ShiroiHikari wrote:Why do we even still do this?
Capitalism.
No, I'm serious.
Retailers, sporting goods makers, and other businesses benefit from extra afternoon sunlight, as it induces customers to shop and to participate in outdoor afternoon sports. In 1984, Fortune magazine estimated that a seven-week extension of DST would yield an additional $30 million for 7-Eleven stores, and the National Golf Foundation estimated the extension would increase golf industry revenues $200 million to $300 million. A 1999 study estimated that DST increases the revenue of the European Union's leisure sector by about 3%.
There are other arguments about whether or not it conserves energy usage or helps prevent traffic accidents or whatnot, but the real big reason it hasn't gone away? Capitalism.