Do men pollute more than women? Analyzing the gender differences in terms of consumption and daily habits, it seems that male citizens are responsible for one higher share of greenhouse gas emissions. This was revealed by a new study recently published in the Journal for Industrial Ecology.
Because men pollute more than women
The study, conducted by the Ecoloop research center, looked at a group of young single women and men living in Sweden, investigating their consumption, habits and expenses. On average, according to the results, males caused 16% more polluting emissions than females. A curious and unexpected fact, especially since men tended to spend only 2% more money than women. Nonetheless, the males used 70% of their money on what the researchers termed “greenhouse gas-producing items,” such as car fuel and meat.
How consumption affects the environment
Women, the researchers explain, are more likely to spend money on “green” products and made with materials that are less harmful to the ecosystem, such as clothes or furniture for the home. The research results show that the differences in habits between men and women are also reflected in their environmental impact. Women, for example, pollute less than men also because they tend to eat less red meat and to follow a diet low in animal foods e rich in plant-based foods.
Also interesting is the fact that most of the men considered in the study go on vacation by car, while women prefer the train: another reason for the differences in terms of greenhouse gas emissions.
According to Dr. Annika Carlsson-Kanyama, leader of the study, environmental awareness campaigns (especially in terms of transport) should be “targeted at men to discourage them from spending so much on fuel”. “It is essential that governments, with their official communications, remind men how high their share of emissions is,” Carlsson-Kanyama added in an interview with CNN.
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