Abolition of time zones

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Time zones of the world

The abolition of time zones involves replacing time zones with Coordinated Universal Time as a local time.

History[]

See also: Time zone § History

For the most part of history, the position of the sun was used for timekeeping. During the 19th century, most towns kept their own local time. The standardization of time zones started in 1884 in the US.[1]

Proposals[]

The time-zone map is a hodgepodge — a jigsaw puzzle by Dalí.

James Gleick, The New York Times[2]

Arthur C. Clarke proposed to use a single time zone in 1976.[2] Attempts to abolish time zones date back half a century[1] and include the Swatch Internet Time. Economics professor Steve Hanke and astrophysics professor Dick Henry at Johns Hopkins University have been proponents of the concept and have integrated it in their Hanke–Henry Permanent Calendar.[3][4][5][6]

Usage[]

UTC as a universal time zone is already used by airline operators around the world[7] and other international settings where time coordination is especially critical. This includes military operations, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration and the International Space Station.[8] The effective international use of UTC shows that a universal time standard could work within the United States. The authority to modify this would be the Secretary of Transportation's.[8]

Advantages[]

  • The same time is used globally, which removes the requirement of calculations between different zones.
  • Health benefits as people who live on the eastern side of a time zone are out of sync with the circadian rhythms.[1][9]

Disadvantages[]

  • The date switches between sunrise and sunset in parts of the Americas and Asia-Pacific.
  • Requires changes in the language related to time.
  • It further complicates the Tz database because the historical time zones still exist.[10]

See also[]

References[]

  1. ^ a b c "Let's Get Rid of Time Zones, Not Just Daylight Savings". Bloomberg.com. 2021-03-20. Retrieved 2021-03-30.
  2. ^ a b Gleick, James. "Time to Dump Time Zones". The New York Times.
  3. ^ Taylor, Adam. "The radical plan to destroy time zones". Washington Post. ISSN 0190-8286. Retrieved 2021-03-30.
  4. ^ "Is it time to call time on time zones?". Financial Times. Retrieved 2021-03-30.
  5. ^ Clarke, Laurie (2019-10-28). "What would happen if we abolished time zones altogether?". Wired UK. ISSN 1357-0978. Retrieved 2021-03-30.
  6. ^ "Professors say a new calendar would eliminate leap years and save you over $500 a year". www.cbsnews.com. February 29, 2020. Retrieved 2021-03-30.
  7. ^ "The Day Of Two Noons : Planet Money". NPR.org. Retrieved 2021-03-30.
  8. ^ a b Deal, Ryan (2021-01-01). "It's Five O'Clock Everywhere: A Framework for the Modernization of Time". Washington University Law Review. 98 (3): 911–936. ISSN 2166-7993.
  9. ^ "This Guy Says Getting Rid of Time Zones Will Improve Everyone's Life". www.vice.com. Retrieved 2021-03-30.
  10. ^ "So You Want To Abolish Time Zones @ Things Of Interest". qntm.org. Retrieved 2021-03-30.
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