Entry

Should we change time?

Feb 13th, 2007 09:55
Harish Kohli, http://www.awimaway.com

SHOULD WE CHANGE TIME?
If Tim Yeo has his way, we’ll all be enjoying lighter evenings – and 
putting up with darker mornings. And Britain could be a whole lot 
greener – and richer.
Conservative MP Yeo is seeking a second reading of his Energy Saving 
(Daylight) Bill. The Bill proposes that the UK will be on Greenwich 
mean time plus one hour in winter and on British summer time plus an 
hour (or Greenwich mean time plus two hours) in the summer. 
Which means that Greenwich will never again be on Greenwich mean time …
Why is this being proposed? Supporters of the Bill, including The 
Royal Society for the Prevention of Accidents, say that moving the 
clocks forward will reduce accidents, especially the many road deaths 
and serious injuries that occur on dark evenings – cutting the number 
by up to 450 per year. 
It will also put Britain in the same time zone as Central Europe, 
which will make life more convenient for travellers and people doing 
business with the Continent. 
It is thought that the change will encourage more tourists, putting an 
estimated £3 billion more into the tourism coffers. 
And there’s a green reason for moving the clocks forward as well. 
We’ll save as much as £485 million in electricity as we use fewer 
lights. All of that helps Britain meet its targets for cutting carbon 
emissions. 
The Bill needs government support if it is to succeed in Parliament, 
but with all-party support the signs are looking good. Separate votes 
in the Scottish Parliament, the Welsh Assembly and the Northern 
Ireland Assembly will decide whether the new ruling should apply in 
those parts of the UK.  
Harish Kohli
http://www.awimaway.com