Is air conditioning a sexist plot?

In doing his research for an article for the Wall Street Journal that is apparently, exactly what Geoffrey A. Fowler found some environmental organizations want Asian women to think

Fowler's article, which appeared in the August 24th edition of the WSJ ( you will need to have a subscription to WSJ to view article) ,focused on the trend and the growing backlash to corporate policies keeping office temperatures hovering around a nippy 60 degrees.

."..frosty air conditioning is a way for businesses and building owners to show that they're ahead of the curve on comfort. In ostentatious Asian cities, bosses like to send out the message: We are so luxurious, we're arctic."

To keep warm, women report they need to wear sweaters and jackets all summer long, drink hot tea and do yoga in the bathroom. Others resort to having floor heaters to warm their feet.

Fowler reports there is a growing resistance to the air conditioning policies--primarily from environmental groups that contends the air conditioning is releasing tons of carbon dioxide into the environment.

To gain support for their efforts, one of the groups, Friends Of Earth (FOE) charges that all of that cold air is sexist.

"...change resistant, tie-clad men often control offices, it says, and aren't bothered by the chill. Women, on the other hand, tend to wear lighter clothing in the summer. "We wear small dresses, so almost every office lady has an office jacket," says Mona Lim, a 31-year-old real-estate developer. "Usually, the jacket is an ugly one," she adds. Hers, a blazer messed up by a tailor, never leaves the office."

So it's come to this. Invoking sexism to support women's vanity for fashion? For their desire to not wear "ugly" jackets.

Shame on the environmental organizations for trivializing and reducing the very real issue of global warming to a fashion statement.

Shame on the women who may be joining their fight against air conditioning  not because the air conditioning could be contributing to global warming or poor working conditions, but because it insults their fashion sense.

Sexism is a very real issue. However,claiming air conditioning policies is sexist is just a bunch of hot air.

Comments

[woodlandcreatures]

The sexism more than likely has to do with the involuntary "nipple effect" caused by a/c.

[Marni]

I disagree. It is most definitely a sexist policy imposed by men who insist upon wearing jackets and ties to the office when it's 80 degrees or more outside. If men would dress for the weather, as women do, instead of "dressing for success," then women wouldn't have to suffer as a result.

[Elana]

Hey Marni,
I think what bothered me about the sexism claim is that the article focused on the woman saying she didn't like wearing the jackets because they are ugly. HEr issue seemed to be fashion not equal rights. But I could be wrong...and that's what this discussion is supposed to be...is keeping the temperature artic cold a sexist policy?