What are three advantages of making daylight savings time permanent in 2024?
Most of the US transitioned to daylight saving time over the weekend, amid renewed calls from legislators to make the move permanent and ‘lock the clock’.
The proponent of the Sunshine Protection Act which would make Daylight Saving Time permanent has renewed his call to pass the legislation and finally “lock the clock”.
Most of the country “sprang their clock forward” over the weekend, and Sen. Marco Rubio said his proposed measure “would end this stupid practice of changing our clocks back and forth.”
What are three advantages of making daylight savings time permanent in 2024?
We’ve put together a list of some of the positive aspects of such a change if it finally happens and how, hopefully, your life could be better and brighter.
READ ALSO: Rubio calls on lawmakers to make daylight saving time permanent
More daytime means less energy usage
Particularly poignant with the state of the planet right now. An extra hour of daylight over winter will keep houses warmer for longer while people are awake. A decade ago, the American Council projected a decrease of carbon emissions by 10.8 million metric tons. With emissions increasing since then, this saving will have grown
Furthermore, when sunrise occurs, the majority of people are still asleep while the opposite is true at sunset. Demand for energy throughout the day is thus lower. With people and companies needing to make cutbacks to energy usage for the rest of the century and beyond, a simple measure like this could reap big rewards.
READ ALSO: How and where to get Daylight Saving Time deals
Crime is harder in daylight
Coupled with the prior reason, people feel safer to be outdoors when it is light. While being a normal human reaction, it is also true that more crime happens at night. According to the Office of Justice Programs, violent crime committed by over 18s rises throughout the day before peaking at 10 pm.
Offenses such as murder, rape and robbery are much more frequently reported as happening at night time, at least in data procured in 2019. In that, the largest disparities were driving under the influence, murder and rape. While the latter is as likely to occur, it is hoped that more daylight in some of the darkest days of the year would encourage offenders away from crime.
It’s straight up more fun to have more daytime
Who is going to complain about more time in (hopefully) the sun? People can be outside for longer, always a positive, while bars and businesses can reap the rewards of people enjoying longer evenings. Especially in the trough of winter, with some cities having very few hours of sun each day, improvements in mental health from this small change and that extra hour will only be a benefit.