In recent years, there has been discussion over the ongoing advantages of daylight saving time, which was first used during World War I to save energy.
One of America’s most divisive timekeeping customs, daylight saving time, appears to be the target of the new government organization headed by Elon Musk and Vivek Ramaswamy.
The CEO of SpaceX and Tesla has made a compelling case for the Department of Government Efficiency, or DOGE, to stop the semiannual clock adjustments in several social media posts over the last week.
The public wants to do away with the annoying time changes! On his platform, X, Musk posted a link to an online survey that indicated the majority of participants supported doing away with the time shifts. “It’s inefficient & easy to change,” Ramaswamy retorted. Musk later confirmed his position when asked if he intended to stop the time shift by responding “Yes” to Senator Mike Lee (R-Utah).
The remarks support DOGE’s objective to expedite government procedures, even though they could be a lighthearted discussion rather than a specific policy recommendation. However, Congress must approve any significant changes. This requirement has hampered previous attempts at legislation, such as the 2022 “Sunshine Protection Act,” which passed the Senate but failed in the House.
An increasing opposition to daylight saving time:
In recent years, there has been discussion over the ongoing advantages of daylight saving time, which was first used during World War I to save energy. Its unforeseen implications, such as health concerns from disturbed sleep patterns, are cited by critics.
In the days after the clock changes, studies have connected the practice to higher instances of heart attacks, strokes, and auto accidents. Furthermore, according to JPMorgan Chase research, depending on the locale, the return to standard time is linked to a 2.2% to 4.9% decline in consumer expenditure.
Frustration is also reflected in public opinion. According to a YouGov poll conducted in 2022, two-thirds of Americans support ending time variations. However, most respondents said they would prefer to permanently eliminate daylight saving time and switch back to regular time.
Azerbaijan, Iran, Jordan, Namibia, Russia, Samoa, Syria, Turkey, Mexico, and Uruguay have all stopped using daylight saving time in the past ten years. Furthermore, several nations never made use of it.
The European Parliament decided in 2019 to do away with biannual clock adjustments by 2021, but the plan was shelved since member states could not agree.
How can Ramaswamy and Musk indeed abolish daylight saving time?
Musk has previously made fun of the custom, having grown up in South Africa, a nation that does not observe daylight saving time. He sarcastically posted a mocking justification of daylight saving time in 2017, labeling it “annoying.”
Ramaswamy, a prominent conservative who created the biotech business Roivant Sciences, has frequently criticized ineffective government policies. Although it is uncertain if eliminating daylight saving time is feasible, the leadership of DOGE is intended to solve such inefficiencies.
Because of its historical link to the standardization of train time in the early 20th century, daylight saving time is governed by the Department of Transportation (DOT). However, without congressional action, the agency cannot make any modifications.
Fortunately for Musk and Ramaswamy, Republicans will soon hold the White House, Senate, and House of Representatives. President-elect Trump has previously stated that he supports permanent daylight saving time, so there’s a good chance it will be codified if the correct bill is introduced.
