Europe is looking for any way to save energy this winter, with the war in Ukraine disrupting supplies across the continent.
One idea has been to make daylight saving time permanent. That would require countries not to “fall back” in November. Keeping the afternoon longer would mean that people will also wait longer to turn on their lights in the evening, which would save on electricity.
But ending the semi-annual clock change is trickier than it seems, in part because, while some studies suggest that energy is saved by sticking to the summer schedule, the flip side is that, depending on when people wake up, they could just be turning the lights on earlier in the morning.
In either case, the European Union’s 27 member states are each free to decide their own way forward. And if they all choose differently, keeping track of time in Europe could become chaotic.
Not as dramatic, though, as this daylight saving spoof movie trailer!
Related: Why sleep experts say it’s time to ditch daylight saving time
The World is an independent newsroom. We’re not funded by billionaires; instead, we rely on readers and listeners like you. As a listener, you’re a crucial part of our team and our global community. Your support is vital to running our nonprofit newsroom, and we can’t do this work without you. Will you support The World with a gift today? Donations made between now and Dec. 31 will be matched 1:1. Thanks for investing in our work!