To the Editor:
Just when you thought the daylight time issue was over and you have many reasons for not wanting to be in synch with the rest of the province and country, here are some interesting facts and benefits to be considered.
I am very surprised that environmentally- and conservation-minded people of the area have not picked up on these facts let alone those caring for a healthier life style. The real reason and benefits for daylight savings time seem to have been long forgotten by Creston and area so here is a short history lesson.
Daylight time was introduced by Germany during the First World War in 1916 to conserve energy for the war movement; it was so successful that Britain followed less than a month later. When the U.S.A. entered the war in 1918 it almost immediately brought in daylight time to conserve energy. It was repealed in the U.S.A. after the end of the First World War only to be reintroduced again a month after Pearl Harbor in the Second World War, this time to stay.
Over the course of time. this energy saving action has proved to be so successful that daylight time has been extended, not once, not twice, but three times, to now cover eight months of the year.
Although I have not found any studies on the health benefits, they could only be positive as more time in the evenings would be spent on outdoor activities like playing ball, golf, any outdoor sport, fishing, cycling, gardening or sitting around a campfire,and the list goes on and on. Even if you’re not an outdoor person there would be one hour more of daylight during your waking hours that you are not using lights.
In eight months, this adds up to 240 hours of being active rather than sitting in front of a TV, computer or even reading a book, all of which use electricity and have a negative rather than positive impact on our bodies. The winter days are short enough — why make the summer days short as well?
Perhaps instead of daylight time it should be renamed energy saving time.
Think about it, folks. It’s your money and your body. I would even go so far as to say it could have an impact on health care costs! Let’s get out and enjoy those beautiful summer evenings for an extra hour.
Dave Patstone
West Creston