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As the Daylight Saving Time category explains, moving our clocks an hour ahead means more sunlight later in the day. Aside from its obvious brightening effect, this act of time trickery also conserves energy. By "springing ahead," we shorten the peak period when electricity is needed to power lights, televisions, and other appliances before bedtime. Benjamin Franklin was the first to suggest the idea in his essay, "An Economical Project." But
William Willett is considered the originator of daylight savings. He started the campaign that led to "summer time," ratified in the U.K. in 1916. European countries adopted daylight saving time over the next two years, and the United States followed with an act in 1918, though the new system was practiced inconsistently. In 1966, the U.S. Uniform Time Act established a set pattern for observing daylight saving time across the country. The act was revised in 1986, moving the start date a month earlier to the first Sunday of April. This saves an additional 300,000 barrels of oil each year. Approximately 70 countries observe daylight saving time, but the start
and end dates vary. And countries near the equator don't participate since their daylight hours change minimally throughout the year.
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