Daylight Savings time begins at 2AM on March 8th here in the United States, so advance your clocks one hour ahead before bed on the night of Saturday March 7th. 2009 is the second year of a provisional expansion of the daylight savings schedule.

Daylight savings time began as an energy reduction measure and that primary reason continues to be cited today. The basic idea is that by shifting time by one hour, more of the natural light of the day will be available during the afternoon hours. This not only gives workers sunlight for outdoor activities during non-work hours, but also reduces the need for artificial lighting in the evening. Having that extra hour of sunlight during the afternoon, as opposed to the early morning when many people are still asleep, seems to be a reasonable idea.

The true economic benefits of daylight savings time are highly controversial. First, artificial lighting accounts for a significantly smaller percentage of our energy usage than it did when daylight savings time began in the United States in 1918. Also, recent advances in compact fluorescent bulbs even further reduces the cost of lighting. Second, many of the benefits seen by one sector of the economy are offset by declines in other areas. Outdoor equipment manufacturers and leisure facilities certainly stand to gain from the extra afternoon sunlight. But indoor entertainment business likely suffer proportionally.

Even if the effects of daylight savings time are a wash economically, the average citizen is probably still in favor of the shift. Since the standard workday remains fixed throughout the year, daylight savings time gives workers the option of spending their leisure time indoors or out. I know that my mood always improves after the time change and I suspect that holds true for the majority of workers on a fixed schedule.