Study: Macho men would rather destroy the planet than purchase girlie eco-friendly products

Brett T. | 7:01 PM on September 01, 2016

Here’s some good news for journalists who are tired of typing out the word “anthropogenic” — a new study suggests that simply saying “man-made climate change” isn’t sexist at all. Everyone suspected the patriarchy was primarily to blame for the destruction of the planet, but now there’s scientific proof.

Your manliness could be hurting the planet https://t.co/xooDpeCAvI

— The Washington Post (@washingtonpost) September 1, 2016

https://twitter.com/MetricButtload/status/771308204730961925

The Washington Post reported this week on a study that used a combination of surveys and experiments to conclude that “consumers who engage in green behaviors are stereotyped by others as more feminine,” and therefore, men “avoid green behaviors in order to preserve a macho image.”

Carrie Preston, director of the Women’s, Gender and Sexuality Program at Boston University, said she’s concerned that people tend to perceive green behavior as feminine. Society continues to believe that “feminine is bad, is lesser, is second class,” she explained, and that repels men from making environmentally friendly choices.