Brazil changes time zone – the reason is the drying up of the Amazon River | News in brief

A time zone that is one hour later helps to save electricity.

Brazil’s energy authorities have approved the country’s transition to another time zone. If the president Lula da Silva accepts the proposal, clocks in the country are turned forward one hour.

Brazil’s national electricity distribution company ONS has proposed an hour later time zone to save electricity.

In Brazil, the vast majority of electricity is produced by hydropower in the Amazon and its tributaries. However, the Amazon region is suffering from an exceptional drought. Less than half of the normal amount of water has been received.

It is feared that the water levels will drop below 50% at the end of the month, and the mentioned rains are not expected before November.

Brazil has had a special “daylight savings time” in the past, but the previous president Jair Bolsonaro discontinued it in 2019 because he felt the industry was not benefiting from it.

Source: Reuters

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