Proposed Summertime Change would cut emissions, save lives and reduce energy costs

Ceryndrion · 26 Mar 2010 at 22:49

Meridian said:
BST was invented so that office workers would have time in the fields after work, to grow food in WW2. I think we can probably give it up now.

M

Good thing that they had plenty of warning and enacted the change in 1916.

rare · 26 Mar 2010 at 22:51

The more daylight the better tbh. Would be great IMO!!

The Mad Rapper · 26 Mar 2010 at 22:53

Superewza said:
Now you say 'save lives', as there would be more light for the evening rush hour. But what i don't get is that there would be less light for the morning rush hour, so wouldn't it balance out?

^ This. Surely?

D D Danneh · 26 Mar 2010 at 23:10

The Mad Rapper said:
^ This. Surely?

Well I suppose there's a greater difference in light between, say, 4 and 5PM than there is between 8 and 9 PM, so it might be slightly darker in the morning, but much brighter in the afternoon? I dunno.

But if it can do all this, why not?

Rich1988 · 26 Mar 2010 at 23:18

I think its a great idea, give it a go tbh

Tonyator · 26 Mar 2010 at 23:29

Superewza said:
Now you say 'save lives', as there would be more light for the evening rush hour. But what i don't get is that there would be less light for the morning rush hour, so wouldn't it balance out? Perhaps even cost more lives as in the morning everybody's still really tired.

Something similar was trialled in the 60/70's...

scheme was trialled between 27 October 1968 and 31 October 1971, when Britain remained on GMT+1 all year.

Analysis of accident data during the experiment indicated that while there had been an increase in casualties in the morning, there had been a substantially greater decrease in casualties in the evening, with a total of around 2,500 fewer people killed and seriously injured during the first two winters of the experiment.

Meridian said:
BST was invented so that office workers would have time in the fields after work, to grow food in WW2. I think we can probably give it up now.

And as said it wasn't but they did do GMT+1/+2 during the war...

During World War II, Britain retained the hour's advance on GMT at the start of the winter of 1940 and continued to advance the clocks by an extra hour during the summers until July 1945. During these summers Britain was thus 2 hours ahead of GMT and operating on British Double Summer Time.

SiriusB · 26 Mar 2010 at 23:47

BDST.

Sounds like a category on a porno site.

SiD the Turtle · 27 Mar 2010 at 00:47

Although I'm for it, isn't the main reason why we don't do it, or indeed abolish DST, because it would royally ****-off the farmers who have to get up early and would be working in the dark?

Meridian · 27 Mar 2010 at 07:46

Ceryndrion said:
Good thing that they had plenty of warning and enacted the change in 1916.

OK, WW1. But the same principle still stands.

M

Combat squirrel · 27 Mar 2010 at 08:29

Its a great idea and has been proven by doing it in the past.....you know, a fact, so to all those people saying it wouldnt work, im sorry reality says otherwise.

Also those people saying 'leave the clocks alone' have no idea about basic orbital dynamics and the spin / rotation of the planet relative to the sun.

Really surprising, thought those folks had some reasonable intelligence.

Feek · 27 Mar 2010 at 08:32

Combat squirrel said:
Also those people saying 'leave the clocks alone' have no idea about basic orbital dynamics and the spin / rotation of the planet relative to the sun.

Really surprising, thought those folks had some reasonable intelligence.

*sigh*

Combat squirrel · 27 Mar 2010 at 08:42

Feek said:
*sigh*

Yeah i know the feeling! lol, why on earth would you leave the clocks alone and spend at least one side of the day either summer or winter in darkness, why not do whats proposed here and line our clocks up with whats happening in the universe and maintain maximum day light. Naturally speaking humans evolved to be active / respond to day light.

Feek · 27 Mar 2010 at 09:28

I don't want to go to bed when it's still light. If this happens then it'll still be light outside at nearly midnight when the day is at the longest.

In the winter I get up when it's dark and I go to bed when it's dark. In the summer I get up when it's light and go to bed when it's dark. Going to bed when it's light outside sucks. Try explaining to young children why they have to go to bed when "Daddy, it's still light outside".

Don't start me on evolution

Dolph · 27 Mar 2010 at 09:34

Given that the reasons for changing the clocks now no longer really apply, and the evidence to support this proposal is pretty clear (and has been for a number of years), I'd happily support a change to BST permanantly and the abolition of the clock change full stop.

I'm less sure I see the benefit of moving to BST in the winter and BST+1 in the summer however.

Stringy · 27 Mar 2010 at 09:40

Good lord, working with Zulu time in the summer is bad enough, never mind if you start having single BST and double BST!

Stick to GMT all year round!

Destination · 27 Mar 2010 at 15:39

Superewza said:
Now you say 'save lives', as there would be more light for the evening rush hour. But what i don't get is that there would be less light for the morning rush hour, so wouldn't it balance out? Perhaps even cost more lives as in the morning everybody's still really tired.

Kids go straight to school, they might be late but they go straight there.
The loiter and go elsewhere on the way home, and more die in the dark evenings.
I think statswise given currently daylight figures they reckoned it might save 100 lives a year. Doesn't seem a massive amount to me, but personally, i like to get home from work and see light, I could care less if it gets bright at 8 or 9 in the morning.

I am all for the idea. Light when I have freetime, is a good thing.