EU want to do away with long summer evenings

Princess Consuela Bananahammock · 25-03-2018 10:04AM

facehugger99 wrote: »

I love when the hour goes froward and hate when it goes back in October.

There's something inexpressibly great about it staying bright until 11pm at night in June.

But, did you know that this could be the last year that we get to enjoy it?

The Mandarins in the EU have decided, in their wisdom, to form a committee and review whether we should stop the practice.

https://www.rte.ie/news/2018/0208/939344-clocks-eu-parliament/

No I'm no anti-EU ideologue, but this is BS from the EU!

Still at least it will be bright at 3am in the morning in June

said nobody ever!

Come on, OP - this is exactly how things are supposed to happen in a democracy!

First line: "Members of the European Parliament have backed a motion calling for an assessment..."
This is how parliaments work: an issue is raised and then investigated to find out of an idea is beneficial or not. They haven't actually said they're going to do it, so stop with the scaremongering!

Further on: "Finland, which has the most northerly EU national capital, called in January for the EU to scrap the clock switches, following a public petition that secured more than 70,000 signatures."
So it's an idea from one group of people who are probably more effected by the idea and want to highlight said issue. Again - this is what people do if something is affecting them badly: bring the issue to the attention of their representatives and have it debated.

Now, I'm not in favour of this idea either: I don't want it bright at 4.30am when I'm trying to sleep (most people in Finland use extra-thick curtains in summer for this reason) but the process here is exactly how it's supposed to be a democracy, so no need to shout "mandarin!" because someone is doing their job and investigating an issue raised by a member country.

In any case, there's no problem with changing time-zone within a country anyway. Not like it's the same time all across the EU anyway.

ironwalk · 25-03-2018 10:09AM

doolox wrote: »

Time zones as we know them started in the railway age when time keeping across large areas of the world became important. Up to then local time was set to suit each localities needs. You had a time when Dublin set their timepieces 8 minutes earlier than Galway in order to go with solar time.

In the 1860's or so the present arrangement of dividing the world up into 15 degree , 1 hour segments and nominating time zones, was brought about.

Ideally Irelands west coast belongs in a different time zone to Dublins.

The greenwich Mean Time GMT zone is 7 1/2 degrees east or west of the prime meridian , 0 degrees, at Greenwich. Galway should be 1 hour ahead of Dublin if we were to go by strict interpretation of time zones but it isn't as time zones are often stretched and widened to keep most countries in one time zone, except huge countries like the US, Russia or Canada which have several time zones.

One anomaly which occurs in time zones is that Portugal keeps the same time as us but Spain doesn't. This arises from the time when Franco changed the clocks to synchronise with Central European time in line with his allies in Germany but Portugal did not.

You therefore have the situation that places like Santiago de Compostela, Ferrol Vigo etc in Spains northwest corner are 1 hr ahead of neighbouring provinces in Portugal, although on the same meridian.

For places on the extreme west of Europe there is a strong case for adopting GMT -1, 1 hour behind London and 2 hours behind Paris so that we don't suffer the dark mornings we now do in winter, we should be getting up an hour later than London.
Unfortunately we have the system we have to suit the financial bosses who synchronise everything to London and Frankfurt meaning everybody in Ireland has to get up earlier than solar time or nature intends.

Our population and influence is just too small to be able to adopt a local time.

Even worse is Iceland on GMT although it is two time zones to the west of true, nautical GMT. Again a small local population and lack of influence allows this to happen.

Very interesting. Thanks

seamus · 25-03-2018 10:14AM

Yes it is "nice" that once a year you can go a barbecue and drink beer in the daylight till 10pm.

But realistically that's all it gives you.

As a parent, fnck daylight savings. Kids and animals don't know what time it is. They're going to get up at the same time regardless. So for the next week I'll have to fight my kids to bed because according to their body, it's 6pm, not 7pm. And they're not tired.

We should leave the time on UTC and be done with it.

**** DST.

I disagree on the point above that we're too small to go to UTC-1. In fact it would put us at a decent advantage internationally, being closer to US timezones and slightly earlier again than Europe would make us an ideal place to open your European headquarters.

At present there are difficulties where Europe is 6 hours ahead of the US east coast, making collaborative work between global teams troublesome.

Jawgap · 25-03-2018 10:15AM

Previously, Ireland operated on "Dublin Mean Time" (GMT -25 minutes) based on Dunsink Observatory........ but the Brits stole it from us

25-03-2018 10:24AM

Jim Bob Scratcher wrote: »

**** the EU

facehugger99 wrote: »

70,000 people from Finland - yeah I read it.

Totally different situation in Finland to Ireland, but the change will be applied to all across the EU.

BTW, 70,000 people represent 0.01% of the EU population.

But sure, go democracy.

Yeah, as opposed to the existing reality where not only Irish clocks, but Irish time (Dublin Mean Time was the time here until 1916) ape whatever suits the British.

Dublin lost its time zone and 25 minutes after 1916 Rising

Once again, Europhobia is just an unbridled rage by Brits and West Brits at the Brits not being centre of the world and chief fúcktards of planet earth. It'll be a while more before they're rampaging through Irish villages and towns hanging men and women for the wearing of the green - and the jingoistic cúnts all know it very well at this stage.

To hell with centuries more of Ireland being held faoi chois by John Bull. Long live the EU.

Princess Consuela Bananahammock · 25-03-2018 10:25AM

seamus wrote: »

Yes it is "nice" that once a year you can go a barbecue and drink beer in the daylight till 10pm.

But realistically that's all it gives you.

As a parent, fnck daylight savings. Kids and animals don't know what time it is. They're going to get up at the same time regardless. So for the next week I'll have to fight my kids to bed because according to their body, it's 6pm, not 7pm. And they're not tired.

We should leave the time on UTC and be done with it.

**** DST.

I disagree on the point above that we're too small to go to UTC-1. In fact it would put us at a decent advantage internationally, being closer to US timezones and slightly earlier again than Europe would make us an ideal place to open your European headquarters.

At present there are difficulties where Europe is 6 hours ahead of the US east coast, making collaborative work between global teams troublesome.

Wouldn't the kids be getting up an hour later as well as going to bed an hour later though?

seamus · 25-03-2018 10:27AM

Princess Consuela Bananahammock wrote: »

Wouldn't the kids be getting up an hour later as well as going to bed an hour later though?

In theory. But it's only numbers on a clock.

The kids still have to get up for school. We have to get up for work. If going to bed an hour later and getting up and hour later was an option, then that would be grand. But it's not.

With DST everyone has to try go to bed an hour earlier and get up an hour earlier.

OldMrBrennan83 · 25-03-2018 10:31AM

This post has been deleted.

CrankyHaus · 25-03-2018 10:54AM

We got rid of DST between 1968 and 1971.

I read before that in this period we experienced an increase of pedestrian road deaths, particularly children walking to school in the dark in Winter. Apparently this was part of the rationale for DST re-adoption.

P_1 · 25-03-2018 10:59AM

How about this for a crazy idea. Allow Finland to scrap DST and allow the rest of us to keep it.

Princess Consuela Bananahammock · 25-03-2018 10:59AM

CrankyHaus wrote: »

We got rid of DST between 1968 and 1971.

I read before that in this period we experienced an increase of pedestrian road deaths, particularly children walking to school in the dark in Winter. Apparently this was part of the rationale for DST re-adoption.

Winter would be in uneffected by the change.

Princess Consuela Bananahammock · 25-03-2018 11:03AM

seamus wrote: »

Princess Consuela Bananahammock wrote: »

Wouldn't the kids be getting up an hour later as well as going to bed an hour later though?

In theory. But it's only numbers on a clock.

The kids still have to get up for school. We have to get up for work. If going to bed an hour later and getting up and hour later was an option, then that would be grand. But it's not.

With DST everyone has to try go to bed an hour earlier and get up an hour earlier.

Fair point. Maybe move it to Friday night / Sat Morning or even to the Easter holidays when kids have more time to adjust to it?

screamer · 25-03-2018 11:03AM

It's outdated and unnecessary, the reasons for daylight savings time ended 60 years ago.... Dump it and stop the stupidness.

screamer · 25-03-2018 11:05AM

CrankyHaus wrote: »

We got rid of DST between 1968 and 1971.

I read before that in this period we experienced an increase of pedestrian road deaths, particularly children walking to school in the dark in Winter. Apparently this was part of the rationale for DST re-adoption.

Eh... Kids don't walk to school anymore and lots has changed in the past 40 years.

iamwhoiam · 25-03-2018 11:06AM

screamer wrote: »

Eh... Kids don't walk to school anymore and lots has changed in the past 40 years.

Lots of kids walk to school here where I live ?

pitifulgod · 25-03-2018 11:07AM

P_1 wrote: »

How about this for a crazy idea. Allow Finland to scrap DST and allow the rest of us to keep it.

Loads of people in Ireland do favour scrapping it. It's head wrecking.

Princess Consuela Bananahammock · 25-03-2018 11:07AM

screamer wrote: »

CrankyHaus wrote: »

We got rid of DST between 1968 and 1971.

I read before that in this period we experienced an increase of pedestrian road deaths, particularly children walking to school in the dark in Winter. Apparently this was part of the rationale for DST re-adoption.

Eh... Kids don't walk to school anymore and lots has changed in the past 40 years.

That's just Ireland (and maybe the UK)

25-03-2018 11:07AM

P_1 wrote: »

How about this for a crazy idea. Allow Finland to scrap DST and allow the rest of us to keep it.

That's the problem with the EU init.

It's everyone or no one when it comes to clock changes apparently.

Guy:Incognito · 25-03-2018 11:08AM

facehugger99 wrote: »

.

There's something inexpressibly great about it staying bright until 11pm at night in June.

Still at least it will be bright at 3am in the morning in June

!

What about if we changed it so it stayed bright till 11pm in the morning in June and it's bright at 3am in the afternoon in June.

I says · 25-03-2018 11:09AM

Leave it the way it is.It gives us something to argue about twice a year.

P_1 · 25-03-2018 11:09AM

pitifulgod wrote: »

Loads of people in Ireland do favour scrapping it. It's head wrecking.

Well it's either that or change our working patterns. IMO there's no sense wastign hours of daylight in the mornings when people are either asleep or stuck at work

screamer · 25-03-2018 11:10AM

iamwhoiam wrote: »

screamer wrote: »

Eh... Kids don't walk to school anymore and lots has changed in the past 40 years.

Lots of kids walk to school here where I live ?

In towns with footpaths and lighting? As I said lots has changed in 40 years. No need for dst anymore

iamwhoiam · 25-03-2018 11:13AM

I says wrote: »

Leave it the way it is.It gives us something to argue about twice a year.

Yep where would we be without sending my husband to bend backwards and wrench his back to change the timer on the emmersion ? ! And then there is the curses and swears as he squints to see the settings on the heating . Not to mention once again forgetting how you change the time on the old DVD recorder box thingy . Now where did we leave the step ladder to reach the clock on the kitchen wall !

mirrorwall14 · 25-03-2018 11:15AM

P_1 wrote: »

Well it's either that or change our working patterns. IMO there's no sense wastign hours of daylight in the mornings when people are either asleep or stuck at work

Totally agree. I couldn’t care less about it being dark in the morning. Plenty of high vis and streetlights and cars have good lights. Evening time I would love a bit more light when you could actually see it after work

Capt'n Midnight · 25-03-2018 11:18AM

Phoebas wrote: »

You've got it the wrong way around.
The clocks were at standard time yesterday and changed to daylight savings time today.

The clocks were on UTC yesterday

Today they are on Irish Standard Time.

25-03-2018 11:22AM

doolox wrote: »

Time zones as we know them started in the railway age when time keeping across large areas of the world became important. Up to then local time was set to suit each localities needs. You had a time when Dublin set their timepieces 8 minutes earlier than Galway in order to go with solar time.

In the 1860's or so the present arrangement of dividing the world up into 15 degree , 1 hour segments and nominating time zones, was brought about.

Ideally Irelands west coast belongs in a different time zone to Dublins.

The greenwich Mean Time GMT zone is 7 1/2 degrees east or west of the prime meridian , 0 degrees, at Greenwich. Galway should be 1 hour ahead of Dublin if we were to go by strict interpretation of time zones but it isn't as time zones are often stretched and widened to keep most countries in one time zone, except huge countries like the US, Russia or Canada which have several time zones.

One anomaly which occurs in time zones is that Portugal keeps the same time as us but Spain doesn't. This arises from the time when Franco changed the clocks to synchronise with Central European time in line with his allies in Germany but Portugal did not.

You therefore have the situation that places like Santiago de Compostela, Ferrol Vigo etc in Spains northwest corner are 1 hr ahead of neighbouring provinces in Portugal, although on the same meridian.

For places on the extreme west of Europe there is a strong case for adopting GMT -1, 1 hour behind London and 2 hours behind Paris so that we don't suffer the dark mornings we now do in winter, we should be getting up an hour later than London.
Unfortunately we have the system we have to suit the financial bosses who synchronise everything to London and Frankfurt meaning everybody in Ireland has to get up earlier than solar time or nature intends.

Our population and influence is just too small to be able to adopt a local time.

Even worse is Iceland on GMT although it is two time zones to the west of true, nautical GMT. Again a small local population and lack of influence allows this to happen.

Just like Spain and Portugal there are some real odd ones around the world.

New South Wales and Queensland in Australia are in the same time zone but QLD does not do DST so you have a hour difference for half the year traveling north/south.

The Northern Terrority and South Australia are in a time zone 30 minutes behind NSW and QLD but like QLD NT does not do DST.

Pakistan and India are divided by a 30 minute Time Zone because they hate each other.

And the Solomon Islands (I think) moved from one side of the IDL to another a few years back to be on the same day as Australia it's biggest commercial market.

Danny Donut · 25-03-2018 11:23AM

Capt'n Midnight wrote: »

The clocks were on UTC yesterday

Today they are on Irish Standard Time.

Our standard time is summer time because we really a tropical summer people

OldMrBrennan83 · 25-03-2018 11:25AM

This post has been deleted.

dr.fuzzenstein · 25-03-2018 11:32AM

How about abandoning summer time AND timezones? Just have the same global 24 hour time apply to the whole planet.
Meaning if it's 12 o'clock in Dublin, it's 12 o'clock everywhere on the planet. And there will be no more date divide!
A clock just displays numbers. It will take some getting used to to get up at 3 am and have lunch at 8am, but what does it matter? You'll get used to telling your kids "remember, be home at 1am on the dot!"
Everyone will decide when to start work and if you have to arrange a remote meeting between 4 different time zones, things will be so much easier.
I am sure this could save billions!

Phoebas · 25-03-2018 11:57AM

Capt'n Midnight wrote: »

The clocks were on UTC yesterday

Today they are on Irish Standard Time.

I guess it depends on the way you look at it.

I view UTC as our 'standard' time, and IST as the 'adjusted' time.
If the EU discussion leads to us dropping DST then we would revert to UTC year round. (I guess we would be free to change our standard timezone from UTC to UTC+1/CET, but that's unlikely).

EU want to do away with long summer evenings

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