Shaking Up an Old Tradition

The majority of the citizens of the United States learned about Daylight Savings Time in Elementary school, and it has been ingrained in our minds ever since.Daylight Savings Time is important because it saves energy via oil and electricity consumption, and may even save lives. The time change allows more people to drive home from work in the light which makes it easier to avoid accidents.Daylight Savings Time starts on the first Sunday of April, at 2:00 a.m. This is when the United States “springs forward,” or some bitterly say, we lose an hour. Getting one less hour of sleep on a Sunday makes for a worse Monday than usual.Daylight Savings Time ends on the last Sunday of October at 2:00 a.m. This is when we “fall back,” or as the same people cheer, gain an hour! Getting one more hour of sleep before the work/school week starts is much appreciated.This is the schedule the United States is used to and there are always a few unfortunate souls that show up an hour early for work in October, or an hour late in April.On August 8, 2005, President Bush passed the Energy Policy Act of 2005. In 2007, Daylight Savings Time is going to be extended by a month. It will now begin on the second Sunday of March at 2:00 a.m., and conclude on the first Sunday of November at 2:00a.m. It was first proposed that Daylight Savings Time be extended by two months. Farmers protested to this, as it could have a negative affect on livestock and airlines protested this as well, as it would mess up their fight schedules.For college students, it is a grim prospect. The extra hour of sleep lost everyday for an entire month may well lead them to their extinction.