Italy Dresses Down to Fight Global Warming
by Erin Courtenay - Madison, WI 
on 07.21.07
The Italian government has made an official request that businesses loosen up on the dress code during hot summer months. A statement from the ministry claims that, "Taking your tie off immediately lowers the body temperature by 2 to 3 degrees Celsius. Allowing a more sensible use of air conditioning that yields electricity savings and protects the environment.”
While this may not seem a significant message outside of Italy, by relating dress style to global warming the Italian government may have found a way to get the attention of a blasé public. One of the European Union’s most polluted members, Italy, in spite of various efforts to reduce emissions, is expected to exceed greenhouse gas emission targets. Perhaps by encouraging shabby dress in the workplace the government has tapped a nerve that will lead to other, more significant changes.
At least one tie-maker on the other hand is not impressed with the government’s anti-tie message. Reuters quotes from a letter to the newspaper Il Sole 24 Ore: "Italy confirms that it is a strange country," said Flavio Cima "I, tie maker, am responsible for global warming. We can now happily continue with our lifestyle, using cars, consuming fuel, heating and cooling our homes at leisure. On one condition: we should not wear a tie while we do so." Via ::Yahoo News
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The heat released by air conditioning systems into the immediate environment does serve to increase the temperature of the surrounding air. Fewer air conditioners running mean less electricity used and less fossil fuels and greenhouse gases for the manufacture and operation of related machinery. Shutting down air conditioning systems in favor of less strict dress codes would enlighten the people in Italy about global warming. They will definitely complain about the heat and will be feeling its effects. In other words, getting people "hot under the collar" may be a good way to get much of the private sector to act against global warming. It's also good publicity on the problem.
There are still arguments going on about the real cause of global warming, particularly on whether it is natural or artificial. Just take a look at this link from TheNewsRoom: http://www.thenewsroom.com/details/515847?c_id=wom-bc-ar
I'd like to say that many, myself included, have already found useful content on global warming in TheNewsRoom and have used these as effective tools in making people aware of its causes and effects. You too can do the same by sending your inquiries to jtowns@voxant.com.
Let us all help to stop global warming.
- Alvin from TheScienceDesk at TheNewsRoom.com
The tie maker has a point: how many changes are going to be imposed on societies, not because of actual differences it will make in emission levels but because it will raise awareness?
Wouldn't taxation on especially environmentally damaging luxury products have the same awareness raising benefits, combined with reduced emissions?
One problem I have with this whole ‘debate’ is the concept of ’scientific consensus’. Consensus is a political, not scientific, term.
Here’s an interesting, albeit non-scientific, exercise: You know there’s lot’s of information to find out there by doing a Google search for ‘global warming’, and a lot of it is quite scary; but try adding ‘climatologist’ to your search terms and the results - the ‘consensus’, if you will - changes dramatically. It’s quite interesting how many climatologists are anthropogenic global warming doubters, compared with the doomsayers who are in other fields like geology, biology, politics, fashion, and entertainment.
Try it -
http://www.google.com/ search?hl=en&q=climatologist+global+warming
Ron Kling,
you link doesnt work. but using google manually reveals non-science articles about climatologists. Google iirc oriented around find the most popular results, so all you have found here are the 'popular' climatologists, not the most factual/evidence supported consensus. For a search like that you need to limit it to peer reviewed papers ala Oreskes
Anyway, those mentioned on the first page of your suggested search are actually on record as basically admitting that there is warming going on and that human CO2 is at least contributing to that warming.
And you are right that 'consensus' is a politcal term. But it was one purposed by the politcal Right back in the '90s to sow doubt.
Setting aside the global warming debate, let's consider the fallacy of the news item here: A statement from the ministry claims that, "Taking your tie off immediately lowers the body temperature by 2 to 3 degrees Celsius. " Surely this is nonsense. To translate into Farenheit, this means either that when I put on a tie my temperature goes up to 102 to 104 degrees, at which point I would require medical attention, or my temperature drops to 92 degrees, which would also be a reason to call an ambulance. Sure, I'm more comfortable without a tie, and I certainly feel cooler when I take off my suit jacket, but when the ministry of a grown-up country like Italy starts issuing statements, you have to start wondering if the inmates are running the asylum when it comes to climate change.
Or was this just a hoax that I didn't see the humor in? If so, apologies for the rant.
What a5y is saying is true. Taxing luxury products that cause greenhouse gas problems tackles two things at the same time, awareness and proliferation of such products. We only have to make sure the tax money is used for more global warming prevention. Ironically, the products that cause global warming are the ones many people can hardly do without, such as fossil-fuel engines, generators, and yes, air conditioners.
The link to TheNewsRoom that follows is about Carrier Corp. and its plan to phase out CFCs in airconditioning units globally. CFCs damage ozone and let more solar radiation to reach the Earth's surface which may or may not directly contribute to global warming.
http://www.thenewsroom.com/details/502571?c_id=wom-bc-ar
For more content on global warming, visit TheNewsRoom or email jtowns@voxant.com.
- Alvin from TheScienceDesk at TheNewsRoom.com
I hate that people have countrys have dress codes. arrgg!!!! it just makes me so mad...but im happy that they are losing up on the dress code thing....!!!!!!!
how much is italy reducing the ghg for kyoto acord