Jordan’s government (3rd within 2012) has decided to cancel the clock switch back from DST less than 48 hours before schedule: midnight of Friday Oct 26. This has driven me to rant about such utterly impulsive and irresponsible decision.
Consecutive governments, even post Arab Spring, have been failing repetitively to address the uprising demands for both political and economic reform. Given their nature though, proper actions towards such demands can be categorised debatable if one takes the most inconsiderate laid-back attitude. However, when matter falls under the scientific category, where governance is not for a spectrum of wild opinions but rather for facts and laws of nature, and further takes a direct effect on people’s daily lives, I ought to stop and really question decisions more critically.
Jordan’s populated land lies between the 35th and 37th East longitude lines. According to standard time zones of the world this makes it TWO hours ahead of GMT/UTC; and not THREE. Consequnetly if the DST system was to be abandoned, that should happen after switching back to “winter time”, and not before.
Courtesy of smetoolkit.org
The energy and productivity benefits (don’t get me started on either) sought after from DST may still be maintained during the summer, yet living with a sunrise time as late as 0737[1] is just not human friendly. This is where I sense an inclination to go “solar” and drop civilised time keeping!
The decision has caught everyone by surprise, and thus disrupted many time sensitive plans, most notable of which is airline schedule, leading Royal Jordanian to make a haphazard announcement that is more-than-confusing to the average passenger. [Update: the announcement on RJ’s website. As of Oct 26th Electronic devices have further swarmed Jordanians with incorrect time changes, from Telecom Operator altering cell phones network times to PCs and calendars.]
Is there not any transparency over the trigger, rationale, or key reference bodies for such decision? I really hoped a day like this will not come where I truly feel how “developing” of a country governments will continue limiting Jordan to be.
[1]
Amman Lat= 31°57'00" Long= +35°56'00" TIMES OF SUNRISE AND SUNSET (for ideal horizon & meteorological conditions) For the year 2013 Time zone: +3.00 hours Make corrections for daylight saving time where necessary. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ JAN FEB MAR APR MAY JUN rise set rise set rise set rise set rise set rise set 1 0737 1743 0730 1810 0703 1834 0624 1856 0550 1916 0531 1937 2 0737 1744 0729 1811 0702 1834 0623 1856 0549 1917 0531 1938 3 0737 1744 0728 1812 0701 1835 0622 1857 0548 1918 0531 1938 4 0737 1745 0727 1813 0700 1836 0621 1858 0547 1919 0530 1939 5 0737 1746 0727 1814 0659 1837 0619 1858 0547 1919 0530 1939 6 0737 1747 0726 1814 0657 1837 0618 1859 0546 1920 0530 1940 7 0737 1748 0725 1815 0656 1838 0617 1900 0545 1921 0530 1940 8 0737 1748 0724 1816 0655 1839 0616 1900 0544 1921 0530 1941 9 0737 1749 0724 1817 0654 1840 0614 1901 0543 1922 0530 1941 10 0737 1750 0723 1818 0652 1840 0613 1902 0542 1923 0530 1942 11 0737 1751 0722 1819 0651 1841 0612 1902 0542 1923 0530 1942 12 0737 1752 0721 1820 0650 1842 0611 1903 0541 1924 0530 1942 13 0737 1753 0720 1821 0649 1843 0610 1904 0540 1925 0530 1943 14 0737 1753 0719 1822 0647 1843 0608 1904 0540 1926 0530 1943 15 0737 1754 0718 1822 0646 1844 0607 1905 0539 1926 0530 1944 16 0737 1755 0717 1823 0645 1845 0606 1906 0538 1927 0530 1944 17 0736 1756 0716 1824 0644 1845 0605 1907 0538 1928 0530 1944 18 0736 1757 0715 1825 0642 1846 0604 1907 0537 1928 0530 1944 19 0736 1758 0714 1826 0641 1847 0603 1908 0536 1929 0530 1945 20 0736 1759 0713 1827 0640 1847 0602 1909 0536 1930 0531 1945 21 0735 1800 0712 1827 0638 1848 0600 1909 0535 1930 0531 1945 22 0735 1801 0711 1828 0637 1849 0559 1910 0535 1931 0531 1945 23 0734 1802 0710 1829 0636 1850 0558 1911 0534 1932 0531 1946 24 0734 1803 0709 1830 0635 1850 0557 1911 0534 1932 0532 1946 25 0734 1803 0708 1831 0633 1851 0556 1912 0533 1933 0532 1946 26 0733 1804 0707 1831 0632 1852 0555 1913 0533 1934 0532 1946 27 0733 1805 0706 1832 0631 1852 0554 1914 0533 1934 0532 1946 28 0732 1806 0704 1833 0630 1853 0553 1914 0532 1935 0533 1946 29 0731 1807 0628 1854 0552 1915 0532 1935 0533 1946 30 0731 1808 0627 1854 0551 1916 0532 1936 0534 1946 31 0730 1809 0626 1855 0531 1937
Via http://www.ga.gov.au/geodesy/astro/sunrise.jsp