WASHINGTON: Europeans will lose an hour of sleep today, something most Americans did three weeks ago. And in the fall they’ll get it back a week before their US counterparts. So why this trans-Atlantic divide? Look no further than the US golf and barbecue industries.
For years, the United States changed its clocks in late April and late October, but that changed in 1986 when lawmakers heard from lobbyists that more daylight means more money, explained writer Michael Downing.
According to Downing, the industry claimed “one more month of daylight savings meant $ 200 million more in selling of barbecues and charcoal.”
Golf and BBQ lobbyists behind US hour change
