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world news Diasabra 25 september 2021

Severe Brazil drought reignites debate over daylight saving

(AP) — Dyane Rodrigues used to year by presidential decree. It became
enjoy strolling along Rio de Janei- a fixture in 2008.
ro’s iconic Ipanema beach after a
hot summer’s day. Daylight sav- A decade later, a Senate-led poll of
ing time meant her workday went nearly 13,000 people found them
by faster, and ended early enough roughly split, with 55% in favor of
for her to take in the golden sun- ending summer schedule. Bills pro-
set, the 28-year-old said from her posing the change didn’t advance, so
fruit stand, a stone’s throw from Bolsonaro ended the practice by de-
the seashore. cree. He admitted he’d never been a
fan, and cited studies showing nega-
That changed in 2019, when Brazil- tive impact on people’s biological
ian President Jair Bolsonaro did away clocks.
with the practice of changing clocks.
The idea behind daylight saving time People like Dyane were disappointed,
had been to make most of long sum- but at the time almost no one was
mer days’ natural light, delaying by worried about electricity.
one hour the time at which house-
holds switch on their lamps. But the Fast forward two years, and Brazil’s
president said daylight saving no lon- reservoirs are dwindling. In a coun-
ger made sense, as it yielded little in try where almost two-thirds of power
energy savings and forced Brazilians comes from hydroelectric generation,
to commute in the dark, and many low rainfall has serious consequenc-
experts agreed. es. The situation is so bad, Bolsonaro last few years, and lower consump- cree signed by his predecessor, Hugo
asked Brazilians on Sept. 23 to stop tion than expected.” Chávez. The European Parliament
But once again, daylight saving — using elevators when possible, and to carried out a study in 2018 among
known here as “summer schedule” take “much healthier” cold showers. This year’s drought comes at the member countries, in which 84% of
— has surged to the fore. tail-end of nearly a decade of lower- the people said they were against ad-
“Help us,” Bolsonaro pleaded on his than-usual precipitation, and some justing their clocks twice a year.
Brazil is in the throes of its worst weekly Facebook broadcast. experts have linked this such extreme
drought in 91 years, which has re- weather to climate change. Amazon Ultimately the decision falls to Bol-
turned the specter of power ration- Reservoir levels in the southeast and rainforest deforestation also reduces sonaro. His press office referred e-
ing. The operator of the hydroelec- center west regions are lower than evaporation of moisture that then mailed questions about whether he
tric-reliant grid is reviewing the in 2001 when the country last expe- travels on air currents to provide was considering a U-turn nor when
scope of benefits sacrificed by the rienced an electricity crisis; power rainfall far afield. a decision is expected. In July, he reit-
2019 change, and federal lawmakers was rationed for eight months. Since erated his aversion, saying most Bra-
discussed its return this week. As- then, the country has installed ther- Bolsonaro’s opponents have blamed zilians “are against it because it alters
sociations linked to the tourism and moelectric generation plants as a him for a delayed response to a prob- the biological clock.”
service industries, sensing opportu- costlier backup supply, but experts lem experts flagged months ago. Oth-
nity to boost evening business, are say it wasn’t enough. This week, the ers say this isn’t a problem that can be But that was before his energy min-
chiming in with their support. governor of Minas Gerais, Brazil’s solved from one year to the next, nor ister asked for complementary stud-
second most populous state, warned by one administration. ies and before the matter, once again,
Since implementation in 1931, sum- power could run out “at any time.” reached Congress.
mer schedule has divided Brazilians “Frankly, the (power) sector is not
between those who bathe in morning “The system was not made to func- designed to face such bad hydrology,” Representatives of the restaurant, ser-
light and those — like Dyane — who tion with a situation like this one,” said Brandão, who foresees possible vices and tourism sectors participated
prefer their sunsets. Governments said Roberto Brandão, senior re- rationing this year. in a public hearing this week after
wavered in decades that followed, searcher at the electricity sector stud- sending a letter to Bolsonaro saying
adopting it some years but not oth- ies group of the Federal University of Energy minister Bento Albuquerque, they could benefit from daylight sav-
ers. Starting in 1985, when drought Rio de Janeiro. “The only reason why who said Bolsonaro had been briefed ing. An extra hour of daylight would
caused blackouts and water rationing, we’re not seeing greater problems is on a looming water crisis in October lure welcome business after losses
summer schedule was renewed each because of the economic crises of the last year, has dismissed critics. Bra- suffered amid pandemic restrictions
zil has introduced a “water scarcity” on activity. One of Bolsonaro’s clos-
electrical rate, increased energy im- est allies from the private sector, Lu-
ports from Argentina and Uruguay, ciano Hang, a department store mag-
accelerated infrastructure projects nate, has also voiced his support.
that can distribute power from the
less affected northeast to the south, Most of the hearing happened in a
and created a national committee that livestream on the Lower House’s
can swiftly reverse regional rules to YouTube channel. While business
optimize power and water usage. association representatives patiently
walked lawmakers through their
Earlier this month, Albuquerque PowerPoint presentations, a hand-
asked the grid operator to analyze the ful of Brazilians posted impassioned
benefits of restoring summer sched- comments showing the divergence
ule, which his ministry said it is still over daylight saving.
examining. But on Sept. 17, Albu-
querque said “there is no need for “SUMMER SCHEDULE YES-
summer schedule to return in 2021.” SSSS,” one of them wrote. “WE CAN
ENJOY MUCH MORE OF THE
According to a 2016 Brazilian study DAY WITH OUR KIDS #Come-
from the State University of Mato BackSummerHours”
Grosso, daylight saving existed in
76 countries, including the U.S. and Another user wasn’t convinced:
Europe. Many countries across the
world have chosen to abolish it. In “NO SUMMER SCHEDULE!!!
2016, Venezuelan President Nicolás SUMMER SCHEDULE NEVER
Maduro reintroduced daylight saving AGAIN!!!”
time to save energy, overturning a de-