings/211170/12 "2003-11-03T19:40:35Z")
I set all my clocks to UTC (Universal Coordinated Time) and I never have to reset them again. If I want to know local time, I just subtract the appropriate number of hours for the time zone and time of year. /geek ---
**Author:** ![mbacko1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/71e660/32.png) [@mbacko1](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mbacko1)\ **Post date:** [November 3, 2003, 8:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/as-long-as-were-at-it-why-not-make-daylight-savings/211170/13 "2003-11-03T20:12:13Z")
I actually prefer Daylight savings time and wish it was around all year. I have to drive to work in the dark in the winter and I get home in the dark. I would rather have it where I always get home and have a bit of sunlight to make it easier to do things outside. Mike ---
**Author:** ![GaryM](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/garym/32/241_2.png) [@GaryM](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GaryM)\ **Post date:** [November 3, 2003, 8:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/as-long-as-were-at-it-why-not-make-daylight-savings/211170/14 "2003-11-03T20:17:26Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by bughunter \* > \*\*I set all my clocks to UTC (Universal Coordinated Time) and I never have to reset them again. If I want to know local time, I just subtract the appropriate number of hours for the time zone and time of year. > > /geek \*\* I have two clocks set the same way. But I’m a Ham and our contests and contact (QSL) records are kept in UTC. ---
**Author:** ![Mangetout](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mangetout/32/19_2.png) [@Mangetout](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mangetout)\ **Post date:** [November 3, 2003, 8:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/as-long-as-were-at-it-why-not-make-daylight-savings/211170/15 "2003-11-03T20:34:33Z")
I suggest we merely start using StarDates, like that nice captain Picard. ---
**Author:** ![xvxdarkknightxvx](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/x/34f0e0/32.png) [@xvxdarkknightxvx](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/xvxdarkknightxvx)\ **Post date:** [November 3, 2003, 11:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/as-long-as-were-at-it-why-not-make-daylight-savings/211170/16 "2003-11-03T23:59:12Z")
I’m sorry if I ever offended you, **Gary T**. ---
**Author:** ![xvxdarkknightxvx](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/x/34f0e0/32.png) [@xvxdarkknightxvx](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/xvxdarkknightxvx)\ **Post date:** [November 4, 2003, 12:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/as-long-as-were-at-it-why-not-make-daylight-savings/211170/17 "2003-11-04T00:02:02Z")
I do thank you for the helpful link, though. ---
**Author:** ![moriah](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/b2d939/32.png) [@moriah](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/moriah)\ **Post date:** [November 4, 2003, 3:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/as-long-as-were-at-it-why-not-make-daylight-savings/211170/18 "2003-11-04T03:06:13Z")
Read this thread: [Time questions: Daylight savings and timezones?](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?s=&threadid=219295) to understand why the OP’s ‘idea’ is not feasible. Peace. ---
**Author:** ![Tim\_T-Bonham.net](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/46a35a/32.png) [@Tim\_T-Bonham.net](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tim_T-Bonham.net)\ **Post date:** [November 4, 2003, 3:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/as-long-as-were-at-it-why-not-make-daylight-savings/211170/19 "2003-11-04T03:16:39Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by kunilou \* > \*\*Farmers already hate daylight savings time as it as. The cows need to be milked when the cows need to be milked. They don’t care what time the sun comes up. \*\* Actually, cows _do care_ what time the sun comes up. What they don’t care about is what time it says on your clock. Cows usually don’t bother to read clocks. 🙂 Cows biology is affected by the number of hours of daylight in a day, not time periods set by clocks. In the natural state, a cow will have her calf in the spring, as the days grow longer, will produce milk to feed that calf all summer, and start drying up in the fall as the calf is weaned. Of course, we’ve bred modern dairy cows to pretty much ignore those natural triggers, and to over-produce milk year round. But you still see some dairy farms that leave bright lights on in the barn, to try to fool the cows’ body into thinking it’s still summer, and thus continue producing milk. ---
**Author:** ![Colophon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/f05b48/32.png) [@Colophon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Colophon)\ **Post date:** [November 4, 2003, 11:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/as-long-as-were-at-it-why-not-make-daylight-savings/211170/20 "2003-11-04T11:39:01Z")
For gawd’s sake, it’s Daylight **Saving** Time, so called because it is implemented to save daylight. Savings are what you keep in that old Camp Coffee tin. Say after me: Daylight Saving Time. Daylight Saving Time. Sorry to be picky, but this one always gets my goat. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/as-long-as-were-at-it-why-not-make-daylight-savings/211170.md?page=2)