English Football Club Revamps Its Shirts To Reflect Global Warming
As Earth warms up, there is still inertia to make a viable change. One soccer club in England is using its reach on the field to get the attention of many and showcase just how far global warming has gone.
Cleverly-designed sleeves on the kits of the players for Reading FC showcase 150 blue and red stripes in various shades. The multicolors aren’t just there to grab attention; they are an environmental decision. The stripes show a sort of “time-lapse” of climate change from the team’s inception in 1871.
The ‘climate stripes’ design holds significant meaning. Blue stripes represent each year that temperatures were below average, and red stripes represent each year that temperatures were above average. The result is an overwhelming number of red stripes towards the bottom of the sleeves.
Climate stripes were first created by Ed Hawkins, a climate scientist for the National Centre of Atmospheric Science at the University of Reading. He created the stripes after being inspired by a fellow coworker who wove a color-coded record of global warming into baby blankets.
The stripes were then adopted and used on clothes worn by US senators, on the cover of Greta Thunberg’s book, a range of clothing, as well as being shown on a 33-foot display on the main stage of Reading Festival.
Hawkins used local temperature readings to create the pattern to highlight the effects of climate change happening right in the soccer team’s backyard. Reading’s commercial director, Tim Kilpatrick, saw the stripes on a wall during a video call to the university, and the idea to put them on the kits began to bloom in his mind.
The shirts don’t only preach green living, but they also practice it. The jerseys are made out of recycled plastic bottles, which are being adapted as a broader approach for the team to go green.
I hope the fans like the new #readingfc kit - the idea is to start conversations about climate change among football fans across the country.
— Ed Hawkins (@ed_hawkins) July 25, 2022
The science is clear - our actions are warming the planet, including Reading, meaning that heatwaves are hotter, for example. pic.twitter.com/VvootNpkIK
However, according to Bloomberg, Kilpatrick noted that the initial response to the shirts was a little unfavorable. Most fans did not appreciate the departure from the traditional uniforms. Though, after coming forward and explaining the creative decision, the fans started to take more of a liking to it, so much so that sales for the shirt have gone up 35% in comparison to last year’s release of apparel.
Hawkins states that he hopes the stripes will ignite just as much of a fiery passion for climate change as the fans have for the sport. He is optimistic that it will spark more conversation among fans and guide them towards more eco-friendly practices.
[via Bloomberg and the University of Reading, cover image via University of Reading]
