Talk:History of time in the United States
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[edit] Move and expansion
Recently, I was involved in splitting Daylight saving time around the world from the Daylight saving time article. While doing so, I noticed an extensive secion on the history of DST in the US. THis swection was too long for the new article, but really didn't fit in the old article either, as there were no other histiories of other nations there, thus opening the article to the ubiquitious charge of being too US-centric.
So, I tried to find a new palce for this extensive section. I noticed that Canada had and article called Time in Canada, so I checked for a similar one for the US. Time in the United States is fairly short, but there was a link to the History of standard time in the United States article. This appeared to be a good place to put my orphaned section, but for the title. I assumed from its content and article history that the page was created at a time when the DST article focused on its history in the US, and thus "standar time" seemed a good title at the time. I also found that there were not many articles linking to this page.
Rather than create another article on time in the US, I decided to just rename this one, and place the DST history here. I haven't made any attempt at this time to integrate the article, but hope to work on that in the future. Any help would be appreciated. - BillCJ 18:47, 1 December 2006 (UTC)
I'm not sure how to fit it in with the current article formatting but I'd like to add a section for DST observances by state from 1920 to 1966 and time zone changes. To list every single last change down to the last detail would be impractical and almost impossible to source. Thomas Shanks Atlas on North American time zone changes is clearly to large for a wiki article and even it notes they can't confirm every change listed. However some general notes like in this format might work:
Time zone changes
Alaska - Bering time zone (UTC-11), Nome and Aleutian islands. Alaska-Hawaii time zone (UTC-10), Anchorage, Fairbanks and most of interior. Yukon time zone (UTC-9), Yakutat. Pacific time zone (UTC-8) Juneau and panhandle. Effective October 30, 1983 entire state moved to newly defined Alaska time zone (UTC-9) except for Aleutian islands west of 169ยบ30'W now in Aleutian-Hawaii time zone (UTC-10).
Arizona - Mohave county Pacific time until March 7, 1944 (PWT to MST), Yuma county (included what is now La Paz county) Pacific time until January 1, 1929.
Indiana - See Time in Indiana.
DST observances other then War Time or Uniform Time Act
Arizona - Exempted from War Time act January 1, 1944, Mohave county remains on Pacific War Time till moved to MST, statewide April 1st-September 30, 1944, statewide 1967, repealed 1968.
Colorado - Aspen 1964 (1st Sun May to last Sun Sep), statewide 1965 (last Sun Apr to last Sun Oct).
Indiana - See Time in Indiana.
Michigan - Standard time until Sunday April 29, 1973, exempted from Emergency daylight time act in 1975 and allowed to use the previous dates (last Sun Apr to last Sun Oct).
Missouri - St. Louis 1946 (last Sun Apr to last Sun Sep), extended 1956 (last Sun Apr to last Sun Oct), statewide 1967.
Skywayman 11:43, 22 March 2007 (UTC)
[edit] Effect of DST on energy consumption
In 1987 the US switched the start of DST to the first Sunday in April (before that, it started on the last Sunday in April). Surely there were some academic studies on what effect this change had on energy consumption?
It is hard to believe there would be any energy savings from switching earlier to DST. Don't most people just turn on the lights in their house when they get home, regardless of whether it is still light outside? If anything, an earlier switch to DST will increase the use of oil, because if it is still light outside when people get home from work they are more likely to take the family out for a drive. --Mathew5000 04:45, 9 March 2007 (UTC)
[edit] Double Summer Time
I find, on the web, confirmation that clocks were advanced two hours during summer in Britain during WWII. I don't find any such confirmation for the same practice in the US. Since the clock advancement section of the 1918 act was repealed, the legislation as presented doesn't appear to authorize a two-hour advancement in summer. Can anyone provide confirmation of the practice in the USA? Cstaffa 20:22, 9 March 2007 (UTC)
I've never read anything about two hour adjustments being made in the US except in cases where time zones were changed. Juneau in October 1983 moving back two hours from PDT to YST or the new AKST. Also Pulaski county Indiana last week from CST to EDT. There has been discussion of it in California and the northeast for adding another hour from Memorial day to Labor day but so far nothing has come from it. Skywayman 10:11, 22 March 2007 (UTC)
