The Controversy Over Daylight Saving Time: An Ongoing Debate

Daylight saving time, affecting nearly 400 million people in North America, is under scrutiny as debates about its necessity intensify. Despite being a century-old practice, recent legislative efforts and public sentiment are prompting a reevaluation of its relevance. The U.S. Senate has passed a bill to make it permanent, but it awaits further action.

Daylight saving time, a practice affecting almost 400 million people across North America, is once again in the spotlight as debates over its necessity continue. This twice-a-year ritual of adjusting clocks forward in spring and back in autumn has been ingrained in American, Canadian and Cuban life for more than a century. However, recent legislative proposals and shifting public sentiment are prompting a reevaluation of its relevance in today's society.

Daylight saving time in the U.S. and some other countries ends on Nov. 3, 2024, at 2 a.m. local time, meaning people will gain an extra hour of sleep. Mornings will be brighter but it will get dark earlier in the evening. The saying "spring forward, fall back" serves as a helpful reminder for adjusting clocks.

In the UK and other European countries, daylight saving time, also known as summer time, ends on Oct. 27, 2024. In the United States, daylight saving time always starts on the second Sunday in March and ends on the first Sunday in November. This contrasts with the UK and European Union, where summer time begins on the last Sunday in March and ends on the last Sunday in October.

The shortest day of 2024 will be on Dec. 21, marking the winter solstice. Daylight hours vary significantly across latitudes in the Northern Hemisphere, with areas near the North Pole experiencing complete darkness while southern regions still get over 10 hours of sunshine.

In 2025, daylight saving time will start on March 9 and end on Nov. 2. The modern idea of changing clocks with the seasons dates back to the late 19th century when New Zealand entomologist George Hudson proposed it to conserve energy and extend daylight for his hobby of insect collecting. The idea gained traction during World War One when European states sought to conserve fuel, with Germany being the first to adopt the practice in 1916. The United States followed suit in 1918.

The practice has varied over time but was standardized in the U.S. in 1966 under the Uniform Time Act, allowing states to opt-out but not stay on daylight saving time permanently. A common myth suggests daylight saving time was adopted to benefit farmers, but many oppose it due to its disruptive nature. Studies have found minimal energy savings and adverse health effects like increased traffic accidents and heart issues.

Not all U.S. states observe daylight saving time. Hawaii and Arizona, except for the Navajo Nation, do not observe it, and neither do U.S. territories like American Samoa and Guam. While widespread across the U.S., 19 states have passed legislation to permanently adopt daylight saving time if permitted by Congress. The Sunshine Protection Act, aiming to make it permanent, passed the Senate in 2022 but stalled in the House. Reintroduced last year, the bill awaits review by the Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation.

(With inputs from agencies.)