One hell of a stupid Democrat:

Who? Ed Markey. In a press release, we read:

Here Comes the Sun: Markey Daylight Saving Time Bill Brightens Spring, Reduces Energy Use, Cuts Warming Pollution

WASHINGTON (March 7, 2008) – Spring will spring earlier this year, or at least it will seem that way. Early this Sunday, most Americans will set their clocks ahead one hour for Daylight Saving Time (DST), and do it several weeks earlier than in years past, thanks to a bill authored by Reps. Edward J. Markey (D-Mass.) and Fred Upton (R-Mich.). The earlier DST will save energy, cut global warming pollution, and give the entire country an early exit from the too-soon sunsets of a long winter.

“An hour of extra sunlight in the evening is welcome news for those of us who are ready for spring,” said Markey, Chairman of the House Select Committee on Energy Independence and Global Warming. “Saving energy and decreasing crime help to justify this effort, and the extra evening light will make our towns, cities, front stoops and porches livelier as winter begins to wind down and we look forward to spring.” [...]

But wait! In a decisive study:

... a unique situation in Indiana provides evidence challenging that view: Springing forward may actually waste energy.

Using more than seven million monthly meter readings from Duke Energy Corp., covering nearly all the households in southern Indiana for three years, they were able to compare energy consumption before and after counties began observing daylight-saving time. Readings from counties that had already adopted daylight-saving time provided a control group that helped them to adjust for changes in weather from one year to the next.

Their finding: Having the entire state switch to daylight-saving time each year, rather than stay on standard time, costs Indiana households an additional $8.6 million in electricity bills. They conclude that the reduced cost of lighting in afternoons during daylight-saving time is more than offset by the higher air-conditioning costs on hot afternoons and increased heating costs on cool mornings.

"I've never had a paper with such a clear and unambiguous finding as this," says Mr. Kotchen, who presented the paper at a National Bureau of Economic Research conference this month.

A 2007 study by economists Hendrik Wolff and Ryan Kellogg of the temporary extension of daylight-saving in two Australian territories for the 2000 Summer Olympics also suggested the clock change increases energy use.... a 1976 report to Congress evaluating that analysis, the National Bureau of Standards concluded that there were no significant energy savings.

"In an inland state like Indiana, it gets hot in the summer," says Steve Gustafsen, a lawyer in New Albany, Ind., who filed a suit in 2000 in an effort to get his county to abandon daylight-saving time. "Daylight saving means running the air conditioner more."

That was borne out by the study by Mr. Kotchen and Ms. Grant. Their research showed that while an extra hour of daylight in the evenings may mean less electricity is spent on lights, it also means that houses are warmer in the summer when people come home from work. Conversely, during daylight-saving time's cooler months, people may crank up the thermostats more in the morning.

Stop the madness!


posted by Quiddity at 3/10/2008 03:11:00 PM