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Letters March 19: Daylight time is no panacea; the hypocrisy of Mr. Floatie

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Letter-writers suggest the human body's circadian rhythms are a better determinant of the ideal time structure than an arbitrary governmental decree. FRANK GUNN, THE CANADIAN PRESS

Permanent daylight time did not work before

It’s too bad. Reading the glowing report on permanent daylight saving time coming to B.C., you’d think it was a new, well researched and popular idea — and up to a point, it is.

The sleep scientists, as briefly mentioned in the TC story, do not like the idea of permanent DST. They know it will crimp our already stressed circadian rhythms.

In 1900 the average person got nine hours of sleep per night; by 2011, the average was down to six. And now we’re fooling around with potentially more insomnia.

But you don’t have to take my word for it that permanent DST is an idea that needs adjustment; a cursory internet search for the topic shows that ­permanent DST has been tried in the U.S. during the oil crisis of the 1970s.

People hated it. But Premier John Horgan sees this as a popular idea whose time has come (again), so we’re doing it as soon as the U.S. government (again) makes it law down there. Here we go (again).

John Harris
Esquimalt

We’re keeping the wrong system of time

Permanent daylight saving time goes against the natural course of time, where the sun is at its highest at 12 noon. That is how our bodies have evolved; it is called the circadian rhythm.

To adopt this “unnatural” time is silly, unproductive and unhealthy. There are more accidents recorded during ­switchover to daylight saving time than in any other period of the year.

Just because the U.S. wants to do it — does Premier John Horgan want to be a part of the U.S.? Does he need late summer evenings to play golf after hours? Will he do away with AM (ante-meridiem) and PM (post-meridiem)? Latin “meridiem” middle of the day is 12 noon.

Will he re-adopt the Imperial measuring system like the U.S. uses?

There are also the temperatures to consider: Celsius, which the world uses and Fahrenheit, used by the U.S.

B.C. had asked its citizens whether or not they want to keep switching between summer and standard time. We replied “no.”

We were not given a choice about which one we would prefer to keep.

I.F. Ostrander
Brentwood Bay

Full-time daylight time has its drawbacks

With full-time daylight saving time looming in B.C.’s future, I wonder how people, especially those in more northern latitudes, are going to feel about waking up to a sunrise in December/January that will be an hour later than regular solar time.

For those who relish this thought, perhaps a short lesson in geographical latitude and sunrise/sunset times would be worth their time (no pun intended).

In Victoria, full-time DST means that sunrise will arrive on Dec. 21 at 9 a.m. In Prince George, sunrise will arrive at 9:25 a.m. In Fort St. John, sunrise will arrive at 10:32 a.m.

There may be many who like the idea of extended evening light that permanent DST brings, but at what cost for mornings in the middle of winter?

Let’s remember that the recent B.C. survey on keeping or ceasing the twice-annual time change did not provide a third choice, that of full-time solar time. Hardly equitable, and to whose end?

Don’t forget your reflective clothing and flashlights.

Robin Krause
Sooke

Featuring Mr. Floatie is a sign of hypocrisy

While the Times Colonist decries the purveyors of misinformation (e.g., anti-vax campaigners, Trump won the 2020 election, Russia is fighting Ukrainian Nazis committing genocide against Russian speakers in Ukraine), it features on the front page Mr. Floatie, a guy who waged a winning misinformation campaign about Victoria’s prior sewage disposal system, which was not only inexpensive but involved no CO2 discharges, and had no adverse effects to the waters of the strait.

He had no scientific or economic backing for his position, just people’s emotional repugnance about poop.

Mike Day
Saanich

The best tools to use would be pipelines

Elizabeth May was quoted as saying: “We must use every tool … President Zelenskyy, we do not want to let you down … and where there aren’t adequate tools, by God, let’s invent them.”

Well, Ms. May, the best tool available is to endorse and fully support the resurrection of TC Energy’s Keystone, Enbridge’s Northern Gateway and TransCanada’s Energy East pipeline projects to ensure that Alberta’s oil makes it to world markets and supplants Russian oil as soon as possible. That tool does not require invention.

Erik DeWiel
Ladysmith

Declare your age before urging war

Re: “As we do nothing, evil forces ­prosper,” letters, Mar. 17.

This letter, like so many others, is tainted by warmongering threats as to what should happen in response to the­ ­savagery by Russia in Ukraine.

They fail to acknowledge the skills, determination, experience and expertise of those politicians, generals and ­analysts who make these challenging, heart-wrenching decisions.

Anyone in this parade of no-fly zones, more weapons against the aggressor and “brigades to the ramparts” should at least be required to declare their age.

It’s too easy to send youth and men to battle from your keyboard when we have seen the consequences of Vietnam, Iraq, Afghanistan and so many other sacrifices.

Hopefully there will be no more letters professing battle readiness from anyone not in the 18-to-40 age group. That age group fills the body bags.

Max Miller
Saanich

Will war be triggered by climate change?

Warplanes instead of bike lanes. Like the sound of that as the future of ­“addressing” climate change?

Climate change will trigger conflict over potable water, arable land and ­livable space. Mr. Putin’s aggression in Ukraine today, successful or even ­otherwise, could make war appear like a credible, viable option to resolve conflicts down the road.

Fighting climate change might mean fighting climate-change wars. Warplanes instead of bike lanes. Will the militarization of climate change be the future?

Alec Tully
Victoria

Our new views of Russian oligarchs

I have been thinking about the current widespread actions being taken against the Russian oligarchs. Most of us, I suspect, approve of the sanctions and the seizure of assets.

We might want to pause and reflect on what this says about us and, perhaps, what might be in the offing.

It has been widely believed that these oligarchs derived their wealth through the pillaging of Russia at the time of the fall of the Soviet bloc. Even though we have viewed these gains as ill-gotten, we have allowed these individuals to invest, live and play in the West. All supposedly within our framework of laws.

Now, when we no longer like with whom they are friends, we seize their wealth. Some may view these actions as situationally virtuous. In most instances, deciding when to feign outrage could be defined as hypocritical.

Hopefully without sounding too ­alarmist, if our society widely supports arbitrary extreme punishment based on your friends and acquaintances, we might have something to worry about.

Thomas Maxwell
Victoria

Let’s try due process for trees

Re: “Here’s an idea, let’s cut down another tree,” letter, March 16.

“Unhealthy” is indeed the ubiquitous answer to any questions concerning tree removals. The pronouncement is sufficient. No proof is required. It is the City of Victoria’s euphemism for “end of debate.”

Mature trees are essential for our planet and the well-being of all living creatures. Cutting them down should be a last resort, only after alternatives have been fully explored and proven to be unworkable. Instead, it seems to be the city’s quick and easy “go to” solution for any development or improvement project.

After council cut down the much-loved “Humboldt tree” more than three years ago, there were calls to create a “due process” for trees, with proper public notice, transparency of decision-making and a requirement to seek alternatives.

Despite all the city’s rhetoric about the importance of trees, nothing much has changed. Cutting down trees remains the city’s first, not last, resort.

If only trees could vote.

Mariann Burka
Victoria

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