By Mia Cho
Opinion Editor
For 53 years, daylights savings has been a bi-annual time change in California but could potentially come to an end in 2020. This change should be brought forth because daylight savings time is detrimental to society, and eliminating the daylight savings will be beneficial for California residents.
The California Assembly Bill 7 proposed the elimination of daylight savings and was passed by the California Legislature on Nov. 6, 2018. The next step for this bill pass would require congressional approval to authorize this state-wide adjustment. California Democratic Representative Kansen Chu of San José sponsored this bill and will introduce an Assembly Joint Resolution to Congress in January of 2020 in order to acquire congressional approval.
Although its origins are debated, according to National Geographic, daylight savings was first implemented throughout Europe during World War I to encourage people to take advantage of their time during the day to preserve coal. This change was appealing when it was first implemented but now serves no purpose due to it no longer being relevant in current times.
According to National Geographic, the initial motivation for implementing daylight savings time was to use less electricity and take advantage of daylight. However, the Department of Family and Consumer Studies at the University of Utah found that daylight savings time does not impact impact people’s daily activity patterns.
The study also revealed that in states such as Hawaii or Arizona, which do not participate in daylight savings, there is no change in the amount of time people spend outside. Because daylight savings is based on a correlation in activity patterns that does not exist, keeping it in effect is unreasonable.
The most recent time change was on Nov. 3. According to National Geographic, the abrupt time change in November and March can interrupt the human body’s circadian rhythm, which is our body’s biological 24-hour clock. This part of the brain is responsible for timely bodily functions such as sleep-wake cycles, liver functions and immune systems.
A study conducted by the New England Journal of Medicine proved that daylight savings time causes disruption to this cycle. These disruptions are closely associated with diabetes, cancer, psychiatric disorders and cancer. People with cancer are 25% more likely to experience a stroke after daylight savings time. This correlation puts people’s health at risk, so daylight savings should be eliminated.
According to the New York Tmes, daylight savings time also puts economic strain on states. Theoretically, daylight provides an extra hour of daytime, which would allow for an extra hour of spending that would boost local economies. However, when this theory was put to test, the loss of business when time is reversed is significantly larger than the economic benefits demonstrated in the spring.
Those against the bill argue that daylight savings is beneficial because it reduces accidents. This is based on the idea that when time is set an hour ahead in the spring, it allows for an extra hour of daylight, reducing the amount of traffic collisions. Although this is true, according to US News, when time is set an hour behind in the fall, it worsens the problem, perpetuating the cycle of a continued decrease, then increasing automobile accidents. Daylight savings only serves temporary results in reducing traffic collisions.
Daylight savings time should no longer continue because it hinders California residents’ overall quality of life. The benefits of daylight savings time are obsolete, and keeping it in effect is futile. This annual tradition impedes on the economy, as well as impairing the health of those in already vulnerable situations. The Assembly Joint Resolution should be passed in order to prevent daylight savings time from continuing.
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