O DST is a practice adopted in several countries that aims to maximum use of sunlight and, consequently, to the reduction of electricity consumption. The name “summer time” is due to the fact that this practice is normally adopted during the summer period.
The adoption of this time is reason for intensediscussions about its real benefits, and whether the goals are actually achieved and meaningful. There is a lot of divergence among the population and also among scholars when it comes to agreeing or not with the time change.
Many believe that extending sunlight by changing the time is positive, but there is also the portion who believes that the change of time, in addition to not presenting expressive results, is also harmful to the health.
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How does daylight saving time work?
the time of summer, adopted during the period of validity of the station of the same name, normally starts in South hemisphere during the spring, ending at the beginning of
autumn and therefore comprising the entire summer season. At the North hemisphere, starts normally in March/April and ends normally in October/November. It works like this:Lookalso:Seasons
→ Start of daylight saving time
the watches are 1 hour in advance, from midnight on the start date, that is, when the clocks read 0:00, they must be brought forward to 01:00.
At the start of daylight saving time, the clock is moved forward by one hour.
→ End of daylight saving time
the watches are delayed by 1 hour, when it's midnight on the end dateino, that is, when the clocks strike midnight, they should be set back to 23:00.
At the end of daylight saving time, clocks must be set back by one hour.
What is the purpose of daylight saving time?
The main purpose of adopting daylight saving time is, according to the Ministry of M.inas and Energy, guarantee the better use of solar energy compared to electricity, that is, extending the period in which there is natural light, it is expected that there will be a decrease in c.power consumption between 18 hours and 21 hours.
The idea is also to reduce the overload on transmission lines, substations and also on distribution systems during the period of the year when there is greater demand for electricity consumption.
readalso:Alternative energy sources
Daylight Savings Time Origin
The origin of daylight saving time cannot be affirmed, who invented it, how it invented it and when it was invented. However, some scholars believe that the first mention of the adoption of daylight saving time was made by Benjamin Franklin, in the United States, in the year 1874. Franklin noted that the sun rose before people woke up at a certain time of year. Therefore, if they woke up a little earlier, they could make better use of the availability of sunlight and then reduce the use of candles (the use of electricity in this period has not yet existed).
According to the Ministry of Mines and Energy, in the continentEuropean, the adoption of daylight saving time for the first time occurred during the period of First World War by countries such as France, the UK and Germany. With the end of the war, many countries stopped adopting daylight saving time. It was during the 70s that daylight saving time was popularized as a response to the energy crisis experienced at that time.
knowmore: Tips for saving electricity
Summer time in Brazil
In Brazil, daylight saving time was first adopted in 1º October 1931 by the current president Getulio Vargas, through Decree no. 20.466. THE federal Constitution bases the implementation of daylight saving time in the country through article 22 and also article 1.
However, the time period summer in the country has not taken place in consecutive years. Adoption was revoked in 1933 and resumed again in the years 1949 to 1953, from 1963 to 1968 and from 1985 until today. There is variation in the days of daylight saving time in Brazil, but its application lasts, on average, 120 days.
Not all states in Brazil have adopted daylight saving time. Only Rio Grande do Sul, Santa Catarina, Paraná, São Paulo, Rio de Janeiro, Espírito Santo, Minas Gerais, Goiás, Mato Grosso, Mato Grosso do Sul and the Federal District implemented the change of schedule.
But there is an explanation for the non-adoption of states belonging to regions North and North East from the country. it was believed that daylight saving time was more efficient in regions farther from the equator, i.e, Southeast, Midwest and South, since there is a greater difference in daylight between the summer and winter seasons.
→ End of daylight saving time in Brazil
In early 2019, the Brazilian government decreed the end of daylight saving time in the country. Then-president Jair Bolsonaro signed a decree extinguishing the adoption of the time change in Brazil.
The government claims that the decision was taken based on studies carried out on energy savings, which points to a economic neutrality of the measure in the electricity sector. In other words, adopting daylight saving time was not bringing significant results to reduce electricity consumption, given the changes in the population's consumption habits.
According to the Minister of Mines and Energy, Bento Albuquerque, the population's consumption profile has been changed in recent years due to technological evolution that produces more and more economical appliances, greater lighting efficiency and the adoption of other forms of heating.
Which countries currently adopt daylight saving time?
Several countries adopt daylight saving time as a measure in order to reduce electricity consumption. Are they:
Member countries of the European Union;
Countries that formed the former Soviet Union;
Middle Eastern countries such as Lebanon, Israel, Iran and Iraq;
New Zealand and Australia (in some regions);
North American countries: Canada, the United States (states have the autonomy to adopt or not daylight saving time) and Mexico;
Central American countries such as Cuba, Haiti, Honduras, Bahamas and Guatemala;
South American countries such as Paraguay, Uruguay and Chile. Brazil stopped adopting it in 2019.
by Rafaela Sousa
Graduated in Geography
