29.10.2009
Russia Begins Transition To 'Winter Time'
MOSCOW, October 24 (Itar-Tass) -- Border guards at the easternmost Ratmanov Island were the first to have moved back the hands of the clocks. Residents of the Kamchatka Peninsula changed time simultaneously with them. The process will go westward across 11 time zones. People will move back the hands of their wrist watches by themselves, while the hands of street clocks will be moved either according to a special programme fed into them, or with the help of computers. The Mission Control Centre does not observe the rule of the transition to "winter time" because the re-adjustment of all the computers may disrupt the control of the International Space Station and other space vehicles. The hands of the clocks will be moved back by 60 minutes on the night from October 24 to October
25 across the country, and people will get an extra hour of sleep. Time was changed for the first time in 1917. Decades later, the clocks were moved one hour forward as against so-called "decreed" time, or time introduced by a governmental decree. In accordance with the time-setting procedure established by the Russian government, Russia will switch over to "winter time" on the last Sunday of October. This will take place at 03:00 local time, a representative of the Federal Agency for Technical Regulation and Metrology said. More and more Russians come to suggest that the transition to "winter time" or "summer time" should be cancelled. Doctors share their opinion. They maintain that the change of time affects people's health, especially the health of those who suffer from cardiovascular diseases. Schoolteachers note that pupils cannot get adapted to new time for several days. The Russian Academy of Medical Sciences says one in five people will feel uncomfortable for a week or two. Other experts are certain that the seasonal time shift is harmful to the health of the majority of people and refer to desynchronosis that causes internal clock to be out of sync with the external environment and may lead to depression, blood hypertension and even strokes, especially among people suffering from chronic diseases. However power engineers support the transition to "winter time", which, in their opinion, makes it possible to save some two billion kilowatt-hours of electricity, which is the equivalent of one million tonnes of fuel.
In the opinion of local energy companies, this helps the nation save 2 billion kilowatt/hours of electricity and more than one million tonnes of fuel oil, gas and coal. Environmentalists also support daylight saving time, as it reduced the harmful discharge into the atmosphere by 40,000-45,000 tonnes. The first-ever transition to daylight saving time occurred in Britain in 1908 and Russia followed suit in 1917. The transition became regular in 1981. All in all, daylight saving time is used in 110 out of 192 countries, including the United States and EU member states. Some of U.S. states, like Arizona, Hawaii and certain districts of Indiana, as well as Puerto Rico, the Virgin Islands and American Samoa, have refused to switch to daylight saving time. Their opinion is shared for religious and other reasons by Japan, China, South Korea and the five Central Asian states. ********
Fed Council Speaker Opposes Summer, Winter Time Shift
MOSCOW, October 24 (Itar-Tass) -- Federation Council Chairman Sergei Mironov, before the traditional autumn switch to the wintertime, has again expressed his disagreement. The day of the next planned and law-enforced stress for millions of people is approaching.
This year, it will be October 25. The entire country must feel like it shifted a thousand kilometres west, he told reporters. Mironov said he was not convinced by the conclusion of time switch supporters about economic advantage. Even if there is such an effect, it is not comparable with the social cost paid by the society for the "games with time", he believes. Day rhythm change is uncomfortable even for prepared and healthy people, not to mention people with various diseases, he said. Mironov noted that some countries give up the winter and summer time shifting and expressed the hope that Russia would also refuse to switch. He assured he would make every effort to achieve it. Mironov traditionally comes out against the time shift. This year, the period of the summer time ends on the night to October 25. Clock hands will be moved one hour back all over the country. Find Out More!
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