So, in case you missed it. Today Bush signed the latest and greatest (and I use the term greatest very, very loosely) Energy bill into law.

One of the bigger items in this law, is that Daylight Savings Time is now, no longer when its been for like the last 20 years (assuming you don’t live in Arizona or Indiana where they either don’t observe it, or have some parts of the state observe it, while others don’t). This, according to mainstream media, is going to be the apocalypse for electronic devices, worse even then Y2K was supposed to be.

Why you might ask? Because apparently, mainstream media is composed of a bunch of 12 o’clock flashers (for those that don’t get the reference, it refers to how the clocks on VCRs would flash 12:00 until properly set). And they have also never heard of a NTP server (Network Time Protocol). They seem to think that all of our computers and TiVos and microwaves, and anything that auto-adjusts will auto-adjust on the ‘old’ days now, instead of the new, extended, days. And that millions of Americans everywhere will be crippled, and unable to manual reset their clocks, planes will fall out of the sky, volcanos will erupt everywhere California will sink, cats and dogs will live together!

Err..sorry..got a bit carried away, but you get the idea. Curious as to why the government felt the need to extended DST (instead of behaving like a reasonable person, and abolish it completely?) They think it will save energy…. because the sun will be out later, so people will be less likely to use a lightbulb.. According to the Energy/Commerce committee this will:

reduce energy consumption by the equivalent of 100,000 barrels of oil for each day of the extension. Studies indicate that the proposal to adopt daylight savings time from the second Sunday in March to the first Sunday in November will also lower crime and traffic fatalities and allow for more recreation time and increased economic activity.

Now..how they figure I’m going to get more recreation time out of this, I’d love to know.. are they going to force my employer to give me additional days off? (Keep in mind, I work nights.. I couldn’t care less what time the clock says it is when the sun sets..it doesn’t matter at all), Lower crime? I suppose thats because the criminals will be busy taking advantage of the increased recreation time?

Overall, the bill is a weak attempt at an energy policy. Here’s what should have been done:

The DST provision should have never made it in there.

There should have been federal requirements for Auto makers to have a average MPG across their lines of 30MPG minimum, within the next 3-5 years (and subsidies to keep the prices from skyrocketing). – with that minimum rising to 75MPG no later then 5 years after that.

Provided some sort of short-term relief from the raping I get at the gas pump (Know what this bill does for gas prices? Not a damn thing).

Federal requirement for all utility companies to get at least 25% of their energy from renewable resources within 5 years. Up to 50% within 5 more years.

Specified a 2-3 year time frame to get at least 3 nuclear reactors online, and providing power to local utility companies (at pennies above production costs, so that local utilities don’t have an excuse to overcharge customers)

At least 1 nuclear reactor, per state, online within 10 years.

And thats just off the top of my head… Know why a real energy bill didn’t get passed? Bad for the oil companies.. and keep in mind.. Bush is an oilman… he won’t do anything to hurt Oil industries