What Is Stopping Men from Being Green?
It is no secret that ‘toxic masculinity’ as we call it, stands in the way of many necessary changes in society. Perhaps the most necessary change, the answer to the problem of the climate crisis, is to our behavior. Changes in the decisions made by board members, by government officials, by advertisers and by each of us when deciding where to get our energy, what products to buy and how to deal with our waste.
Over the last few years several studies have been published that link toxic masculinity with climate denial and a hesitancy to live sustainably. A study of eco-anxiety found that 40% of female respondents had changed the way they shop for and consume food for environmental reasons, whereas only 27% of male respondents had.
According to an article in the Global Citizen, a team of researchers asked 2,000 people to rank a selection of products and actions on a masculine/feminine scale. They found that people felt more masculine when doing something that actively harmed the environment, whereas they felt feminine when doing the opposite. When it comes to climate change, this challenge of masculinity enters a new territory, where men are either reluctant to make sustainable choices or actively make polluting ones, finding confidence in bravado and provocation. An article in the Scientific American about the study says that because emasculated men feel the need to reassert their masculinity through behavior that is detrimental to the planet, “one could harm the environment merely by making men feel feminine.”
Masculinity itself is not a barrier to positive change, but the fragility and insecurity of ‘toxic’ masculinity, which places strict parameters around how to avoid appearing feminine, is. In all areas of life, toxic ideas of masculinity stop people of all genders living in ways that come naturally to them. But our reluctance to make personal changes for the sake of the climate, is not just a male problem. A poll of 10 counties, including the United States. and United Kingdom, found that while 62% of people see the climate crisis as our primary collective problem, only 46% thought they needed to make any changes in their behavior to mitigate it.
We all need to be doing more about climate change. But the eternal debate about who holds the brunt of the responsibility rages on, with the debt of action being placed at the feet of big business. Of course, we all should be consuming less meat, less plastic and less fuel, but even if we all did, it is the governments and big companies that are the cause of most emissions. The leaders of governments and international companies tend to be men and with such ingrained issues around masculinity, we need to ensure these powerful men use their influence wisely. Some say, we should be promoting messaging that makes green choices appear inherently masculine—heroic, perhaps? The message seems to be ‘we need to change environmentalism’ rather than ‘we need to change masculinity.’
Some say, images of trees and natural flowing shapes are feminine and therefore should not be used to promote green causes for fear of alienating men. While they may seem feminine to some, they are inherent to nature and exactly the things we are trying to save. Along with care and generosity, many aspects of femininity are important strengths we will need to call on for the future.