Changing the clocks?
Posted by Mark Lazarowicz, MP for Edinburgh North and Leith, at 16:57, Mon 8 November 2010:
The clocks changed the weekend before last – and in Parliament in a few weeks time there will be a debate on whether or not the UK cocks should move forward an extra hour all year round. The proposal is in an MP Private Member’s Bill, due to be debated on Friday 3 December. I’m very interested to know what people living in Edinburgh North & Leith think of the idea. I’ve put more information about the proposals on my website at http://www.marklazarowicz.org.uk/lighter-later and you can vote in the poll on that page. You can also of course comment in response to this update, or email me direct to mark@marklazarowicz.org.uk. Please let me know what you think!
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Posted by Kevan Shaw, 18:05, Mon 8 November 2010: (Is this post abusive?) #
In response to the Lighter Later campaign I would point out that we have been here before as the continuation of British Summer Time through the winter was tried between 1968 and 1971. This trial was stopped due to massive unpopularity, to some extent fed by a media campaign highlighting an increase in road accidents to children going to school. As I was going to school at that time I can assure you that I did not appreciate leaving home in the dark for the best part of 3 months and coming home in the dark for the best part of 2 months. In Scotland the difference in latitude makes a very significant difference to hours of daylight availability.
The idea of Lighter Later is somewhat flawed. Why do we need to change the clocks to achieve the same result? Can those in the South of England not just get up an hour earlier, have businesses open an hour earlier and close an hour earlier? Whatever benefits are supposed to be gained by changing the clocks will equally be achieved and those of us in the North will be able to leave our arrangements as they are. This seems more equitable and a lot easier than a change in time-zones somewhere around Yorkshire so none of us really have to get up and go to work in the dark!
On a health and wellbeing note, we need daylight in the morning to suppress melatonin. If we go to work in the dark we go from artificially lit homes on artificially lit public transport to artificially lit places of work at no time getting above the 1500 Lux threshold for the third receptor in the eye to activate our biological clock into day mode. If we go to work in daylight, even the short periods we spend outside are likely to get us into an adequately bright space for this to start happening.
Unfortunately this campaign is another London-centric idea funded by London based do-gooders who prefer holidaying in France to travelling North of Watford. We in Scotland need to be considered in legislation that will have bigger impacts on our lives than it will have on those living in the South of England.
Posted by George Barlow, 10:21, Tue 9 November 2010: (Is this post abusive?) #
Do not change the clock, I am sick and tried of changing the twice a year.
Posted by Mark Lazarowicz, 16:15, Wed 10 November 2010: (Is this post abusive?) #
The last comment suggests I should make clear that the Lighter Later proposal would not mean that the clocks would not change - they would - the difference is that both summer time and winter time would be moved forward an hour (GMT +2 in the summer, GMT + 1 in the winter).