British Columbia is considering joining its Cascadian allies – plus California – in ditching the absurd tradition of changing our clocks twice a year.
The call comes from B.C. Premier John Horgan, who is trying to get the inside scoop on the U.S. states of Washington, Oregon and California’s plans to scrap Daylight Savings. (By the way: “Daylight Saving” – no ‘s’ at the end – is allegedly the correct term but I adhere to the Style Guide of the Street).
“We have too many economic ties … too many social and cultural ties to have one jurisdiction or two being out of sync with the others,” Horgan told reporters last week, presumably well-rested. Legislators in Washington, Oregon and California recently proposed bills that would keep the time the same all year round. If the proposals pass, B.C. would also look to run on permanent daylight time or permanent Pacific standard time. Whatever’s in the weed out there, it’s reasonable.
Look, time is a construct, and we – and by “we” I mean “they,” the cronies of Big Time – can therefore make it as malleable as your commitment to a second date. But why do we bother? To what avail?
The tradition started in 1916 when Germany, a global leader in arbitrary bureaucracy and armed conflict (related), thought more daylight would contribute to the war effort fuel that would otherwise be used for artificial lighting. Here we are more than a century later. Some things are better left on the battlefield.
And lest you think changing the clock an hour ahead is merely a minor grievance. Academic literature suggests tinkering with that which is All We Have increases the likelihood of heart attacks and causes “cyberloafing.” Want proof? Are you reading this at work?
So for our health, and most of all so we can gripe online about less tired (lol) trivialities, let us not treat time like Dali in his Persistence of Memory but rather as something to leave alone, like Death Wish starring Bruce Willis.