DAYLIGHT SAVING TIME

I have to admit, I was not happy and still am not happy with Daylight Saving Time. And, just to clarify, it is “Daylight Saving Time” not “Daylight Savings Time.” I was just fine and dandy with never having to change my clocks or worry about what time it was here in Fort Wayne, Indiana.

Our country – that is the contiguous United States – is divided into four time zones: Eastern, Central, Mountain, and Pacific. When we are not in Daylight Saving mode, we are considered to be on standard time. A week ago we switched back to Eastern Standard Time (EST). Next March, we move to Eastern Daylight Time (EDT) and observe Daylight Saving Time.

I grew up with Daylight Saving Time during the 1950s and the 1960s, and then adjusted to not having it in the 1970s, when our legislature dispensed with it. I spent 30+ years living with Eastern Standard Time and not changing my clocks, and I liked it.

Daylight Saving Time was instituted in the United States during World War I in order to save energy for war production by taking advantage of the later hours of daylight between April and October. During World War II the federal government again required the states to observe the time change. Between the wars and after World War II, states and communities chose whether or not to observe Daylight Saving Time. In 1966, Congress passed the Uniform Time Act which standardized the length of Daylight Saving Time.

Indiana’s time history has a checkered past. From 1918, when the Act of March 19, 1918 passed, establishing legal time zones in the United States, until 1961, the dividing line between the Eastern Time Zone and the Central Time Zone was the eastern border of Indiana. We once belonged to the Central Time zone. Interesting!

The entire state was on Central Time, and observed Daylight Saving Time (DST). In 1961, the Interstate Commerce Commission adjusted this line so that Indiana was split down the middle, with the eastern half of the state on Eastern Time, and the western half on Central Time.

Having the state split in two time zones was inconvenient and so, in 1967 Governor Roger D. Branigan petitioned the United States Department of Transportation (DOT) to have the entire state of Indiana placed back on Central Time. Instead, DOT fixed the boundary in a position where all but ten counties in western Indiana (those ten counties were Lake, Porter, LaPorte, Newton, and Jasper in the northwest and Gibson, Posey, Vanderburgh, Warrick, and Spencer counties in the southwest) were in the Eastern Time Zone, but the state was given permission to exempt portions of itself from DST.

Although most portions of the state that were in the Eastern Time Zone did not observe DST, some counties – including Floyd, Clark, Harrison, counties near Louisville, Kentucky, and Ohio and Dearborn, counties near Cincinnati, Ohio – observed it unofficially due to their proximity to major cities in other Eastern Time Zone states. The Central time zone counties did observe DST.

Today only Arizona (except some Indian Reservations), Hawaii, Puerto Rico, the U.S. Virgin Islands, and American Samoa have chosen not to observe Daylight Saving Time. Until 2006, Indiana was also included in that group. One of Governor Daniels’ campaign promises was to bring Indiana into line with the other states which already recognized Daylight Saving Time.

One of the biggest arguments for Daylight Saving Time was the confusion caused by our Indiana zones and clock changes – or non-changes – on out-of-state companies transacting business in Indiana. I really have my doubts as to that argument. Many companies do business in every conceivable time zone, so it would seem that they would be astute at knowing what time it is at any given moment in various countries and states.

Despite public opposition, the Indiana legislature voted to move Indiana onto Daylight Saving Time in 2005. The change took effect in 2006. Indiana was not the only entity to tinker with its system of time change; Congress passed the Energy Policy Act of 2005, extending Daylight Saving Time by four weeks. Observation of DST now begins on the second Sunday in March and ends on the first Sunday in November.

Today, the arguments for or against Daylight Saving Time have nothing to do with war-time production. In fact, I don’t see how arguments can be made in favor of Daylight Saving Time, especially with our 24-hour-a-day society. Big-box stores never close. Fast-food chains are open close to 24-hours a day. Many factories work two or three shifts. Any energy conservation that occurred in our earlier history certainly has to be eaten up by our 24-hour lifestyle.

One final fact – although the world has a population of over 6.5 billion people, only 1 billion of those people are subject to Daylight Saving Time. Many of the foreign countries which are now the sources of cheap imports do not observe Daylight Saving Time. CAFTA countries, for the most part, do not observe DST. China does not observe DST.

Funny how that doesn’t stop our corporations from doing business with them. And, I doubt it will.

 

Although DST is common in Europe and North America, most of the world’s people do not use it.

DST never used (red)

DST used (blue)

DST no longer used (orange)

VETERANS DAY – NOVEMBER 11, 2007

TODAY IS VETERANS DAY – YESTERDAY WAS THE PARADE.

Despite being bombarded and blasted with sales of all types reminding the public of Veterans Day as well as some employers and employees receiving Monday off to honor our veterans, the turnout at the annual Fort Wayne Veterans Day parade along Parnell was dismal.

The weather was beautiful: a little nippy but with blue skies and a shining sun. So what’s the problem?

Fort Wayne is a community of about 250,000 people, yet the crowd was sparse. If I had to estimate attendance, I would say somewhere around 300 – 400 or so viewers. Most people gathered in groups of two or three; others stood by themselves. When I see so few people turn out for the parade, I have to wonder where all those “patriots” are who have slapped a magnetic sticker on their vehicles proclaiming “Support Our Troops.”

A HISTORY OF VETERANS DAY

World War I ended with the Treaty of Versailles signed on June 28, 1919. Fighting had ceased seven months earlier when an armistice, or temporary cessation of hostilities, between the Allied nations and Germany went into effect on the eleventh hour of the eleventh day of the eleventh month. For that reason, November 11, 1918, is generally regarded as the end of “the war to end all wars.”

On May 13, 1938, a Congressional Act made the 11th of November in each year a legal holiday: a day dedicated to the cause of world peace. Originally called Armistice Day to honor the veterans of World War I, the name was later changed. In 1954, after World War II and after American forces had fought aggression in Korea, the 83rd Congress, at the urging of the veterans service organizations, amended the Act of 1938 by striking out the word “Armistice” and inserting in its place the word “Veterans.” With the approval of this legislation on June 1, 1954, November 11th became a day to honor American veterans of all wars.

The original concept for the celebration was for a day observed with parades and public meetings and a brief suspension of business beginning at 11 a.m. Of course, in today’s 24-hour, non-stop world, the closing of big-box stores as well as many others won’t happen.

Today, many citizens simply see Veterans Day as another holiday for which they will get paid to stay home or shop or sleep or do whatever they deem necessary. The following is the Senate Resolution designating November 11 through November 17 as “National Veterans Awareness Week.”

110th CONGRESS

1stSession

S. RES. 357

Designating the week of November 11 through November 17, 2007, as “National Veterans Awareness Week” to emphasize the need to develop educational programs regarding the contributions of veterans to the country.

 

IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

October 26, 2007

Mr. BIDEN (for himself, Mrs. LINCOLN, Mr. DORGAN, Mrs. FEINSTEIN, Mr. BOND, Mrs. CLINTON, Mr. BUNNING, Mr. CRAIG, Mr. ISAKSON, Mr. INHOFE, Ms. SNOWE, Ms. KLOBUCHAR, Mr. BAUCUS, Mr. ALLARD, Mr. CASEY, Ms. MIKULSKI, Mr. TESTER, Mr. LAUTENBERG, Mr. ROCKEFELLER, Mr. FEINGOLD, Mr. NELSON of Florida, Mr. HAGEL, Mr. VITTER, Mr. WHITEHOUSE, Mr. KERRY, Mr. GREGG, Mr. COLEMAN, Mr. BINGAMAN, Mr. DODD, Ms. LANDRIEU, Mr. CRAPO, Mr. STEVENS, Mr. THUNE, and Mr. BURR) submitted the following resolution; which was considered and agreed to

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RESOLUTION Designating the week of November 11 through November 17, 2007, as “National Veterans Awareness Week” to emphasize the need to develop educational programs regarding the contributions of veterans to the country.Whereas tens of millions of Americans have served in the Armed Forces of the United States during the past century;Whereas hundreds of thousands of Americans have given their lives while serving in the Armed Forces during the past century;Whereas the contributions and sacrifices of the men and women who served in the Armed Forces have been vital in maintaining the freedoms and way of life enjoyed by the people of the United States;Whereas the advent of the all-volunteer Armed Forces has resulted in a sharp decline in the number of individuals and families who have had any personal connection with the Armed Forces;Whereas this reduction in familiarity with the Armed Forces has resulted in a marked decrease in the awareness by young people of the nature and importance of the accomplishments of those who have served in the Armed Forces, despite the current educational efforts of the Department of Veterans Affairs and the veterans service organizations;Whereas the system of civilian control of the Armed Forces makes it essential that the future leaders of the Nation understand the history of military action and the contributions and sacrifices of those who conduct such actions; andWhereas in each of the years 2000 through 2006 the Senate has recognized the need to increase the understanding of the contributions of veterans among school-aged children by approving a resolution recognizing the week containing Veterans Day as “National Veterans Awareness Week”: Now, therefore, be itResolved, That the Senate —(1) designates the week of November 11 through November 17, 2007, as “National Veterans Awareness Week” for the purpose of emphasizing educational efforts directed at elementary and secondary school students concerning the contributions and sacrifices of veterans; and(2) encourages the people of the United States to observe National Veterans Awareness Week with appropriate educational activities.

Take a moment today or sometime this week to thank a veteran for his or her service to our country. We, as a Nation, will not always agree on the correct path or what is the right course of action, but what we cannot deny to our veterans is that they are the very reason that we have the rights that we so often take for granted.

MORE CAFO CONCERNS

Indiana is experiencing significant growth in the animal agriculture sector, much of it in the form of concentrated animal feeding operations (CAFOs), and many Indiana citizens are concerned about the impact that these new farms might have on their communities.

 

 

 

The above picture is of the Whitetail Hog Facility in Missouri. Although this is not an Indiana site, CAFOs vary little in their construction and operation from state to state.

I recently posted an article about a new CAFO coming to southern Allen County in the near future. Barring some unexpected obstacles, it will slide through without much attention paid to its impact in rural Allen County or its potential impact on Fort Wayne.

Residents of Fort Wayne should be concerned because the manure that is sprayed or injected into our soils eventually finds its way to our rivers and our underground drinking sources such as aquifers. An interesting article titled “Migration of Antibiotic Resistance from Animal Feeding Operations into Groundwater“ was published in August by News-Medical.net. A few snippets from the article are below:

In a new study, researchers at the University of Illinois report that some genes found in hog waste lagoons are transferred like batons from one bacterial species to another. The researchers found that this migration across species and into new environments sometimes dilutes and sometimes amplifies genes conferring antibiotic resistance.

Tetracycline is widely used in swine production. It is injected into the animals to treat or prevent disease, and is often used as an additive in hog feed to boost the animals growth. Its near-continuous use in some hog farms promotes the evolution of tetracycline-resistant strains in the animals digestive tracts and manure.

The migration of antibiotic resistance from animal feeding operations into groundwater has broad implications for human and ecological health. There are roughly 238,000 animal feeding operations in the U.S., which collectively generate about 500 million tons of manure per year. Groundwater comprises about 40 percent of the public water supply, and more than 97 percent of the drinking water used in rural areas.

Purdue University has established a website specifically to address CAFO concerns. Purdue has brought together a wide range of experts to address and research different concerns surrounding CAFOs. The goal is to afford consumers, producers, and community leaders the ability to make well-informed decisions regarding issues that may coincide with the expansion of animal agriculture in Indiana.

After posting the Public Notice in reference to the Schuhler CAFO, I called the Indiana Department of Environmental Management (IDEM) and spoke with Thomas Park, the individual listed in the notice. Although Mr. Park was cordial, he seemed irritated that I wanted a copy of the materials filed. He stated a couple of times that he probably could answer my questions. I stated that I did not think so and asked that I be sent the materials. He then took my address and indicated he would send a copy of the application.

The notice was published on November 6th but was received a week earlier on October 29th. I believe the comment period is 30 days, so that means that one week is gone before the public even has any inkling that a permit request has been filed.

I also called the Allen County Department of Planning Services and was directed to Mark Royse, Deputy Director for Economic Development. I explained the issue and asked about the role of his office in the oversight of such operations. Mr. Royse said he would “walk down the hall” and find out and would call me right back. I didn’t receive a return call. I realize it was 3:00 p.m. on a Friday afternoon, and many workers are already wrapping up and getting ready to head home for the weekend. I will give him the benefit of the doubt. If I don’t hear from him Monday, I will give a call again.

I will post a summary on my blog after I receive the materials from IDEM. Meanwhile, to those concerned about this issue, check out the Purdue site and do some research into the effects of waste such as manure. Governor Daniels and his CAFO supporters refer to those of us who are concerned about these factory farms as not wanting to move into the future and living in the past. We are said to want to hold Indiana “back.”

Sorry, Gov, those allegations don’t work. This is an environmental issue of the greatest importance impacting one of our most precious resources – the water we need to survive.