Twice-a-year time change not that big a deal

Editor: Now that we are over a month past the June summer solstice, you have no doubt noticed sunrise is coming later and sunset is earlier.

At present, we a losing nearly three minutes of daylight each day. The rate of daylight lost each day will slowly accelerate until the fall equinox in September.

The rate of daylight loss will then continue but gradually slow until the winter solstice in December when the slow lengthening will begin again.

Every year when we are about to switch over from standard time to daylight time or vice versa, there are calls to abolish the time change. Right now is a good time to think about what effect that would have.

If there were no Daylight Savings Time our summer evenings would be one hour darker. For example, the light we experience at 9 tonight would be what we would have at 8 p.m. if we were still on standard time; and remember that daylight is being lost each day. When darkness is earlier, we lose outside family time at the beach, vendors and businesses may lose customers who are out walking, biking, swimming, boating or touring. I believe less tourism money would come to those who depend on that source of revenue.

If we did not have daylight savings time, sunrise would also occur one hour earlier on our clock. In June, when our earliest dawn is at 4:51 am, and you are called awake by birdsong, the time would be 3:51 a.m. if standard time were kept year-round.

I do not relish the thought of my cats wanting out or the crows squawking me awake at that time.

So when it comes time to change back and forth between daylight times and standard time, please just plan ahead and adjust your bedtime 20 minutes for three days. Many shift workers regularly work varied start times. Please support the time changes in March and November. It’s only twice a year and helps make summer in the Okanagan user-friendly.

If we had to choose one, I would recommend scrapping standard time, rather than daylight.

Margot Newton, Penticton