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.

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