An end to darkness?

BraziliaNZ

http://www.guardian.co.uk/politics/2011/oct/28/uk-clocks-hour-forward-trial

If Britain adopts this policy, surely we'd copy them too? I think it's a great idea, the really short days are depressing and bleak. I know there'll be people here saying they love winter and the darkness etc but I'm sure the vast majority don't like it getting dark at 1630. Would you be in favour?

foxyboxer

I'd be in favour of this because GMT is like sooooooo last Millenium.

chin_grin

Get your hands off of my GMT motherfunkerrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr.

BraziliaNZ

GMT is gay. Greenwich is nice though, nice views of the city.

stupidusername

Dear OP,

Could you please embed the article to make it easier.

Sincerely,
Me

pickarooney

We need to just work shorter hours in Winter. There's no getting around the fact that there's just less light to go around.

chin_grin

stupidusername wrote: »

Dear OP,

Could you please embed the article to make it easier.

Sincerely,
Me

There ya go now.

Clocks forward trial being considered
UK would adopt central European time, GMT plus one hour in winter and two in summer, if devolved governments agree


reddit this
Comments (93)
Hélène Mulholland
guardian.co.uk, Friday 28 October 2011 13.47 BST
Article history

The UK-wide consensus is one of the amendments ministers want to make to the daylight savings private members bill. Photograph: Paul Hackett/Reuters
Clocks could go forward by an hour permanently subject to UK-wide consensus.

The government has decided to back the bid for a three-year trial that would see the UK join the central European time zone — but only if devolved administrations agree.

It would mean lighter evenings but darker mornings, especially in Scotland, where many people are strongly opposed. Campaigners believe, however, that moving to lighter evenings would reduce energy use and hence carbon emissions, cut road deaths and boost tourism.

British summertime ends this weekend when clocks go back on Sunday. If the trial went ahead, it would see Britain's clocks go unchanged. Clocks in winter would be set to GMT plus one hour (British summertime) and GMT plus two in the summer.

The stipulation for agreement across the UK is one of the amendments ministers want to make to the daylight savings private members bill, which is set to move to committee stage in early November.

The bill, first put forward by Conservative MP Rebecca Harris in 2010, calls on the government to conduct a cross-departmental analysis into the potential costs and benefits of moving the clocks forward to create lighter evenings.

If this review showed that the move would be beneficial, the government would then initiate a three-year trial to evaluate the impact of the change. David Cameron signalled that he was willing to consider the switch, but has said that the argument would only be won when people across the country feel comfortable with the change.

Time zones are the responsibility of individual EU member states and vary across the continent. The devolution arrangements for time zones also vary – responsibility is devolved in Northern Ireland, but reserved in Scotland and Wales.

Some have suggested that England could make the change alone, but Cameron has said that he wants a united time zone for a UK.

Edward Davey, the business secretary, said: "This is an issue which affects everyone across the country, so we cannot rush headfirst into this. As the prime minister has made clear, we would need consensus from the devolved administrations if any change were to take place. We have therefore tabled amendments to the current bill to make sure that it addresses these concerns.

"It is only right that we at least look at what the potential economic and social benefits of any change might be. Lower road deaths, reduced carbon dioxide emissions and improved health have all been argued over the years as possible benefits."

Harris said she was delighted with the decision to support the bill.

"There are so many conflicting arguments on both sides of the daylight saving lobby. I believe we need a comprehensive and objective assessment of them.

"Of course any eventual change to the clocks would affect everyone in the country so I do not believe it should be considered unless there is good evidence in favour of it and a broad public consensus, which would naturally include the devolved assemblies."

Kasabian

The annual, "it's getting dark thread"

ThelotusKid

It's an ESB conspiracy.

jester77

It would be great, wouldn't have to turn my watch back an hour every time I went home

Plus, watching champion league at 20:45 is so much better than 19:45!

rossie1977

meh it gets darker earlier its winter, thats life, what if you were living in say tromso in northern norway its dark the whole time from 28th november this year until 16th january

SharpshooterTom

The Scots are against it and are likely to reject it. So it wont happen.

My name is URL

I don't want to follow Britain. If they're putting their clocks forward by one hour, I say we put ours back by 23 hours!

Gee Bag

Instead of putting their clocks forward one hour they should put them back 800 years and not invade our country...........











..............the bad basterds

ejmaztec

Dey tuk our light.






...and the Darkness is a sh1t band.

pbowenroe

Gee Bag wrote: »

Instead of putting their clocks forward one hour they should put them back 800 years and not invade our country...........











..............the bad basterds

lol

Saila

just give us the old light bulbs back, energy saving my arse :mad:

MungBean

I say we go forward an hour on the hour every hour ! That'll learn em !

Inbox

The Brits tried this already in the '70s but it was a disaster apparently.

Killer Pigeon

This stinks of Eurocracy.

5starpool

This would mean we were 6 hours behind the east coast of the states, making it harder to watch live sports events in the states, and the champions league games would be on at a worse time. Enough reason to not change imo.

bbam

Surely if this went ahead it would include the Republic..
Could there be a situation with different times north & south of the border ??

Anyway it'll make it easier for the Germans/French to run Ireland if we're on the same time :rolleyes:

4leto

I think its an excellent idea, but isn't the problem with the farmers wanting the light in the morning???????

emeraldstar

4leto wrote: »

I think its an excellent idea, but isn't the problem with the farmers wanting the light in the morning???????

Not just the farmers, I sure don't want it. Who the fu(k wants to get up in the dark?! Hope this doesn't happen. I don't think it will.

Temptamperu

4leto wrote: »

I think its an excellent idea, but isn't the problem with the farmers wanting the light in the morning???????

Oh the poor farmers, Why the hell should the majority suffer for the minority? Didnt you learn anything from star trek?

earpiece

I'm thinkin'... it doen't matter a shít.... it's dark when i go to work... it's dark when i get home.
Winters just cráp..... can we move the island instead?

4leto

Temptamperu wrote: »

Oh the poor farmers, Why the hell should the majority suffer for the minority? Didnt you learn anything from star trek?

Its still a big part of our economy, but I don't think, I don't know if that would sway it now.

Personally I like the longer evenings.

the_barfly1

ejmaztec wrote: »

...and the Darkness is a sh1t band.

How dare you.

Bowlardo

Killer Pigeon wrote: »

This stinks of Eurocracy.

Eurocracy ..i love it

Elmer Blooker

Anyone in favour of the sun rising at quarter to ten in winter, which would happen, is a complete moron.
nuff said

4leto

Elmer Blooker wrote: »

Anyone in favour of the sun rising at quarter to ten in winter, which would happen, is a complete moron.
nuff said

I'm a moron, I just prefer a longer evening, I hate mornings no matter the light.