Daylight Saving Time, Cont'd
Assuming the president signs the dreadful energy bill, extended Daylight Saving Time is a fait accompli, but reader Michael McDowell made a worthwhile point in an email:
I find it interesting in the debate over extending daylight savings time, how most people feel that their preference is the self-evident correct course of action. I'm over here in neighboring Fort Worth and when I heard of the proposal my reaction was the opposite of yours. My thought was "who would be against that?" Another month of extended daylight after work allows a few more weeks of squeezing in a little golf or a bike ride after 5:00. Personally, I wouldn't mind if it didn't get light until noon and dark at midnight, but I have a co-worker who absolutely hates the morning commute when it's still dark and has a hard time getting her kids awake and off to school when it is still dark.
I'm sure he's right about preferences. If I had to bet, I'd guess that the public is divided 50/50. The policy question is whether the switch will, as advertised, save any energy. Since air conditioning is such a big drain and since the "evidence" is so skimpy, I doubt it.