Daylight Savings Time 2014: Utah Argues We Shouldn’t Turn The Clocks Back Due To Energy And Health

Daylight savings time 2014 is almost over, and once again the debate is starting up over whether or not we should turn the clocks back starting Sunday, November 2, 2014.

In a related report by The Inquisitr, various studies have concluded that daylight saving time can actually be unhealthy. School children and college students suffer from a lack of studying focus, and even the adults end up wasting time at work. There’s also a notable increase in traffic accidents, heart attacks, and even suicide risk based upon the time shift.

The state of Arizona does not observe daylight saving time, and some studies claim there is actually an increase in energy usage due to the time shift. But the “US Department of Energy looked at the effects of daylight savings time on national energy consumption, checking in with 67 electric utilities. That study showed a savings of about 0.5 percent per day, or 1.3 trillion watt hours. This sounds small, but impressive energy savings could power 100,000 houses for an entire year. Included in that study was not only residential power use, but also commercial.”

Utah State Rep. Lee Perry (R) and Sen. Aaron Osmond (R) both believe that daylight saving time needs to go, and it’s said that Colorado, Idaho, Montana, and Wyoming are also looking into the possibility of ending the practice. The main issue for those living in Utah is said to be safety, including “parents frustrated because their kids are going to school in the dark,” but the mere hassle of turning back the clocks is another factor. According to the Utah Farm Bureau’s Association, 70 percent of members support ending daylight saving time in their state.

But not everyone is for ditching daylight saving time. According to the Washington Post, Dick Andrew, vice president of marketing for the Utah amusement park Lagoon, said tourism based industries would be negatively impacted by the change.

“The net result would basically be one less hour of significant operation and revenue per day,” said Andrew. “We believe this would also be the case for the travel and tourism industry across the state.”

Do you think the rest of the United States should join Arizona in ending daylight savings time 2014?