Lighter Later campaign to shift the clocks forwards giving us an extra hour of daylight in the evenings - What do you think?

[JustineMumsnet]

What do we think of this campaign to move the clocks forward by an hour all year round?

10:10 LAUNCHES "LIGHTER LATER" CAMPAIGN

On the day of the spring clock change 10:10 is launching the Lighter Later campaign to brighten the nation's days, simply by changing the clocks so we are awake when the sun is out.

10:10 is proposing we shift our clocks to give us one extra hour of daylight in the evenings, all year round. In other words, the UK would shift to GMT+1 in the winter and GMT+2 in spring/summer.

If this was implemented the entire country would, overnight, be one step closer to a 10% reduction in its carbon emissions, as well as happier, healthier and better off. This is a great example of how action on climate change need not be negative, long-term or overly complicated, but rather simple, common-sensical and with multiple benefits.

Franny Armstrong, 10:10 founder and director of the climate change blockbuster The Age Of Stupid said

"Hands up who doesn't want our country to be safer, lighter, more prosperous and with less pollution? And who doesn't want to save money on their electricity bills without lifting a finger?"

This simple change would save almost half-a-million tonnes of CO2 each year1. That's equivalent to taking 185,000 cars off the road permanently.

But, as with so many of the simple behavioural changes 10:10 is recommending to people and organisations, this policy initiative has many benefits beyond the environment.

• Road Safety This policy could save over 100 fatalities on the nation's roads each year.

• Energy bills Consumers and businesses would use less energy thus saving money!

• Tourism & jobs It is estimated that, as a result of the measures proposed by the Lighter Later campaign, 60,000-80,000 jobs will be created through increased leisure & tourism, bringing an extra £2.5-3.5 billion into the economy each year.

• Prevent accidents. More daylight could prevent an estimated 1,000 serious injuries every year.

• Crime Lighter evening would reduce crime and fear of crime.

• Health. More daylight means more time for sports and outdoor activities.

These knock-on benefits mean that lighter evenings are now a more attractive prospect than ever. And people have finally started to take notice. From tourism trade bodies to road safety campaigners, and from sporting organisations to serving Government ministers, a new movement for lighter evenings is growing day by day.

10:10 is calling on individuals, businesses and organisations alike to add their voices to the call for lighter evenings all year round by visiting www.lighterlater.org

Article about it here.

Tumbledriers are a godsend for those with bedwetting children, or teenagers.

Yes I can see that Uriel. And for those who care for incontinent older people. But not necessary for general population.

for those who say this is an environmental issue - why the hell don't we just turn all the damned lights OFF through may, june and july when it's barely dark at all.

simples.

I would fall over the guinea pig cage in the long dark hall, fluffles, even in June.

well of course fluffles. But there is an energy saving in summer, don't you notice on your electricity bills?

pofaced it depresses me too

but re tumble driers - I would struggle to get things like sheets dry

West of Scotland, so even in the summer it is very wet and the warmth you need to dry clothes outside lasts about 3 months of the year

I don't have a spare room or utility room to hang up washing so we permanently have clothes driers cluttering our living room even with some use of the tumble drier

My other non-green option is just to turn on the heating and dry everything on radiators

I think I count myself as part of the general population though

How should I dry my washing?

You need one of these on your ceiling. Heat rises so the warm air is around your ceiling. Do you have stairs? Installing them on the ceiling at the top of the stairs is a good space saver, that's what we do. But it is difficult in small spaces. And I find clothes dry well outside if it is windy, regardless of temperature. In Italy they have pulley driers and hang them out of the window.

But I know it is difficult. There ought to be communal drying spaces in flats, though I know that brings its own problems [pervy neighbour rifling through your knickers]

I don't really care - within limits - what time they call it, as long as it's the same all year round. Has anybody yet done the research on how many people have rows, accidents and so on because our bodies are thoroughly confused for several weeks after every clock change? How much sleep and school concentration do children lose? Despite stable routines, my two are very disturbed after clocks go back or forward for quite a while, I imagine because of the sudden change in light patterns. Barmy to keep changing it.

'You will also note that Scotland is directly north of England'. I am always correcting this misconception. We have all looked at straight up and down weather maps for too long.

In fact all of Scotland is at least 2 degrees to the WEST of Greenwich and some + some of Northern Ireland is as much as 8 degrees west. On the continent and across America time zones change as you move further west because the sun rises one hour later for every 15 degrees of longditude. This means that sunrise & sunset are half an hour later in the far west of the UK than they are at Greewich. Had the meridian been set somewhere more central such as Swansea, Plymouth or Glasgow every part of the country would have quarter of an hour or less deviation between clock time and real time. I understand that in Cornwall people, having set their clocks and watches using sundials, went about their daily lives quite the thing until the arrival of railways when it became obvious that Cornish clocks were 20 minutes behind London clocks.

So not only is Scotland disadvantaged by less daylight in winter, which cannot be changed, its real time is always behind 'clock time' which is a variable man made concept. In a very real way the UKs time is set in, by, and for London. Another of the dubious benefits of a United Kingdom.

Also meant to comment on MN's 'favour extra daylight hour?' by line. No one gets any more daylight from this proposal. I cannot see why they are becoming involved in this relatively trivial but obviously contentious campaign.

Thank you granny23, that is my new thing I have learnt today
I vote for Swansea Mean Time btw

So Mumsnet what do YOU think?

Nono Jackrabbit, it should be Glasgow Mean Time and then we won't even need to change the initials, see?

'so not only is Scotland disadvantaged by less daylight in winter, which cannot be changed'

Yes that's the point. It will just be lighter and darker at different times. And it will benefit other parts of the country and makes sense environmentally. But never mind.

yyy to glasgow mean time. problem solved.

yay for Granny23

Po, I'm going to kidnap you and make you live in Aberdeen for a year if you don't stop it.

Mull. Can I live on Mull?

No you can't. And if you don't stop trying to plunge us into perpetual darkness we won't even let you visit.

It is always very light in the evenings on Mull when we're there.

OOh, you are all being dead welshist innit!

I'm not supporting the cause but I'm happy that it is appropriate for MN to raise the issue as it is something that gets people talking and that is what MN is all about! I am sorry to see some posts turn unpleasant but most of it is good banter.