We're (almost certainly) moving to Central European Time. Good or bad?

Dionysus

Well, at least the British are examining proposals to move the clocks forward permanently for an hour this autumn. Story in The Irish Times. Child safety groups are in favour of the move, as is the British tourist industry. Scottish farmers, however, are against it as they were to a similar proposal a couple of decades ago - if it is introduced, in winter the sun will not rise in Scotland until 10am, it appears.

Here's the Daily Telegraph's take on this story.

It would be very unusual if Newry is an hour ahead of Dundalk/Dublin.

A little-known interesting (to me anyway) historical fact is that until, at least, the 19th century there was a separate time in each of Ireland's major towns - e.g. Dublin Time, Galway time etc. Dublin Time, for instance, was 25 minutes behind London. These separate time zones died out with the coming of the railways but I'm not sure of the precise year. They definitely existed.

Anyway, do you think it's a good idea to move to CET? I think it is but then again I'm generally pro the Europeanisation of this far too anglocentric country. Roll on the EU!:)

eightyfish

Moving to CET is a bad idea

I only go by hammertime.

Seaneh

I can understand the idea for england seeing as london is split by the line and part of the south east should be in CET anyway. But, really, what's the point?

Fremen

If it means they get rid of daylight savings time, I'm in.

Leeg17

Dey tuk ur jobs hour!

bleg

Moving to CET is a bad idea

Yup, let's do it!

mikemac

Moving to CET is a bad idea

Farmers will have a lot of influence on this issue.

But yeah, I'd support it

bleg

Moving to CET is a bad idea

Dionysus wrote: »

Anyway, do you think it's a good idea to move to CET? I think it is but then again I'm generally pro the Europeanisation of this far too anglocentric country. Roll on the EU!:)

The only way we'd move to CET is if the UK adopted it...

Terry

Where's the "This won't affect me, so I don't really care" option?

Black Swan

Time is relative. Whatever happens we will adapt and move on.

rossie1977

doesn't really make sense for ireland to change, atm galway is about 30mins behind london in terms of sunrise and 40mins longer till sunset

kilmuckridge

Seaneh wrote: »

part of the south east should be in CET anyway. But, really, what's the point?

Not true, the Greenwich meridian is the line for which mean midday occurs at 12:00 GMT (13:00 in summer) East of this line in Britain mean midday occurs between 11:50 and 12:00, no argument for moving an hour earlier.

Mean midday is 12:25 (13:25 summer) in Dublin, so before any means of rapid transport it made sense to set clocks by sundials.

Farmers work to their own schedule, so I don't really see their point. I know some farmers who have a clock each set to summer and winter time the whole time.

If we changed to CET and thus the same time as the continent for Winter, it would make sense to continue to add a further hour in summer to maintain synchrony

Caoimhín

Blue_Lagoon wrote: »

Time is relative. Whatever happens we will adapt and move on.

Surely everything is relative?






Especially your wife if you are a traveller!

Wacker

This isn't a criticism of the idea; just how it would affect me:nIn my job I frequently have to speak with people on America's West Coast. Now, assuming they start work at 9:00 and I end work at 5:30, we have a 30 minute window as it stands. This would make things awkward.
Yes, I know it balances with the Far East; no need to point this out.

Black Swan

Caoimhín wrote: »

Surely everything is relative?

Hi Cousin! Being born in Ireland, everyone is a relative of some sort, so we should adapt to time being that way too.*

*Don't you just love my faulty logic? Well, it's only 3.50 PST, so I am permitted.

PeterIanStaker

The hour Joe, they're taking the hour!!

3DataModem

I wonder what will happen here on the isle of man? We are 30 mins ahead of GMT already.

ejmaztec

Blue_Lagoon wrote: »

Hi Cousin! Being born in Ireland, everyone is a relative of some sort, so we should adapt to time being that way too.*

*Don't you just love my faulty logic? Well, it's only 3.50 PST, so I am permitted.

Time was relative to me once, when an old aunt bought me a watch for my birthday.

moonpurple

would like to move to
no change of times in spring and autumn
it was a wartime decision to reduce resource consumption
:pac:

Caoimhín

Blue_Lagoon wrote: »

*Don't you just love my faulty logic? Well, it's only 3.50 PST, so I am permitted.

Its logic of some sort all-right...


I actually prefer winter time, bright earlier and dark sooner. Im a bit of an early bird and go to bed about 10 pm most nights. In the summer it bothers me as it is bright until 11 pm and i find it hard to get to sleep. Easier to get up in the winter when it the clocks go back too. Imagine trying to get up for work in November when it is dark until 9 am?

Owen

3DataModem wrote: »

I wonder what will happen here on the isle of man?

It's the Isle of Man. Nothing happens. :pac:

littlehedgehog

Moving to CET is a bad idea

I don't care whether they take or give an hour.. I just want this whole ridiculous summer time/winter time business out of the way. It only makes a difference for a couple of weeks anyway, and it annoys me. So there. That's the final word.

mikom

♫ Time - He flexes like a whore
Falls **** to the floor
His trick is you and me, boy ♫

SV

Moving to CET is a bad idea

3DataModem wrote: »

I wonder what will happen here on the isle of man? We are 30 mins ahead of GMT already.

What? No you're not.

Earthhorse

Not really sure I understand the benefits of doing this. Maybe a better way to improve child safety and reduce carbon emissions would be to improve our roads infrastructure?

As far as I can see, things work as they are and they're trying to fix something that isn't broken.

SugarHigh

It would be pretty depressing to go to work in darkness at 9AM and then come home in darkness at 6PM.

Speak Now

why are Child safety groups are in favour of the move? surely it'll be darker around 9a.m than it ever was around 4 p.m. I guess up north you're done either way.

Black Swan

Caoimhín wrote: »

Imagine trying to get up for work in November when it is dark until 9 am?

Well, things could be worse. We could all live in Alaska, the land of the midnight sun. After awhile, we would probably become crazy like Sarah Palin.

Sea Sharp

Moving to CET is a bad idea

rossie1977 wrote: »

doesn't really make sense for ireland to change, atm galway is about 30mins behind london in terms of sunrise and 40mins longer till sunset

I don't get that, surely if it's 30 mins behind for sunrise it should also be 30 mins behind for sunset? Unless Galway moves through the Atlantic throughout the day?:eek:

Skid

Dionysus wrote: »

Anyway, do you think it's a good idea to move to CET? I think it is but then again I'm generally pro the Europeanisation of this far too anglocentric country. Roll on the EU!:)

It's nothing to do with CET,

The proposal is to move Ireland's time zone permanently to the current British Summer Time (BST), i.e. The clocks would no longer be put back in the Autumn.

Our clocks would only agree with CET for the winter months, as they also observe daylight savings time in the summer.

Caoimhín

Blue_Lagoon wrote: »

Well, things could be worse. We could all live in Alaska, the land of the midnight sun. After awhile, we would probably become crazy like Sarah Palin.

If one was already as crazy as Sarah, would one become sane, so insane one is almost sane, the full circle perhaps?


Or is your logic rubbing of on one Blue?

TPD

I don't see why farmers always get so riled up with any mention of changing the time. Why don't they just set their schedules around the rising/falling of the sun? It's not as if there'll be less hours of daylight if we measure time a little differently.

Black Swan

Caoimhín wrote: »

If one was already as crazy as Sarah, would one become sane, so insane one is almost sane, the full circle perhaps?

You made me think of Lion King just then... The circle of life... Now all we need is for Cloud to appear in the cybersky with a powerful, rumbling voice proclaiming that no matter what happens with the time zones, boards will always be for those of us who never sleep.

Ilyushin76

Moving to CET is a bad idea

Lets hope so ,an extra hour in bed:D

pablomakaveli

3DataModem wrote: »

I wonder what will happen here on the isle of man? We are 30 mins ahead of GMT already.

What happens on the isle of man, stays on the isle of man.

peasant

So basically, we would be out of sync with everything?

Right now we are one hour behind the continent ..in summer and in winter. With the new regulation we'd only be behind in summer, how confusing is that?

Right now we are out of sync with the sun by about 20-30 mins in the winter and one hour 20 - 30 mins in summer (where it doesn't really matter as it is bright from early till late anyway) but with the new time the sun wouldn't rise in the west in winter until almost ten in the morning? ...How depressing is that?

Leave it to the Brits to be "different" :rolleyes:

Most stupid idea ever, IMO

Fart

peasant wrote: »

So basically, we would be out of sync with everything?

Right now we are one hour behind the continent ..in summer and in winter. With the new regulation we'd only be behind in summer, how confusing is that?

Right now we are out of sync with the sun by about 20-30 mins in the winter and one hour 20 - 30 mins in summer (where it doesn't really matter as it is bright from early till late anyway) but with the new time the sun wouldn't rise in the west in winter until almost ten in the morning? ...How depressing is that?

Leave it to the Brits to be "different" :rolleyes:

Most stupid idea ever, IMO

Pics or it didn't happen...

smashey

Terry wrote: »

Where's the "This won't affect me, so I don't really care" option?

I think "meh" is the word you're looking for Terry.

starbelgrade

Dionysus wrote: »

Child safety groups are in favour of the move,

For f*ck sake. Children are so wrapped up in cotton wool these days, I doubt they even notice the change of seasons, let alone the changes in daylight saving time.

Prabhu Deva

We should actually be an hour behind GMT and 2 behind CET, a big part of ireland is more than 7 and a half degrees behind Greenwich

The rationale behind accepting this kind of nonsense is most likely inspired by self loathing, fear of being different and our tendency to welcome everything European just because of the fact that it isn't Irish

eightyfish

Moving to CET is a bad idea

Prabhu Deva wrote: »

The rationale behind accepting this kind of nonsense is most likely inspired by self loathing, fear of being different and our tendency to welcome everything European just because of the fact that it isn't Irish

Ahem. What?

loobylou

Moving to CET is a bad idea

Will it lead to more global warming???

bleg

Moving to CET is a bad idea

loobylou wrote: »

Will it lead to more global warming???

Less.

Not again! We tried this in the late sixties and I remember getting up for school in total darkness!

loobylou

Moving to CET is a bad idea

OK I'll vote for it then!!!

gbee

Moving to CET is a bad idea

I never understood the farmer's lobby.

I never understood why we have to have 9~5 anyway. Why not get up and hour or two earlier in the Summer [real Summer as in Ireland].

Why schools could not start an hour later in Winter and even have shorter hours too.

I hate the time shifts ~ I loved the fixed time and I hate this forced jet lag every year ~ I've never got used to them and as I age they are even more tiring ~ so if it's a fixed time, I'll adjust.

Ghost Train

I think we should use Australian time or shift ourselves 12 hours into the future. Just to be different

MikeC101

Jerry Seinfeld wrote: »

why are Child safety groups are in favour of the move? surely it'll be darker around 9a.m than it ever was around 4 p.m. I guess up north you're done either way.

They're less likely to be confused and ask random strangers the time, and with random strangers having a 145% likelihood of being a pedophile or serial killer, that makes it safer.

Mahatma coat

Ghost Train wrote: »

I think we should use Australian time or shift ourselves 12 hours into the future. Just to be different

Well Australia has a Half Hour timezone change already.

Nodin

gbee wrote: »

I never understood the farmer's lobby.

......

Ask them to talk slowly - it helps.

flutered

Moving to CET is a bad idea

forgive me if this was done before,it was done before as a cost saving measure during the oil crisis, if it saved cash then why not now.