Week 43 Winter Time
Week 43
I had another look at Dorothea Mackellar during the week and found an article nearly 10 years old!
A lot has changed since then...
https://www.theguardian.com/environment/planet-oz/2014/mar/03/climate-change-australia-sunburnt-country-csiro#:~:text=As%20one%20of%20the%20country's,that%20%22pitiless%20blue%20sky%22.
All you who have not loved her, you will not understand -
Though earth holds many splendours, wherever I may die,
I know to what brown country my homing thoughts will fly.
Though earth holds many splendours, wherever I may die,
I know to what brown country my homing thoughts will fly.
Walking this morning. These are the pools over the road from us - where the migratory birds are now resting for a while as they gather strength for the next bit.
This week, the poles project has been suspended...
A plan to restrict access to western parts of Amsterdam by closing off bridges and some roads to cars in the centre of the city with metal posts has been called off after just 10 days, following talks between the council and emergency services.
The “Palenplan” scheme, which was to run for a year, is preventing emergency services from getting to incidents in time. In one case firefighters took over 10 minutes to unlock the posts before they could get to an incident on Brouwersgracht.
Locals too have been protesting against the plan, saying the traffic deviation scheme is causing dangerous situations at a nearby primary school and stopping tradesmen from doing their jobs.
“It could have been a real emergency and we are standing here buggering about with the posts. People could be hanging from the window sills by their fingernails. If this continues people will die,” the Parool quoted one of the firefighters as saying.
According to city centre councillor Mischa Mos, no emergency service arrival times had been exceeded but that the plan had not been coordinated well with the emergency services and would be suspended.
Although in the United States Daylight Saving Time has been implemented pretty consistently since 1918, after the Second World War many countries scrapped the practice, once again dismissing it as a wartime phenomenon. In the Netherlands, it was considered a leftover from Nazi occupation, and so was quickly abolished.
DST was then reintroduced amid another world crisis: in October 1973, the Organisation of Arab Petroleum Exporting Countries imposed an oil embargo, causing energy prices to skyrocket. With energy savings once again high on the agenda, France was the first to revive DST in 1976. By the end of the 1970s, most of Europe was back in the habit of changing the clocks twice a year, the Netherlands included.
In 1996, the European Union standardised the Daylight Saving Time schedule across the bloc, in a directive that is still in force today, covering the whole European Economic Area (EEA) except Iceland, but including Switzerland. The directive stipulates that the clock is set forward one hour at 1am on the last Sunday of March, before being set back to standard time on the last Sunday of October.
However, on March 26, 2019, after years of debate on the issue, the European Parliament voted in favour of removing Daylight Saving Time in the European Union permanently... At least in theory - since the member states were unable to agree on whether to stick to summer or winter time, this change has yet to be implemented.
I prefer the current system of switching from one to the other, but if I had to choose, it would be for permanent Summer Time - those long summer evenings are really special. Although these days I quite often go to bed before it gets dark :)
One of the original ideas was about energy saving during wartime, for example. That would seem to be reason enough these days, if it is true. (there is some doubt)
From Hersenstiching.nl (Brain Foundation)
Then the old fire place - with our chimney pipe of 26 years - still in good condition, but I'm glad we've stopped using it. We'll get a new double-walled pipe - if we decide to keep a wood fire - I'm missing it in the apartment. We might then need a new chimney to house the pipe on the outside - the list just grows! We'd have to get it professionally installed (for insurance) so I'll let them figure that out.
My helper really is indispensible...we had to check that the cap was still secure after the pipe had been removed.
...and we had to get more firewood during the week - they had it ready for us to pick up, so we couldn't leave it there. More to do next week. This time it is quality oak - we'll have to wait 2 years until it is "dry" enough for us to use. So I make signs for the various woodsheds, just to keep track of it.
And Ben seems to be settled into Mexico already...
He said that the worms weren't very tasty...
Last week, I wrote that we had to navigate new poles in Amsterdam, to get to Ben's place...
from DutchNews.nl
A plan to restrict access to western parts of Amsterdam by closing off bridges and some roads to cars in the centre of the city with metal posts has been called off after just 10 days, following talks between the council and emergency services.
The “Palenplan” scheme, which was to run for a year, is preventing emergency services from getting to incidents in time. In one case firefighters took over 10 minutes to unlock the posts before they could get to an incident on Brouwersgracht.
Locals too have been protesting against the plan, saying the traffic deviation scheme is causing dangerous situations at a nearby primary school and stopping tradesmen from doing their jobs.
“It could have been a real emergency and we are standing here buggering about with the posts. People could be hanging from the window sills by their fingernails. If this continues people will die,” the Parool quoted one of the firefighters as saying.
According to city centre councillor Mischa Mos, no emergency service arrival times had been exceeded but that the plan had not been coordinated well with the emergency services and would be suspended.
Also last week...while we were in Amsterdam, the personnel took the kids (and Boeke) for a walk into the village - enjoying the last of the reasonable weather - Winter Is Coming - ala Game of Thrones :) - well, maybe not that bad...(we just started watching it again)
Winter (normal) time
From iamexpat.nl
Although in the United States Daylight Saving Time has been implemented pretty consistently since 1918, after the Second World War many countries scrapped the practice, once again dismissing it as a wartime phenomenon. In the Netherlands, it was considered a leftover from Nazi occupation, and so was quickly abolished.
DST was then reintroduced amid another world crisis: in October 1973, the Organisation of Arab Petroleum Exporting Countries imposed an oil embargo, causing energy prices to skyrocket. With energy savings once again high on the agenda, France was the first to revive DST in 1976. By the end of the 1970s, most of Europe was back in the habit of changing the clocks twice a year, the Netherlands included.
In 1996, the European Union standardised the Daylight Saving Time schedule across the bloc, in a directive that is still in force today, covering the whole European Economic Area (EEA) except Iceland, but including Switzerland. The directive stipulates that the clock is set forward one hour at 1am on the last Sunday of March, before being set back to standard time on the last Sunday of October.
However, on March 26, 2019, after years of debate on the issue, the European Parliament voted in favour of removing Daylight Saving Time in the European Union permanently... At least in theory - since the member states were unable to agree on whether to stick to summer or winter time, this change has yet to be implemented.
I prefer the current system of switching from one to the other, but if I had to choose, it would be for permanent Summer Time - those long summer evenings are really special. Although these days I quite often go to bed before it gets dark :)
One of the original ideas was about energy saving during wartime, for example. That would seem to be reason enough these days, if it is true. (there is some doubt)
From Hersenstiching.nl (Brain Foundation)
Hersenstichting advocates permanent winter time
“It has been scientifically proven that permanently introducing our winter time is best for public health,” says Koko Beers, sleep expert at the Brain Foundation. By changing the clock, your biological clock has to adjust every time, which is not easy for everyone. Permanent winter time best suits our day-night rhythm and causes the least disruption to sleep. Even better is the United Kingdom time zone, but permanent winter time is close to this. “People get more morning light in winter and less evening light in summer. “We really need that morning light for our biological clock.” Under the influence of light, the biological clock determines our 24-hour rhythm. Plenty of daylight in the morning ensures an awake feeling and a good sleep-wake rhythm. Without light in the morning, the biological clock shifts to a later time. This does not fit in with our working hours, school hours and other social obligations, which causes you to suffer from sleep deprivation.
“It has been scientifically proven that permanently introducing our winter time is best for public health,” says Koko Beers, sleep expert at the Brain Foundation. By changing the clock, your biological clock has to adjust every time, which is not easy for everyone. Permanent winter time best suits our day-night rhythm and causes the least disruption to sleep. Even better is the United Kingdom time zone, but permanent winter time is close to this. “People get more morning light in winter and less evening light in summer. “We really need that morning light for our biological clock.” Under the influence of light, the biological clock determines our 24-hour rhythm. Plenty of daylight in the morning ensures an awake feeling and a good sleep-wake rhythm. Without light in the morning, the biological clock shifts to a later time. This does not fit in with our working hours, school hours and other social obligations, which causes you to suffer from sleep deprivation.
Demolition work
I had to make a box to protect our fibre optics entry point - while I still had a floor to stand on..
My helper really is indispensible...we had to check that the cap was still secure after the pipe had been removed.
...and we had to get more firewood during the week - they had it ready for us to pick up, so we couldn't leave it there. More to do next week. This time it is quality oak - we'll have to wait 2 years until it is "dry" enough for us to use. So I make signs for the various woodsheds, just to keep track of it.
I must be getting old...it was much easier to let Tjeerd back the trailer in :)
The chooks are enjoying their mobile Chicken Run.
And Ben seems to be settled into Mexico already...
The street where he lives...(the electricity always looks a bit dodgy in some of the places he goes to)
...and a workplace for his "normal" work. Mexico City also has a new Soho House for which his membership is valid. He was doing most of his daily work in the Amsterdam version.
He said that the worms weren't very tasty...
Comments
Post a Comment