About this episode

The episode discusses the implications of making daylight saving time permanent in the US and examines global perspectives on the practice.

The House of Representatives has voted to make daylight saving time permanent in the United States. If the measure is approved by the Senate and becomes law, most Americans would no longer spring forward in March or fall back in November. For more than a century, changing the clocks has been used to make better use of daylight, but the practice has long divided opinion. Supporters of the bill argue it boosts productivity and removes the disruption of changing the clocks twice a year. Critics warn that permanent daylight saving time could affect health and road safety as people face darker winter mornings. Around the world, governments have taken different approaches. Some have scrapped seasonal clock changes altogether, while others continue to observe them. We examine why daylight saving time was introduced and whether the case for changing the clocks still stacks up today. Is daylight saving time working? Contributors: David Prerau, author of Seize the Daylight: The Curious and Contentious Story of Daylight Saving Time Jennifer Evans, professor of biomedical sciences at Marquette University, US Till Roenneberg, professor of chronobiology at the University of Munich, Germany…

People in this episode

Host: Tanya Beckett

Guests: David Prerau, Jennifer Evans, Till Roenneberg, Joan Costa-Font

Topics covered

• daylight saving time
• US legislation
• health effects
• productivity
• global practices

Keywords

• daylight saving time
• permanent change
• US House of Representatives
• health impacts
• road safety

Mentioned in this episode

Organizations: Marquette University, University of Munich, London School of Economics

Places: United States, Los Angeles

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