State Representative Jeff Irwin wants to end daylight saving time for all of Michigan.
The practice, he says, was adopted during WWI to cut back on energy usage. However, today, daylight saving time actually correlates with an increase in energy usage.
"What we found is that daylight saving time actually increases energy use by one percent, and one percent across the state of Michigan is quite a bit of energy," Irwin said. "That's a lot of energy we're wasting."
Not only does "springing forward" and "falling back" increase energy usage across the state, it is also related to an increase in workplace accidents, traffic accidents, and even heart attacks.
The biggest problem, Irwin explained, would be the logistical issues that would come with Michigan being a different time than the surrounding states. Regardless, he thinks it's worth it.
"When you've got one day out of the year that's one hour shorter than every other day of the year, I'd say that's the worst day of the year," Irwin said. "So let's get rid of the worst day of the year."
--Paige Pfleger, Michigan Radio Newsroom
