智利：为节能，男士解下领带

“欢迎来到智利，请解下你的领带”，这是智利政府的最新口号。为推广节能，智利近日推出新举措，呼吁男士解下领带，以减少空调用电。位于南半球的智利正迎来夏季，随着温度不断升高，近日智利能源部长推出节能新点子——“夏天，请解下你的领带”，这样就可以将室内温度上调1-3度，减少空调使用，从而减少超过3%的用电开支，在4个月的夏季一共能省下1000万美元(6373万人民币)。

为响应这一号召，智利几名政府官员还拍了一段视频，示范解下领带、解开衬衫的第一颗扣子。有官员表示将保持这种着装方式，仅在非常正式的会议场合才会系领带。

It's the Chilean government's latest slogan: Welcome to Chile, take off your tie.

But it's not an invitation to sit down and relax – it's a call to save energy.

As the summer kicks off in the southern hemisphere, Chile's energy ministry this week launched the campaign, "In summer, take off your tie" in an effort to save $10 million in four months. The thinking goes something like this: If buildings use less air conditioning – letting temperatures rise between one and three degrees Celsius – energy costs could go down by over 3 percent, representing million-dollar savings.

"This small measure will help the country's energy efficiency. Reducing the use of air conditioning will lead to energy savings," energy minister Rodrigo Alvarez said in a statement (in Spanish).

A slew of government ministers launched the initiative this week with a video, uploaded here on YouTube, with each ripping off his striped pink and maroon ties and undoing top buttons. Joaquin Lavin, minister of social development, for example, takes off his solid blue tie, and says he'll keep it off except for formal meetings.

The older generation might balk. A suit without a tie? How unfinished! But in men's fashion circles across the world, ideas for summer suits without ties abound.

And in many parts of Latin America, forget the tie. In fact, forget the suit altogether. Men in tropical climes have long opted for the practical and elegant guayabera shirt instead. In Mexico, many a groom has wed in this alternative.

Chile's authorities point out that they are taking a cue from Japan and Spain, where earlier no-tie initiatives were tried as energy-saving measures.

But those were not without controversy, as is recounted in this anecdote from Spain in an AP story.

Back in 2008, an industry minister appeared at Spain's parliament for a debate – without a tie. The nerve! The parliamentary speaker took offense and sent the minister a gift: a tie. But the minister refused to don it, and instead sent the speaker his own present: a digital thermometer (an apparent reference to the blasting air conditioning, even after the government had mandated that temperatures be kept warmer in government buildings to save energy). The media reported it to be the first time a male minister had appeared for a debate in parliament without a tie on. Some called it inappropriate, others practical. And the debate raged on.

Let's hope Mr Lavin, who is keeping his blue tie sealed away for special occasions, doesn't forget it at his next formal meeting.