Times goes by… and I didn’t realize!

6/11/2007

Times goes by… and I didn’t realize!

Last week I read an article in a newspaper about the effects of the hour change. The origin of this ritual comes from the seventies, and the ‘petrol crisis’ Governments decided to change the hour to save some energy and of course, some money. Firstly it would be a great idea. Synchronizing our daily activities with the sun we need to switch the lights on during less time. However, recent research shows there is only a slight save of energy, around 1% or less, and in some cases negligible. While is not the same in each country, depending on the latitude or the daily routine. I guess a few years ago the results of this rule were greater than nowadays. Today there are a lot of machines working with electricity even if it is sunny or rainy outside. We are more energy dependents than our parents. The lights in the offices are always turned on. After all, we haven’t learnt how to use the energy. Buildings are not environmentally designed. I’m not thinking about solar energy, it’s cheaper deciding a good orientation of a building than covering it with solar panels.

On the other hand most people complain about this rule due to it generates healthy problems like headaches, insomnia, or bad mood. That is true, but it is not different sleeping one hour less due to the hour has changed or due to a late night party. The symptoms are more or less the same. I guess that is one of the reasons we change the hour on Saturday night.

In Europe the hour was changed two Saturdays ago, but not in the States so we had only eight hours of delay in stead of 9. I was wondering when the hour is changed here, so I asked during the lunch this noon. I was told the hour was changed last Saturday. What? Are you cheating? No it was true, and I hadn’t realized. I use my mobile phone like watch, and it updates to the winter time automatically. When I woke up late last Sunday, I saw more people in the brunch hour than usual but nothing else, and yesterday, the day arose foggy so you couldn’t now where the Sun was. The office at Davis Hall has no windows, and I came back to I-House late, when the Moon had come.

I feel happy because during two days I was a bit younger. Anyway, the time goes by. Three months have passed and I haven’t realized.