Clock turner extraordinaire

Daylight saving time ends tonight in most parts of North America. We move our clocks back one hour to switch back to standard time.

The rationale behind moving our clocks forward an hour in the summer is to have more sunlight during the summer days. Since peak energy (mostly electricity) consumption occurs in the evenings, by artificially moving our clocks ahead one hour means the sun sets later, saving an extra hour of energy. No additional energy consumptions occurs in the morning since the sun has already risen when people usually wake up regardless of whether we move ahead an hour or not. We change our clocks back an hour in winter because the energy savings of moving ahead an hour is offset by the sun rising later in the morning.

Supporters of daylight saving time argue that the increased daylight helps the economy because it leads to increase shopping, greater outdoor activities and less crime because of darkness.

I have always disliked daylight saving time, especially this year because it occurs in Ramadan. Since the suhoor and iftar times are changed, my biological clock will require a few days to adjust. The amount of clocks that I need to change in my house is time-consuming and painful. It is easy to move ahead an hour, but moving back an hour requires you to change the clock forward all the way around. Then there are those clocks that no one knows how to change, they remain with the incorrect time all year.

Starting in 2007, the United States wants to start daylight saving time earlier and end later. Since the Canadian economy depends heavily on the United States economy, the Ontario government has also decided to follow suit. This decision means an extra headache and inconvenience for everyone.

On a positive note, since most desi people are always late for everything, at least for one day, we can all use daylight saving time as an excuse for being late.