This week starts daylight saving time, when we set our clocks back an hour to make the days appear an hour longer then usual. That means that we will have to get up an hour earlier to make it through our usual schedule, but we also will get an extra hour of sunlight in the evening. The first few weeks of savings time promise to be dark in the morning, but the extra light in the evening is greatly appreciated.

The actual energy savings is questionable with so many Americans dependent on artificial cooling to make their houses cool at night. But the benefit is far greater then less energy use. It means that we have more time in the evenings to get out and explore the natural world. There is nothing quite as comforting as seeing natural light and getting some of that warm fresh air in a spring or summer evening.

It’s terrible that so many of us are imprisoned in fortresses all day that keep as away from the natural world we all are so dependent on. But with daylight savings time, we have more time to get outdoors before darkness overtakes the sky and makes it difficult to work outside without the help of the moonlight or bright flashlights. That extra day light regenerates us and allows us to have more time outdoors, that we might otherwise spend indoors.

If people learned to embrace the heat and avoid their demands for air conditioning all the time, then daylight savings time would decrease energy use. If people where sensible, then daylight savings time would mean less use of artificial lighting, and less use of electronic toys. Daylight savings time is really an asset for all Americans, especially if they choose to embrace it’s benefits.