DSTmap Surprise in Cheboygan, a DST that Increases Morning Sunlight

The most recent work at DSTmap goes beyond discontent with changing the clocks to illustrate the combined impact of Daylight Saving Time and time zones. That map is https://interactiveDSTmap.github.io

DSTmap reports that it differs from other maps on the topic because for each county in the United States it shows consequences of five DST options: 1) Permanent Standard Time, 2) a short Memorial to Labor Day DST, 3) the 1966-2006 DST, 4) the Current DST and 5) Permanent Daylight Savings Time. It also shows the impact of lopsided Time Zones.

As an example, when we zoom in on the Great Lakes and click on Cheboygan, Michigan, the map shows this image. The text in red in the first column shows percentage of late sunrises and time latest sunrise under current conditions. In Cheboygan 61% of their sunrises now occur after 7:00 AM. With a short Memorial Day DST, fewer late sunrises would have occurred: 41%. The second column indicates sunrises when a time zone is also corrected. With a corrected time zone and a short Memorial Day DST, only 16% of Cheboygan’s sunrises are late.

As DSTmap indicates, with only 16% of sunrises being later than 7:00 AM, Cheboygan’s mornings would be transformed. They would have sunrises similar to those now experienced in some southern states. The late sunrises it now has are primarily the result of an inappropriate time zone. The value of being aware of causes and options available in Michigan and elsewhere has local impact. Having similarly detailed information for you at the local may also be important.

In particular, the map indicates that the impact of late sunrises come in two forms: endangering children waiting for school busses in early morning darkness and circadian disruptions. As Michael Rosbash pointed out in his 2017 Nobel Prize in Physiology/Medicine Lecture, “More than 50% of all gene expression is under circadian control.” In the morning, circadian clocks throughout the body are set in response to the sun’s light/dark cycle. The morning sunlight produced by DST and Time Zones profoundly influence the setting of circadian clocks. Downstream effects attributed to DST include decreased life expectancy, shortened sleep, increased body weight, breast cancer, diabetes, heart disease, sleep disturbances, and mental & cognitive problems.

Visit https://interactiveDSTmap.github.io whenever you like.

About DSTmap

The object at DSTmap is to put local DST and time-zone information into your hands so that you can meaningfully contribute to getting appropriate DSTs and Time Zones – locally and nationally. Visit us whenever you like.