Men contribute more to global warming
A child fetches water at Barmil water point, Wajir East, in this photo taken on October 13, 2019. A new study has found that men have a higher carbon footprint than women owing to their expenditure preferences that are denser on greenhouse gases.
What you need to know:
- Men have a higher carbon footprint than women owing to their expenditure preferences that are denser on greenhouse gases, a study has found.
- Men were found to emit 10 tons of greenhouse gases per capita per year compared to 8.5 tons for women.
Men have a higher carbon footprint than women owing to their expenditure preferences that are denser on greenhouse gases, a study has found.
The research published in the Journal for Industrial Ecology compared greenhouse gas emissions for a single man and woman in Sweden based on consumption of food and use of holiday and furnishing services.
Men were found to emit 10 tons of greenhouse gases per capita per year compared to 8.5 tons for women.
“The difference in men’s and women’s emissions is not due to differences in expenditure but rather to differences in expenditure patterns,” the researchers say.
Men spend two per cent more than women but emit 16 per cent more of the global warming gases. This is attributed to the women spending on low-emitting products and services such as health care, furnishings and clothes.
Greenhouse gas
Men rather spend 70 per cent more on greenhouse gas intensive items such as fuel.
To lower the emissions, the researchers recommend swapping meat and dairy products with plant-based alternatives and locally produced vegetables.
They also encourage use of second-hand or repaired furnishings and holidaying abroad by train in place of cars and buses. Given changes to the consumption, greenhouse emissions can be lowered by almost 40 per cent.
Studies indicate dietary habits that include beef meat have the highest carbon footprint unlike fruit, vegetables, beans and nuts.
A research on gender differences in meat consumption and openness to vegetarianism, established a man’s inclination to a meat diet compared to a woman’s preference to vegetables.
Gender roles
It found that greater conformity to traditional gender roles influenced frequent consumption of beef and chicken and lower openness to vegetarianism. This was unlike women who were more open to becoming vegetarian for health reasons.
At the ongoing 26th UN Climate Change Conference of the Parties in Glasgow, Scotland, global leaders have promised to curb emissions of methane.
According to the Food and Agriculture Organisation, livestock produce a total of 86.6 million tons of methane, annually.
Of concern is that the risks of climate change heavily affect women owing to their unequal access to resources and to decision-making processes
