Our information put together again

[Norushin Fred]

I have given thought about the idea of using Facebook for the
promotion of this group, and will give it some time for discussion
soon in the future. For now, I do not want this posting to be so
buried with others in the past that it is not likely to be looked at.
This information is so relevant and it is what this group should be
communicating, it is good that it is freshly displayed from time to
time. Members should know this and we want to tell others, and those
that think something should be done about it, as there will be some,
should be informed of this group and welcomed in.

By Stephen J. Dubner November 7, 2008, 2:40 pm
More Ammunition for People Who Hate Daylight Saving Time
By Stephen J. Dubner

Even if you hate daylight saving time, you tell yourself: Hey, I
shouldn’t be so selfish, it’s good for the economy, or for the
environment, or for farmers, or something. Right?
INSERT DESCRIPTIONPhoto: macinate

Well, um, perhaps not. Consider a new working paper, “Does Daylight
Saving Time Save Energy? Evidence From a Natural Experiment in
Indiana,” by Matthew J. Kotchen and Laura E. Grant:

The history of daylight saving time (D.S.T.) has been long and
controversial. Throughout its implementation during World Wars I and
II, the oil embargo of the 1970’s, consistent practice today, and
recent extensions, the primary rationale for D.S.T. has always been to
promote energy conservation.

Nevertheless, there is surprisingly little evidence that D.S.T.
actually saves energy. This paper takes advantage of a natural
experiment in the state of Indiana to provide the first empirical
estimates of D.S.T. effects on electricity consumption in the United
States since the mid-1970’s.

Focusing on residential electricity demand, we conduct the first-
ever study that uses micro-data on households to estimate an overall
D.S.T. effect. The dataset consists of more than 7 million
observations on monthly billing data for the vast majority of
households in southern Indiana for three years.

Our main finding is that — contrary to the policy’s intent —
D.S.T. increases residential electricity demand.

Estimates of the overall increase are approximately 1 percent, but
we find that the effect is not constant throughout the D.S.T. period.
D.S.T. causes the greatest increase in electricity consumption in the
fall, when estimates range between 2 and 4 percent.

These findings are consistent with simulation results that point
to a trade-off between reducing demand for lighting and increasing
demand for heating and cooling. We estimate a cost of increased
electricity bills to Indiana households of $9 million per year. We
also estimate social costs of increased pollution emissions that range
from $1.7 to $5.5 million per year. Finally, we argue that the effect
is likely to be even stronger in other regions of the United States.

On the bright side, if President...Obama is looking for some quick
hits on energy conservation, here’s one that’s all teed up and ready
to go: Kill D.S.T.!

By Kate Stinchfield

Health

The thought of gaining an extra hour of sleep at the end of daylight-
saving time may make you giddy with excitement -- but the time switch
could also be a trigger for nighttime sleep and daytime alertness
problems. Whether you have an existing sleep condition or you've
always gotten regular shut-eye, there's a chance you could be hurting
once the clock falls back on Sunday.
It's time to "fall back:" The end of daylight-saving time comes this
Sunday at 2 a.m.

It's time to "fall back:" The end of daylight-saving time comes this
Sunday at 2 a.m.

"The fundamental problem we have in our current 24/7 society is that
everyone is already somewhat sleep deprived," says Patrick J. Strollo
Jr., M.D., medical director of the University of Pittsburgh's Sleep
Disorder Program. "When we make even small adjustments in sleep
schedules, that can have a negative impact." Read about celebrity
sleep secrets, and what you can learn from them

End of daylight-saving time sends traffic accidents soaring

Contrary to popular belief, that extra early-morning hour doesn't
necessarily mean more sleep. In fact, many people use the time change
as an excuse to stay out an hour later that night, says Dr. Strollo;
that can translate to trouble when sleepy drivers hit the road later
that day. A 2003 study by researchers at Stanford and Johns Hopkins
universities analyzed a 21-year period and found a significant spike
in traffic accidents on the Sunday that ended daylight-saving time.

Even for a few days after the time switch, motorists should exercise
extra caution behind the wheel, especially commuters who have worked a
long day. Combining dark roads with end-of-day exhaustion and stress
is a recipe for disaster, but preventive measures can help. A short
nap is the best solution, though it's not realistic in most
workplaces. "If you don't have any issues with insomnia, coffee or
another caffeinated beverage can also help you with your commute
home," says Dr. Strollo.

Drowsy drivers aren't the only ones who should watch out. The sudden
loss of daylight in the evenings sends a pedestrian's risk
skyrocketing, according to a seven-year study by researchers at
Carnegie Mellon University. They found that after daylight-saving time
ended in a typical October, the risk of pedestrian fatalities (per
mile walked) jumped 186 percent, before dropping 21 percent on average
in December. The researchers chalked this up not just to darker
roadways, but also to drivers having a difficult time adjusting to the
end of daylight-saving time.

(On the bright side, the fall time change may lower your risk of heart
attack -- at least temporarily. Swedish scientists recently found that
heart attacks dropped the Monday after a time change, possibly because
people were getting an extra hour of sleep over the weekend.)

'Tis the season for added fatigue
Sunday's switchover kicks off a cold, dark season, which can leave you
lethargic and longing to stay under the covers, even if you've never
had sleep problems in the past. Earlier sunsets and long, dark
evenings can make fatigue worse, and you may find yourself dragging.

March
8th
The Joke Can End Now… Really - Daylight Savings Time

Published by Hanna | Filed Under: Getting Political
Leave a Comment

In case you forgot (which I normally do), you need to change your
clocks tonight. It’s that whole Spring ahead thing, though thanks to
the overzealous efforts of Congress, the earlier date ensures that it
does not much look like spring outside.

They released a study recently that shows that Daylight Savings Time
(as suspected) has completely and utterly failed at saving anything.
It turns out that Indiana’s long time stance that “the cows still get
up at the same time regardless of the clock” was right except that it
took them thinking they were wrong to prove it. Such a shame, as we
are now stuck with a national albatross around our neck.

Daylight savings time started out as a joke. Ha-ha. That good old Ben
Franklin sure knows how to make fun of people (though, making fun of
the French is not too hard, even in the modern era) but he was just
kidding right? Change the clocks so that we don’t use as much
resources… Pshaw… That will never catch on.

But like life, stupidity will find a way. And now we change our clocks
twice a year.

During WWII, it made sense. We needed lights out. We needed darkness
to evade the possible enemy. We needed to feel like we were
sacrificing something because the boys overseas were sacrificing so
much. But the fact of the matter is, all we are sacrificing these days
is an hour’s sleep and a late night TV infomercial.

Daylight Savings Time costs money, it costs lives and it is a pain in
the ass. Write your local congressperson and tell them that this is
one joke whose punch line is long past being funny.

Published by Hanna on March 8th, 2008

4/2/2005
The Daylight Savings Time Switch and Increased Accidents
A study shows an increase in traffic accidents immediately following
the spring daylight savings time shift.

When clocks are set back an hour in the spring, accidents go up
according to a 1998 study of the effect of daylight savings time.
Sleep deprivation is considered the most likely cause of a 17 percent
increase in accidents on the Monday following the time change. The
study also found no significant reduction in accidents in the fall
when clocks are set back an hour.

"Just because a person has the opportunity to sleep for an addition
hour does not mean that people actually will go to sleep on time," the
study suggests. "Many may spend that extra hour socializing or
watching television."

The study used data from NHTSA's Fatal Accident Reporting System from
1986 to 1995. The same researcher had concluded in 1996 that sleep
deprivation led to a 6.6 percent increase in non-vehicle deaths after
the spring change, with an insignificant 1.5 percent decrease
following the fall clock change.

Key Statistic:
Next we compare the total of traffic fatalities for the Monday
immediately following the DST shift with the pooled frequency of
accidents for the previous and following Mondays. The spring DST shift
(where one hour of sleep is lost) shows the expected increase in
accidents with relative risk (RR) of 1.17 [95% CI=1.07/1.29, p2(1)
=10.83, p < 0.001]. This 17 percent increase is larger than that
observed in previous studies. The same analysis conducted for the fall
DST shift, however, produces an insignificant reduction in traffic
deaths [RR=0.97, 95% CI=0.89/1.07, p2(1)=0.29, ns.].

Article Excerpt:
Taken together then, these data are consistent with the hypothesis
that as a society were are sufficiently chronically sleep deprived so
that a small decrease in sleep duration, such as that which occurs
with the spring shift to DST, can significantly increase accident
susceptibility.
Source: Sleep Deficit, Fatal Accidents, and the Spring Shift to
Daylight Savings Time (Department of Psychology, University of British
Columbia, 1/1/1998)