TODAY.AZ / Society

Azerbaijan can stop turning clocks back

15 March 2016 [16:37] - TODAY.AZ

/By Azernews/

By Amina Nazarli

It's that time of year again when clocks summer forward and everyone grumbles about losing an hour of sleep.

But do not hurry up with discontent, as Azerbaijan may abandon the practice of switching to summer time, by setting the clocks one hour forward.

Last week, the Azerbaijan National Sciences of Academy offers to abolish the practice of transition to daylight saving time, which the country experiences every last Sunday on March, since 1997.

This issue was discussed at a meeting of the ANAS’ Presidium, which was held with the participation of experts in astrophysics, energy, zoology, geophysics, geography, economics, ICT and other fields.

As a result of extensive discussions experts agreed that the economic benefits and energy saving, achieved in the transition between summer and winter time in Azerbaijan, are insignificant.

The Academy of Sciences reported that this experience is causing a wide range of medical, psychological and social problems, if not to mention some difficulties in a time synchronization of computer systems.

ANAS President, Academician Arif Alizade noted that scientists were requested to provide a scientific basis in relation to this matter.

Deputy Director of Shamakhi Astrophysical Observatory named after Nasraddin Tusi Khidir Mikayilov told Day.az that they approved the proposal concerning the abolition of daylight saving time in Azerbaijan.

“They asked our opinion, and we said that we do not see the need for daylight saving time. Taking into account the time of sunrise and sunset, it would be nice to repeal this practice. We believe that the daylight saving time is impractical from the point of view of astrophysics,” the scientist said.

The practice of daylight saving time was first introduced in Europe during the First World War, to take advantage of the longest summer days by gaining an extra hour of daylight and shortening the days in winter.

The concept was actually brought by American inventor and politician Benjamin Franklin, back in 1784. He suggested that starting the day earlier in summer will save a considerable number of candles.

Some years ago, professionals explained the seasonal time change by the fact that it allows to save more energy. Even if the benefits are insignificant it positively influences to the country's economy.

But, there are also conflicting reports urging that switching over to daylight time is hazardous to human health and the economy.

Doctor Mursal Hamidov claims that moving of clocks affects human well-being only on the first 1-2 days, but then the body adapts to this condition.

“Transition of time has no serious danger to people. It can cause some economic consequences, but for human health it creates no problems,” he believes.

Hamidov noted this question is studied by scientific research institutes and certain structures, but agreed that time conversion has no impact on human health.

The transition to daylight saving time is canceled in many countries around the world. In neighboring Russia, for example, switching to daylight saving time was repealed in the autumn of 2011.

“As far as I know, many developed countries do not switch to daylight saving time system. In Azerbaijan this practice has been experienced since the Soviet era. But some former Soviet republics have already abandoned the transition to daylight saving time,” the doctor explained.

URL: http://www.today.az/news/society/148853.html

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