Latest news with #EnergyPolicyActof2005
Yahoo
10-03-2025
- Climate
- Yahoo
How does daylight saving time work, and who created it? See history behind the time change
Many would agree that the Monday after daylight saving time begins is among the worst days of the year. Even though time "springs forward" one hour early Sunday morning, it can take a few days — or even a week — for our sleep routines to adjust. Who can we blame for this practice? Here's how and why daylight saving time was created. Daylight saving time (DST) claims a variety of other names: daylight savings time, daylight time, summer time (not to be confused with summertime). It refers to the practice of setting clocks forward by one hour during the warmer months of the year and then setting them back one hour in the fall. One way to remember the pattern: "spring forward, fall back." The idea dates back to World War I, although some credit Benjamin Franklin for daylight saving time due to a satirical letter he wrote in 1784 stating: "Every morning, as soon as the sun rises, let all the bells in every church be set ringing: and if that is not sufficient, let cannon be fired in every street to wake the sluggards effectually." To maximize resources for the war, Germany and Austria implemented the first daylight saving time in 1916. The U.S. did the same in 1918. An outdated idea, some argue. The general idea of daylight saving time is to maximize the use of natural daylight, according to the Almanac. This always occurs around the summer months. As the earth moves around the sun and is tilted on its axis, certain parts of the world experience longer days during certain months. For those in the northern hemisphere, like the U.S., these longer days run from March to November, with June to August seeing the longest days. For those in the southern hemisphere, such as Australia, the seasons are reversed: June through August mark winter months and are, therefore, the shortest of the year. Since 2007, daylight saving time has begun on the second Sunday in March and ended on the first Sunday of November, as directed by the Energy Policy Act of 2005. Before that, a 1986 law placed the time changes on the first Sunday of April and the last Sunday of October, according to the Astronomical Applications Department. Between 1976 and 1986, clocks moved forward on the last Sunday of April. In 1974 and 1975, daylight saving time began in January and February, respectively. The U.S. first officially recognized daylight saving time in 1918, when President Woodrow Wilson signed the Standard Time Act into law. Arizona and Hawaii are the only U.S. states that have never changed their clocks for daylight saving time. The Navajo Nation hasn't either. The U.S. territories of American Samoa, Guam, the Northern Mariana Islands, Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands also don't observe daylight saving time. Daylight saving time was enacted by the Uniform Time Act of 1966, which also allows states to remain in standard time year-round. However, many states are making efforts to remain in daylight saving time instead — which is currently barred by federal law and would require the approval of Congress. In recent years, states have considered more than 700 pieces of legislation regarding daylight saving time, according to the National Conference of State Legislatures. This includes 30 in 2024. A total of 20 states have passed laws or resolutions to move toward daylight saving time year-round, if Congress were ever to allow it, according to the NCSL. These include: Alabama Colorado Delaware Florida Georgia Idaho Kentucky Louisiana Maine Minnesota Mississippi Ohio Oklahoma Oregon South Carolina Tennessee Utah Washington Wyoming The practice of daylight saving time has made its way back to debates among Texas lawmakers. After failing in the 2023 legislative session, Sen. Judith Zaffirini, D-Laredo, has proposed a bill that would allow the state to remain in standard time all year as allowed by the Uniform Time Act of 1966. This differs from previous attempts, which have generally suggested states remain in daylight saving time — an act barred by federal law. "The twice-a-year clock change is disruptive and unnecessary," Zaffirini said in a statement to The Texas Tribune. "Studies have linked these shifts to increased traffic accidents, negative health effects, and decreased productivity." In 2022, U.S. Senator Marco Rubio, R-Florida, made such a proposal with the Sunshine Protection Act of 2023. Although the Senate passed it, the bill stalled in the House. "It's time to lock the clock and stop enduring the ridiculous and antiquated practice of switching our clocks back and forth," Rubio said toward the end of last year. The opposite happened in the 2023 Texas legislative session, in which Zaffirini and Rep. Will Metcalf, R-Conroe, proposed the state's permanent shift to daylight saving time. House Bill 1422 earned bipartisan support in the House but stalled in the Senate. Metcalf has filed a similar bill this year. "Texas doesn't need to wait for Washington," Metcalf said in a news release. "By passing HB 1393, we'll demonstrate leadership and send a strong message that Texans are ready to move forward." If Zaffirini's Senate Bill 64 is passed and Congress reverses previous rulings against the permanent adoption of daylight saving time, Texas voters could decide which time zone they would prefer to implement year-round. In recent years, Congress has faced the opportunity to stop changing clocks. In 2022, the U.S. Senate unanimously approved the Sunshine Protection Act, which would make daylight saving time permanent, however the U.S. House of Representatives did not pass it and President Joe Biden did not sign it. In December, then-President-elect Donald Trump said he aims to put an end to daylight saving time and make standard time year-round. "The Republican Party will use its best efforts to eliminate Daylight Saving Time, which has a small but strong constituency, but shouldn't!" Trump wrote on social media site Truth Social. "Daylight Saving Time is inconvenient, and very costly to our Nation." — USA TODAY contributed to this report. This article originally appeared on Austin American-Statesman: Who invented daylight saving time? History, meaning of time change
Axios
08-03-2025
- Health
- Axios
Daylight saving time starts Sunday with "spring forward"
The semi-annual changing of the clocks is this Sunday when most of the country will "spring forward" into daylight saving time after more than four months in standard time. Why it matters: Lawmakers' attempts to get rid of the twice-yearly time changes and switch to permanent daylight saving time haven't gained traction. Catch up quick: President Trump said Thursday it's "hard to get excited" about changing daylight saving time and called it a "50-50 issue." Sen. Rick Scott (R-Fla.) reintroduced the Sunshine Protection Act in January to "lock the clock" and "make Daylight Saving Time the year-round standard." Rep. Vern Buchanan (R-Fla.) introduced companion legislation in the House. When to change clocks for spring forward 2025 The big picture: The official time switch is 2am local time on Sunday, March 9 — clocks are set forward one hour meaning we "lose" an hour — as daylight saving time. Sunrise and sunset will be about one hour later on Sunday than on Saturday. Many devices such as smartphones will automatically change time, and for devices that don't change, it's best to reset them before going to bed Saturday night. Daylight saving time used to run from April to October, but the Energy Policy Act of 2005 extended it. It now runs from the second Sunday in March to the first Sunday in November. Lose an hour Sunday with time change, health effects Friction point: The time change isn't about just losing one hour of sleep for one night. The downstream effects of the time change can harm your health. Right after the clocks shift in March, there's a "spike in workplace accidents, road accidents and medical errors due to sleep deprivation and cognitive impairment," James Rowley of the American Academy of Sleep Medicine told Axios' Carly Mallenbaum last year. Health groups and sleep experts prefer sticking with standard time year-round over daylight saving time because they say it's more aligned with our body clocks. The time changes also affect sleep schedules and can make it hard for kids and their parents to adjust. By the numbers: 54% of Americans say they would prefer standard time year-round over daylight saving time, according to a new Gallup poll. 40% of U.S. adults say they are in favor of daylight saving time, while 6% are uncertain. In 1999, 73% favored daylight saving time, Gallup said. Why do we have daylight saving time in the U.S. Flashback: The U.S. first adopted daylight saving time in 1918 as a way to conserve energy. In the 1970s, the last time Congress made daylight saving time permanent, the decision was reversed in less than a year because the early morning darkness proved dangerous for school children, and public sentiment changed. States push to get rid of time changes At least 31 states have considered or are considering 67 bills or resolutions related to daylight saving time in 2025, according to the National Conference of State Legislatures ' tracker. The legislation is divided between state lawmakers advocating permanent standard time and those who would enact year-round standard time. Between the lines: Federal law says states can unilaterally move to standard time but must have the approval of Congress to adopt year-round daylight saving time. Which states don't observe daylight saving time Hawaii and most of Arizona do not observe daylight saving time, except the Navajo Nation in northeastern Arizona. U.S. territories, including Puerto Rico, Guam, American Samoa and the Virgin Islands, observe permanent standard time. Fall forward 2025: Next time change What's next: If federal legislation is not approved, clocks will "fall back" to standard time on Sunday, Nov. 2. More from Axios: Target CEO: Tariffs will cause food prices to rise in "next couple of days" Dunkin' spring menu launches, nondairy surcharge removed Tooth fairy payouts drop to lowest rate in years
Yahoo
07-03-2025
- Climate
- Yahoo
When will time change in 2025? Why we 'spring forward' for daylight saving time
It's once again time to spring forward this weekend as millions of Americans will change their clocks and get that extra hour of sunlight in the evenings. Annually, 48 of 50 states participate in daylight saving time though there's a chance the practice may be coming to an end soon. Remarks on social media from President Donald Trump indicate he wants to get rid of daylight saving time but has yet to make any attempts at doing so. Here's what to know about daylight saving time this year. In this simplest explanation, World War I is to blame for daylight saving time. It started in Europe as a way to conserve fuel for electrical power. It was initially enacted in Germany and Austria and then spread to 11 other countries. The United States did not adopt it until 1918 when the first daylight saving time was held on March 30, 1918. It was so wildly unpopular that it was repealed in 1919. Daylight saving time was again brought back during World War II. One of the biggest issues here was that it was not regulated by the federal government, and states and localities were all on different schedules. This schedule lasted from 1945 to 1966 The Uniform Time Act of 1966 set specific dates for when daylight saving was supposed to happen. It was to start on the last Sunday in April and end on the last Sunday in October. States could pass laws to not participate if they chose. Daylight saving as we know it today came about after the turn of the century. The Energy Policy Act of 2005 extended daylight saving time to begin on the second Sunday of March and end on the first Sunday of November. Each year on the second Sunday in March, people across the country "spring" or set their clocks forward one hour thus "losing" one hour of sleep and resulting in more daylight in the evening. On the first Sunday in November, clocks are set back one hour to 'fall back," thus gaining an hour of sleep. Sunrise and sunset will be about one hour earlier the following morning than the day before, resulting in more light in the morning. Since 2005, daylight saving time has started on the second Sunday in March and ends on the first Sunday in November. In 2025, daylight saving time, DST, begins on Sunday, Mar. 9 and will end on Sunday, Nov. 2. On Sunday, Mar. 9, the sun will rise at 7:18 a.m. and set at 7:03 p.m. Hawaii and Arizona are the only two states that don't participate in daylight saving time. Hawaii observes Hawaiian Standard Time (HST) all year and most of Arizona observes Mountain Standard Time (MST). The U.S. territories of American Samoa, Guam, the Northern Mariana Islands, Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands also don't observe daylight saving time. In 2022, the Senate approved bipartisan legislation on unanimous consent to make daylight standard time permanent ‒ and keep the later sunsets ‒ but it stalled in the House, reported USA TODAY. In December 2024, then President-elect Donald Trump expressed interest in eliminating daylight saving time, drawing support from Elon Musk and Vivek Ramaswamy. Trump called the practice "inconvenient" and "very costly to our nation" in a social media post. "The Republican Party will use its best efforts to eliminate Daylight Saving Time, which has a small but strong constituency, but shouldn't!" Trump wrote on Truth Social. This article originally appeared on Memphis Commercial Appeal: When does time change? Why we spring forward for Daylight saving time
Chicago Tribune
28-02-2025
- Politics
- Chicago Tribune
‘Spring forward' as daylight saving time 2025 is set to begin
People tired of dark afternoon commutes will only need wait a little while longer until they see the light. Daylight saving time starts Sunday, March 9. The 'spring forward' changeover officially takes place at 2 a.m. when we move our clocks ahead one hour, though modern technology has made that much easier. The change means sunrise and sunset will be one hour later on March 9 than the previous day, moving more light in the evening and less in the morning. The time change is followed by the vernal, or spring, equinox in the Northern Hemisphere on March 20, making the official start of spring. We will remain on DST until Nov. 2 when we 'fall back' to standard time and set the clocks back one hour. DST, a wartime idea first observed in 1918 to conserve energy, is recognized in every U.S. state except for Hawaii and most of Arizona. It starts each year on the second Sunday in March and ends on the first Sunday in November, a schedule first instituted in 2007 after the passage of the Energy Policy Act of 2005. The idea of abolishing the twice-yearly time change ritual has grown increasingly popular in recent years and is on the radar of the Trump administration. The president has called the twice yearly time change 'inconvenient' and 'costly' and said Republicans were using their 'best efforts' to eliminate DST. Sen. Rick Scott, R-Florida, recently reintroduced the bipartisan Sunshine Protection Act that would do away with the time change by make DST permanent year round. Earlier efforts to establish permanent DST passed the Senate but did not receive House approval, effectively killing the bill. According to the Uniform Time Act of 1966, states are allowed to stay on standard time year-round – something done in Hawaii and Arizona – but are not able to permanently establish DST, meaning Congress would have to change the law. Nineteen states, including Alabama, have already passed legislation to do away with the time change, pending Congressional approval.
