Date: Mon Apr 17 17:38:23 2000
Posted By: Neil Sandham, Secondary School Teacher, Science Teacher and Career and Technology Studies Coordinator, Chestermere Middle School
Area of science: Astronomy
ID: 955980959.As
Message:
Actually, your question is easy to answer. First of all, DST has nothing
to do with the solstices at all. Although the two "time zones" were
originally set up around the solstices, an Act of Congress changed this in
the early 20th century. The most important change happened in 1966 (by
then Pres. Lyndon Johnson) when DST as we know it was basically started.
It was originally set up to save money by saving fuel.
Statistics show that it may also save lives by
reducing accidents (according to the US Dep't of Transportation). Since
1966 there have been amendments to the laws to allow individual states to
exempt themselves from DST simply by passing a state law. Two unusual
examples of this are Indiana, where only half of the state follows DST,
and Arizona where the Navajo reservation follows DST, but the rest of the
state does not. Here's the basics of the most recent (1986) law regarding
DST in the USA. Under legislation enacted in 1986, Daylight Saving Time in
the USA:
- begins at 2 a.m. on the first Sunday of April and
- ends at 2 a.m. on the last Sunday of October
In most of the countries of western Europe, including the countries that
are members of the EEC, Daylight Saving Time:
- begins at 1 a.m. GMT on the last Sunday of March and
- ends at 1 a.m. GMT on the last Sunday of October
Observance of Daylight Saving Time elsewhere in the world is highly
variable. Most of North America observes DST at the same times. More
information can be found in the MadSci archives regarding the different
hours of daylight at different lattitudes, and at the following address;
http://www.webexhibits.com/daylightsaving
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