Maps Prove That DST Is The Worst

[orangeblossom]

www.citylab.com/weather/2015/11/the-maps-that-prove-daylight-saving-is-ruining-our-lives/417600/


Like clockwork, it happens twice year. No, not just Daylight Saving Time—the kvetching about it.



The facts: DST does not actually reduce electric demand, as it was created to do. Additionally, it shatters delicate sleep schedules, leading to upwards of $400 million in economic losses each year. DST has also been linked to traffic accidents, heart attacks, Seasonal Affective Disorder, commuting snafus, and in my house, general unpleasantness and fist shaking.



But what would the country really look like without Daylight Saving Time? As Axis Maps cartographer Andy Woodruff points out in a recent blog post, its effects are not consistent across the United States. But even so, the time-turning phenomenon looks pretty horrifying for those who arise at the reasonable hour of 7 a.m.



Woodruff’s maps also assume you prefer a sunset after 5 p.m. Where should you live? The maps below may give you a hint.











The takeaway may be that if you love the sun, Hawaii is calling. The sun rises and falls before 7 a.m. and after 5 p.m. every single day. Those who do not want to flee across the Pacific might instead consider a move to the southeastern-most point of your local time zone.



But as with all things, moving for the sun comes with tradeoffs. “[M]aybe you could cut your coffee budget if you live on the western side of your time zone,” Woodruff writes. “Just remember you’d be giving up those wonderful summer evenings.”



Head over to Woodruff’s blog to play with an interactive version of the map and emerge with the largest lesson: Limited winter sun is miserable, no matter what the clock says.

[nomad100]

I hate DST when we need to fall back but love that there is light until 10 pm in the summer.

But I live on the Eastern side of a time zone so am a bit spoiled.

[InBetweenDays]

This defines sunrise as "reasonable" as long as it is before 7am. Without DST, our sun would rise by 4:15am in June! Selfishly I prefer DST where it stays light until after 9pm.

[meshaliuknits]

Wonderful summer evenings? You mean those days where it's still freaking light outside when I'm trying to get my kids in bed. Yeah, screw those days.

[elleblue]

Nov 30, 2015 17:33:01 GMT -5 1234FIF! said:

It is currently pitch black dark outside. At 5:32 p.m. I could not live like this year-round, I would probably kill myself.

But it wouldn't be like that, at least not all year. Axial tilt and all that. Longer days always come with summer, regardless of dst. 

And really, I don't care if we jump forward and stay there (though the graphic makes it apparent that it's not necessarily the best choice) I just want everyone to pick and time and stick with it. 

[Deleted]

It doesn't matter to me which is chosen, just keep it the same!

The sun is so weak even at 2pm this time of year, Kansas City is still depressing November through March.

[saz]

I really don't care which either, as long as we don't have to change it. I think I'd rather it stay light later but either way, limited light in the winter sucks.

[StrawberryBlondie]

Well, its been dark the entire time I've been home tonight. Anything that makes it dark at 4:30 is nothing I want anything to do with.

[spunkarella]

Nov 30, 2015 17:45:19 GMT -5 1234FIF! said:

Nov 30, 2015 17:43:38 GMT -5 pt716 said:

But DST isn't in effect now, so getting rid of it wouldn't help.

I guess I should have said, I prefer DST. The winters with all the darkness are terrible for me. 

Same. There is nothing reasonable about a 5pm sunset. I want DST all the time. 

[Deleted]

Were moving from the western edge of the mountain time zone to the eastern edge of the pacific time zone and I'm dreading the sunlight aspect. Sure, the sun so be up at 6:45am but it wil set at 3:45pm!!! I'd rather have longer evenings than mornings.

[Deleted]

As an aside, does anyone use one of those SAD lamps? Do they help?

[stephm0188]

Nov 30, 2015 19:55:59 GMT -5 @idaholakelady said:

Were moving from the western edge of the mountain time zone to the eastern edge of the pacific time zone and I'm dreading the sunlight aspect. Sure, the sun so be up at 6:45am but it wil set at 3:45pm!!! I'd rather have longer evenings than mornings.

This really surprised me when I was in Las Vegas last week. The sun set before 4:30. For where we live, it's been closer to 5:30, so I was surprised to lose that hour of daylight there.

[curbsideprophet]

Interesting maps, thanks!

I think I would be okay with picking one way or the other and just sticking to it. The switching twice a year is annoying.

[downtoearth]

I don't really mind DST b/c I love the light until 10:30 or 11pm that we get in late June and I don't mind the hibernation feel of winter in my area with dark so early - we also ski a lot in the dark, so I don't mind. I also like these maps.

[LoveTrains]

Nov 30, 2015 19:50:29 GMT -5 spunkarella said:

Nov 30, 2015 17:45:19 GMT -5 1234FIF! said:

I guess I should have said, I prefer DST. The winters with all the darkness are terrible for me. 

Same. There is nothing reasonable about a 5pm sunset. I want DST all the time. 

I would love a 5 pm sunset. It's pitch black here at 5 pm.

However I much prefer standard time to DST. The sun barely rises by 7 am now - if we were on DST that would be 8 am. Can you imagine it being still dark at 8 am? No thank you. I'll move to Alaska if that's what I want.

[LoveTrains]

Nov 30, 2015 19:56:27 GMT -5 @idaholakelady said:

As an aside, does anyone use one of those SAD lamps? Do they help?

Yes. Mine helps. Or it's placebo.

[tacosforlife]

But having DST doesn't magically give us more daylight! It just shifts when it is. Especially or those of us north of the Mason-Dixon line, the days leading up the winter solstice are painfully short, but being on DST wouldn't change that. My city has 9 hours and 15 minutes of daylight today, and we still have three weeks to go before the days start lengthening!

I don't love the idea of a 4:17 pm sunset, but if we were still on DST, sunrise today wouldn't have been until 8:02 am. That is INSANE! I did OK when DST was half the year and standard time was half the year, but this 8 months of DST is too much. By mid-October, we are pushing past 7:30 for sunrise. It's so incredibly hard to get going for the day when it still looks like midnight outside!

[chw57]

Nov 30, 2015 19:56:27 GMT -5 @idaholakelady said:

As an aside, does anyone use one of those SAD lamps? Do they help?

We have one in the living room and I think it helps. It is so gloomy out this time of year

[LoveTrains]

Dec 1, 2015 9:04:58 GMT -5 tacosforlife said:

But having DST doesn't magically give us more daylight! It just shifts when it is. Especially or those of us north of the Mason-Dixon line, the days leading up the winter solstice are painfully short, but being on DST wouldn't change that. My city has 9 hours and 15 minutes of daylight today, and we still have three weeks to go before the days start lengthening!

I don't love the idea of a 4:17 pm sunset, but if we were still on DST, sunrise today wouldn't have been until 8:02 am. That is INSANE! I did OK when DST was half the year and standard time was half the year, but this 8 months of DST is too much. By mid-October, we are pushing past 7:30 for sunrise. It's so incredibly hard to get going for the day when it still looks like midnight outside!

Thank you. DST is the effing worst.

[earlgreyhot]

Dec 1, 2015 8:53:20 GMT -5 LoveTrains said:

Nov 30, 2015 19:50:29 GMT -5 spunkarella said:

Same. There is nothing reasonable about a 5pm sunset. I want DST all the time. 

I would love a 5 pm sunset. It's pitch black here at 5 pm.

However I much prefer standard time to DST. The sun barely rises by 7 am now - if we were on DST that would be 8 am. Can you imagine it being still dark at 8 am? No thank you. I'll move to Alaska if that's what I want.

You're in Bostonish, right?

Living there really messed with my head. There was the super early sunsets...but then sometime in May/June there were sunrises at 4:30a! It remember standing waiting for the T at 5:45 in full sun. 

[LoveTrains]

Dec 1, 2015 9:26:06 GMT -5 earlgreyhot said:

Dec 1, 2015 8:53:20 GMT -5 LoveTrains said:

I would love a 5 pm sunset. It's pitch black here at 5 pm.

However I much prefer standard time to DST. The sun barely rises by 7 am now - if we were on DST that would be 8 am. Can you imagine it being still dark at 8 am? No thank you. I'll move to Alaska if that's what I want.

You're in Bostonish, right?

Living there really messed with my head. There was the super early sunsets...but then sometime in May/June there were sunrises at 4:30a! It remember standing waiting for the T at 5:45 in full sun. 

Yep! I actually live about 45 minutes outside of Boston now but it's a huge difference even from where I grew up in NJ. Today it was dark when I woke up. I hate going to work and coming home in the dark but it is winter in New England. December and January are the worst. The other months I can handle.

[demandypants]

Team year round DST, standard time sucks.

[Deleted]

I grew up in an area that didn't observe DST and we did just fine.

DST is the dumbest shit ever.

THANKS OBAMA!

[YeahSure]

The switching gets worse and takes longer to adjust as I get older; the same has been true for my dad, so I assume I will really hate it once I get to be his age. Pick one and stick with it; I really don't give a ff which one.

[mrsukyankee]

The sun sets in London today at 3:55pm (though honestly, it's pretty much dark at 3pm with it being all cloudy & rainy). I would prefer for us to never have to change hours - it is horrible psychologically and physically for a while. Down with DST!

[hopecounts]

I don't care which I just want us to pick one and stick with it.
DD has just FINALLY adjusted to the latest time change so I am completely over it.
Her waking between 5 and 5:30 was a PIA.

[tacosforlife]

Dec 1, 2015 9:41:16 GMT -5 papiercherri said:

I grew up in an area that didn't observe DST and we did just fine.

DST is the dumbest shit ever.

THANKS OBAMA!

This one is a THANKS, BUSH!

He's the asshole who extended it by two months!

[EllieArroway]

I would prefer DST all the time, but I'm with everyone who says pick one and stick with it.

[josieposy]

Why was DST extended? I don't remember this at all.

[sushi]

I spent the last 8 years without it. I was not a fan of 4pm sunset, but that's the only time I noticed the effect