Some in Missouri would like daylight saving time to end permanently
By Charles Christian
Daylight saving time officially ends this weekend, as we “spring forward” and lose an hour of sleep, and while that means more sunlight throughout the day, not everyone is a fan of the time change.
The growing unpopularity of daylight saving time has brought about annual attempts to pass laws in Missouri and even in Washington D.C., to do away with it altogether. This year, local state Rep. Dean VanSchoiack from District 9, is proposing legislation that will do just that.
“According to federal law, states can’t make daylight savings time permanent,” VanSchoiack said. “We can, however, go back to standard time as permanent time, and that’s what my bill would do.”
VanSchoiack, who is a farmer himself and whose district is comprised of many farmers, said the idea that daylight saving time is supposed to give farmers more work time is just an urban legend. In reality, he said, the time change really doesn’t help farmers.
“We don’t go by the clock,” Van Schoiack said. “We go by the sun. Plants and animals don’t care what your clock says. They go by the sun, and we do, too.”
Losing an hour of sleep every March, along with changing analog, vehicle and microwave oven clocks can be an inconvenience. But the time adjustments twice a year can also pose a threat to good health.
Recent research reported in the Scientific American Journal links the time changes with a variety of health issues. These include heart emergencies, severe sleep deprivation (especially in teens and children) and negative effects on metabolism. This has led to a consensus in the medical community that standard time is better for overall health, and even the one-hour changes every six months can pose a cumulative health risk.
If the Missouri legislation passes, the state could join Hawaii and Arizona, along with several U.S. territories, by not participating. However, until then, clocks will “spring forward” one hour on Sunday night, March 10, at 2 a.m. This will give a bit more sunshine during the day as the days get longer moving into spring and summer.
