Daylight savings was invented in 1908 for good reasons. Now over 100 years later it no longer serves the same purposes and needs to be looked at in a modern light. The truth is that daylight savings does more harm than good today and needs to be abolished. Read on to find out why.
Daylight savings was created in 1908 but first came into use during world war 1 in 1916. The idea was simple, people were using fuel to light their homes in the evenings and this fuel was needed for the war effort. Many countries adopted the practice as a way to ration fuel for their military efforts. After the war standard time was reintroduced and the practice was brought in yet again for world war 2.
When the great wars finished, daylight savings still had a purpose to serve. People were not as reliant on electricity as we are today and fuel was still in short supply. Rationalizing the need for fuel was a way to save money for all and use the available fuel supplies more effectively.
Today we use electricity throughout the day. We are charging our phones, watching Netflix and running air con around the clock. One hour of lighting makes very little difference to the cost of our energy bills and the impact it has on the environment. While the environment is a growing concern, sustainable energy is the solution, not reducing energy consumption.
The main reason to cut daylight savings aside from the inconvenience it causes is the damage it does to national health. A study has shown that on the Monday after daylight savings happens, heart attacks reported in hospitals increase by 24%. Similarly, when it is removed 6 months later, heart attacks are reduced that weekend by 21%. Clearly it is having an impact.
The lesson here is very simple. Daylight savings is now outdated and should be removed. It is having a seriously negative impact on the lives of people through the inconvenience it causes and the damage the sleep deprivation it brings about has on our health. It does highlight the importance of proper sleep. Even if daylight savings is not changed we should all learn how we need to have our 7 hours of sleep every night.
