Time Springs Forward This Weekend Good or Bad for CNY

The only thing other than politics and religion to spark a lively debate is Daylight Saving Time. And yes it's, Saving Time not Savings Time. It seems both sides have compelling arguments for and against us all losing an hour of sleep.

DST officially begins at 2 a.m. Sunday, March 11. And with all the confusion I had during the last time change, let's clear the air now, at 2 a.m. Sunday morning the clock jumps to 3 a.m. Let's examine the debate:

Most of the support for "springing forward" has to do with providing more daylight toward the end of the day.

It reduces energy consumption
Beneficial for farmers to get more work done
Safety less driving in twilight or the dark

Those opposed to the time change, say there's no proof to any of those statements. In fact, some studies show quite the opposite.

Energy consumption remained very similar with an increase in usage in the morning hours that offsets most of the savings in the evening.
Many farmers are opposed to the change, especially Central New York dairy farms. Cows don't live by the clock and expect to be fed and milked at the same time no matter what our clocks say. It's even true for pets.
As for safety, we've all heard about the increase in traffic accidents and heart attacks from losing that hour of sleep. Government studies show there's an 8% increase the first week of the change that is never made up during DST.

Some businesses do benefit from the time change. Golf courses for one, more time to play after work. Home repair business and suppliers see an increase as we are outside more and working on those "honey-do" projects. And the bar-b-que world jumps as we can now grill more often.

Here are two of the crazier pro and con arguments related to Daylight Saving time. You're less likely to get robbed, 27% less likely. In the con department, people who suffer from frequent headaches, especially of the cluster kind, may see them in the first week after the time change because of the change in your body clock and rhythms.

SOURCE: Forbes.com and Livescience.com