Did We Do It? Did We Save Time?

I had another post planned for today, but because of Daylight Saving Time - yes, I'm blaming it on Daylight Saving Time - I just can't quite get it together. 

I know we technically "sprung forward" last Saturday night/Sunday morning, but because of where our spring break falls, we don't usually have to fully adjust until a week later, on the Monday morning when the kids go back to school. 

We had a unique time change experience this year. On Saturday the 9th, we fell back an hour when we flew from Texas to Arizona. And then, instead of springing forward an hour that night, we - along with the rest of Arizona - stuck with standard time...because Arizona is one of only two smart states in the United States and doesn't change times twice a year. (Insert choirs of angels singing "Hallelujah!" here.)

We adapted quickly to Arizona time (falling back is always easier), so when we flew home to Texas we had to spring forward two hours instead of one. Let's just say we didn't handle it well, especially yesterday and this morning.

5yo Hallie, struggling with Daylight Saving Time on vacation.

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I know I'm in the minority here, but I can't stand Daylight Saving Time and I also can't seem to let this calendar event pass without expressing and explaining my discontent. Maybe one of these days I'll accept what is and move on...maybe not.

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So first, why doesn't Arizona observe Daylight Saving Time? Because Arizona is so hot, shifting daylight later in the day would increase the need for air conditioning, which would translate to an increase in fuel consumption.

"By not adding one more hour of daylight in the evening, Arizona lawmakers helped keep energy consumption down and reduced the strain on the region’s energy grid. This helps residents keep energy costs down. A 2008 report from the U.S. Department of Energy estimated that sticking with the same time year-round saves 0.5% of the energy consumed per day. Nationwide, that equates to enough energy to power 100,000 homes." 

This is actually kind of funny, because while Daylight Saving Time was originally created to decrease fuel consumption (when the majority of our fuel consumption was in the form of lighting), it likely does the opposite now (as the majority of fuel consumption is in the form of air conditioning). Seems like something for Texas to consider, given our sweltering summer weather and ongoing energy grid "challenges"...

Second, Daylight Saving Time - both the initial shift and the long-term  - has been shown to have a negative impact on health markers. There is an increased risk of heart attacks, strokes, mood disturbances, and car accidents in the days immediately following the shift, and the extra light late into the evenings alters our natural circadian rhythms, which decreases the amount we sleep and translates to a host of negative health consequences. 

I should add that there are certainly some positives associated with Daylight Saving Time; for example, I was surprised to recently learn that during Daylight Saving Time there is a slight decrease in certain crimes, likely due to fewer hours of evening/late night darkness. I don't think these positives outweigh the overwhelming negatives though, and I'm ready to be done with this nonsense. 

I'm also ready to be done complaining about all this...until next March! 😉

Thanks for hanging in there with me until the end of blog post rant. 😂  In case you're interested, here are a few of my sources: source 1, source 2, source 3.