Bizarre Facts You Never Knew About Daylight Saving Time

Time for the masks to come off. DST has nothing to do with farmers, energy, or Benjamin Franklin. No, like many societal problems, it's all about squeezing a little more profit.

Just ask Michael Downing, author of Spring Forward: The Annual Madness of Daylight Saving Time. In an interview with NPR, Downing explains the real reason we've been stuck with DST is that corporations, retailers, and stores want people to go spend money. As he puts it, "They understood that if their department stores were lit up, people would be tempted by them."

In 1986, both the golf and barbecue industries pushed for a longer DST period, saying it would make them hundreds of millions. Daylight saving has absolutely nothing to do with saving energy, a fact that Downing clarifies by pointing out another industry that profits hugely from DST: big oil. Even if people use their light bulbs a little less, they get in the car more, so gasoline profits go up.

Another major proponent of DST is the candy industry. When they're not busy giving people diabetes, candy giants are gearing up for Halloween, and they fought really hard to get an extra trick-or-treating hour in, hoping for more candy sales. During a 1985 hearing, they reportedly left little candy pumpkin treats on every senator's seat, hoping to get DST extended into November.

ncG1vNJzZmivp6x7qL7Up56eZpOkunCFk29oameSnseivtGeZJ%2BZk6nAbrrEr5yrZZujsrh5w5qwpaGXncFuv8CvoKefXam2rrGO