%%%%% An italic and tighter description environment
\newcommand{\itlabel}[1]{\hspace\labelsep\normalfont\itshape #1}
\newenvironment{itdesc}%
{%
  \begin{list}%
    {default label}%
    {%
      \setlength{\labelsep}{0.5em}
      \setlength{\itemindent}{0pt}
      \setlength{\leftmargin}{\parindent}
      \setlength{\labelwidth}{\leftmargin}
      \addtolength{\labelwidth}{-\labelsep}
      \setlength{\listparindent}{\parindent}
      \setlength{\parsep}{\parskip}
      \setlength{\itemsep}{0.5\baselineskip}
      \let\makelabel\itlabel
    }%
}%
{\end{list}}

\newenvironment{newidth}[2]{%
\begin{list}{}{%
    \setlength{\topsep}{0pt}%
    \setlength{\leftmargin}{#1}%
    \setlength{\rightmargin}{#2}%
    \setlength{\listparindent}{\parindent}%
    \setlength{\itemindent}{\parindent}%
    \setlength{\parsep}{\parskip}%
}
\item[]}{\end{list}}