Why did US change daylight savings time date?

[dougr52]

does anyone know why we ( in the us ) a few years ago changed the date that we start dst by 2 or 3 weeks earlier & changed the date that we end dst by 2 or 3 weeks ??? so now we do not change on the same dates as cozumel, who made this decision & why ????

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A ScubaBoard Staff Message...

This post was split off from a discussion in the Cozumel forum regarding the possibility it may change time zones.

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[cvchief]

That would be the Energy Policy Act of 2005, a federal law. The idea is that it is supposed to save energy.

 

[DiverG]

That would be the Energy Policy Act of 2005, a federal law. The idea is that it is supposed to save energy.

I wonder if that actually happened. My bet is not.

 

[wmperry]

I wonder if that actually happened. My bet is not.

Nope. I lived in indiana when they switched to honoring DST. Studies were done and energy usage actually INCREASED.

http://www.usatoday.com/news/nation/2008-03-08-daylight-saving-time_N.htm

Given the climate here I could see it increasing business costs to run the AC more, but it depends on sunrise/sunset times and general climate. Indiana summers are pretty brutal, but AC usage is not as common here in Cozumel for people that actually live and have acclimated.

 

[SC_Hoaty]

Didn't the US also change DST in the energy crisis of the 1970s? I seem to recall going to school in the dark.

 

[drl]

Yes, they did. I also remember walking to school in the dark in the middle of winter in the upper Midwest. I don't know whether it saved any energy.

 

[Dr Dog]

try growing up where I did, Northern Labrador. We walked to school in the dark most of the year, sun came up around 10 a, and was gone by 230 p

summer was cool though, sun up at like 5 am till midnight or so. Never really was pitch black, you could always see

 

[elan]

We had our winter day from about 9am till 3:30pm and summer days from about 5:30 till 10-11pm