Please, I am enjoying and learning from the discussion, so I would prefer that it continue where I may read it. Many thanks.
On Fri, Nov 25, 2016 at 3:22 PM, Frank King <f...@cl.cam.ac.uk> wrote: > Dear Doug, > > It is probably time to conclude this > fascinating discussion so this will > be my final public offering (for a > while). > > > A significant part of my note is > > reporting the work of others... > > Indeed so. I am familiar with most > of your citations, especially, the > report by the Cambridge Engineers. > The methodology used was an utter > disgrace in my view. > > It is exceptionally difficult to > find a way of comparing like with > like without getting biased results. > Also, making predictions, especially > economic predictions, is notoriously > subject to error. > > My proposal to compare two adjacent > U.S. towns in different time zones > is a better approach but I am the > first to admit that the two sets > of results would not be truly > independent (in the statistical > sense) and the results would be > biased. For example, there will > be people who live in one time > zone and work in the other. > > In terms of energy use, I don't > believe a word of the analysis. > The energy used when driving > five miles to work is the same > whether you drive in the dark > or in the light. > > I suggest you study the experience > of Portugal: > > https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Time_in_Portugal > > They have switched time zones > several times and are forever > being persuaded to use CEST. > > Sometimes they try it and then > find how unsatisfactory it is... > > when school classes started, > the sun was still rising, > which eventually had > repercussions on students' > school performance and their > safety during morning trips > from home to school. > > A company hired by European > Commission conducted a study > which concluded that, in fact, > there were no energy savings > because in the early morning, > due to the dark, workers turned > on lights in their offices, > and they forgot to turn them > off, leaving them switched on > for the rest of the morning, > which increased energy > consumption. > > ...insurance companies reported > a rise in the number of accidents. > > Look, I don't believe all of this > either! Lighting uses a minuscule > amount of energy compared with > heating and transport though, of > course, it shouldn't be wasted. > > Portugal is now back on GMT and > GMT+1 just like the U.K. > > Remember, the U.K. DID experiment > with year-round summer time and > then gave it up. > > You may say that this was because > of grumbles from Scottish herdsman. > > I have always wondered just how > Scottish herdsmen can be such a > forceful political lobby! That > doesn't stop them being right! > > > ...the middle of the effective > > day has moved to something > > like 3pm. > > Given your wish to fiddle with > our clocks, this is ill-defined. > I assume you mean three hours > after solar transit? > > This is a case of generalising > from yourself and those you > associate with. Certainly > count me out! > > In the 1980s I worked for a spell > in Magdeburg University, then in > the DDR. My hosting professor > asked me if my lectures could be > the first of the day. > > "Yes," I said eagerly. "Fine," > he replied, "our first lecture > is at 7am so I'll meet you in > my office at 06:30 tomorrow." > > This suited me very well but I > had to check with my landlady > about breakfast. > > I explained that I would be > leaving about 6am and I asked > whether she could set out my > breakfast the night before. > > "No need," she said, "I leave > for work myself at 4am, so I > shall set out your breakfast > before I depart." > > As it turned out, I was the > last person in the household > to leave for work when I left > at 6am. > > I had had some misgivings > about the East German regime > but this aspect seemed truly > excellent to me! > > I now see that it wouldn't > work in Portugal! > > By all means reply but I > suggest "off-list". > > Very best wishes > > Frank > > --------------------------------------------------- > https://lists.uni-koeln.de/mailman/listinfo/sundial > >
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