This first Monday of DST I'm now getting up in the dark. I've been there. Done that. Am tired of it. I've had enough dark, thank you very much. All winter I've been getting up in the dark. I don't need to sacrifice my daylight for Daylight "Savings" Time.
The benefits of DST are often said to save energy and money. Not in Alaska. It's cold. I have to start my car up (after plugging in in for at least a few hours) when it is cold, before the day warms up, which wastes energy, big time. I have to turn on lights to see what I'm doing. Instead of being a big boon, it's a big pain in the ass.
Light is coming back at a rate of 7 minutes per day. By June 21st we'll have nearly 24 hours of daylight. We don't need DST. It doesn't make sense here.
During the winter it gets dark, and we lose light until we have only around 2 1/2 hours of official daylight a a day. Changing the time isn't going to make the sun shine longer.
Some small group of business people feel disadvantaged because of our time zone, and want DST to make their contacts with the Lower 48 work better with their schedules. Look folks, we all live in this time zone. Grow up. If you need to call the East Coast by a certain time then you get up and make sure you call them by the required time. If you can't deal with that, then maybe you need to move back to the Lower 48.
When I have had to call Ireland I get up early and make the call. That's an eight hour difference. I'm sure you folks can handle a four hour difference.
When DST was invented there was no internet. Communications now are cheap and easily accomplished even with most cell phones. There is no reason for every citizen of Alaska to suffer because some business person can't get it together to call Outside at the right time.
I urge everyone to call their representatives and ask them to stop this madness. Watch this space for a petition.
