Summer solstice at stonehenge, call for more daylight time

LONDON - Even as thousands of people witnessed the sunrise on the longest day of the year at the site of the circle of stones in Stonehenge, British parliament heard arguments from an action group calling for more daylight time by having the British Standard Time even in winter.

Nearly 20,000 visitors to Stonehenge saw the sun rise at 4.52 a.m. on summer solstice day. A number of druids, hippies and sun worshippers practised their rituals at the site.

The crowds were treated to clear views of the sunrise - previous years have seen the spectacle obscured by mist and cloud.

Meanwhile, activists of the ‘10:10 Climate Campaign’, a prominent ecology group, have asked the government to move the clocks forward one hour as that would save nearly 500,000 of tonnes of carbon dioxide each year.

They want the clocks to be moved forward in summer so that they are one hour ahead of the British Summer Time (BST) - two hours ahead of GMT. In winter they want the clocks on BST, that is one hour ahead of GMT.

They say it would make evenings brighter and reduce peak electricity demands.

Their calculations are based on a study by Cambridge University whose findings are to be published in the journal, Energy Policy. The research was presented at an event in Parliament Monday.

Elizabeth Garnsey, who led the research for Cambridge University, told The Guardian: “The carbon savings associated with this clock change are significant, equivalent to the carbon footprint of the production of 1,800 plastic bags for every home in Britain every year, or taking around 200,000 cars off the road.”

The findings of the study include:

- In Britain 450 serious injuries and 104 deaths annually could be prevented on the roads, saving the NHS 200 million pounds a year in treatment costs.

- Decrease in crime and greater safety for the elderly.

- Average of 55 minutes increase in extra daylight for outdoor activities.

- One billion pounds boost to economy as sightseeing opportunities increase for tourists.

- Improved conditions for trade with Europe as clocks synchronise.

- Darker morning for those in far north of UK counterbalanced by more light in early evening - peak period on roads and for energy use.

Eugenie Harvey, director of the 10:10 campaign, which aims to get businesses, government and individuals to help cut Britain’s emissions by 10 percent, said: “In the UK we love our long summer days. Brighter evenings make us happier, healthier and safe. After today the nights will start drawing in again. We’re renewing our call to the government for a trial of our proposals.”