People in Germany don't like the time change routine very much. The underlying causes have long since faded away. Summertime has its share of difficulties.
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Time for another time change: the clocks will go forward one hour on March 27. There has been much debate over the termination of daylight saving time, which starts on Sunday.
What does the time change bring?
The time shift was instituted as a means of conserving resources. Electricity use drops by an hour when the days are longer and the sun is out. That's the hope, at the very least.
Why should the time change be abolished?
There is a lot of debate over the energy-saving benefits, and it is believed to be very hard to establish. Lighting consumes less energy during the warmer months. On the other hand, in the mornings of spring and fall, extra warmth is offered.
The time change has not gone down well in Germany. Three half of those polled support removing it and grumble about the "lost hour" in the spring, according to polls.
There seems to be little or no discussion at all this year due to the ongoing conflict in the Ukraine. No politicians' comments are heard in this matter, according to PTB physicist Andreas Bauch, who is in charge of broadcasting Germany's official legal time. Many of the typical questions directed at his position of power went unanswered.
What is standard time?
The clock is advanced one hour, from two o'clock to three o'clock, each March, to mark the commencement of daylight saving time. In October, the clocks are set back one hour, from three o'clock to two o'clock, to restore standard time. During the winter months, Central European Time (CET) is used (CET). From the end of October until the end of March, it lasts for five months. The following seven months are on Central European Summer Time (CEST). The final Sunday in October or the last Sunday in March always marks the beginning of a new time zone.
What issues may develop as a result of the time change?
People's biorhythms are affected by the time shift. Summer, on the other hand, may be perplexing for animals. This generally causes issues when they encounter new individuals. Milking and feeding dairy cows should always be done at the same time. To acclimate the animals to the new working hours and waking times, some farms gradually adapt the milking time to the new rhythm and begin milking the cows five minutes earlier every day two weeks before the time change. Humans and animals have the same biorhythm just in time for the time change.
Wild animals also orient themselves to daylight and twilight rather than the time indicated on cellphones and wristwatches. At night, deer and other wildlife like to cross highways. The ADAC informs drivers of this. There is an increased chance of accident if rush-hour traffic occurs between 6 a.m. and 7 a.m. at dawn. It's no surprise that the number of deer killed in traffic accidents in April was unusually high.
The technique does not create any issues with the clock transition. The atomic clocks of the Physikalisch-Technische Bundesanstalt in Braunschweig provide the precise time. Radio clocks automatically adjust themselves. Deutsche Bahn has been adjusting to the new time zone for a long time.
When should the time change be abolished?
Since the beginning of the EU's existence, the time shift has been a hot topic. The EU Commission issued a proposed legislation on the matter in 2018. However, the European Parliament agreed, but postponed the conclusion of the time shift scheduled for 2019 to 2021. However, the member nations did not agree to this plan. A halt is in effect.
Why hasn't the time change been abolished yet?
Winter time, sometimes known as regular time, or summer time, is a contentious issue among EU members. Time change isn't going away in certain EU nations, and they don't want it to. To prevent a patchwork quilt of time zones, the EU wishes to avoid it.
A middle ground solution is also on the table. It is said that EU Parliament deputy leader Biljana Borzan from Croatia proposed that the clocks be turned back by just half an hour in the future. Rather of 12:00 p.m. in the winter and 1:00 p.m. in the summer, it would always be 12:30 p.m. when the sun is at its peak. There are no realistic possibilities of success with just half an hour.