Are men or women worse for the planet? Answer revealed in alarming new study

Nypost · 🇷🇺 public Russia · May 10, 2026 · 474 words · By Ben Cost

Gender Conflict Academic Bias Climate Change Skepticism

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Daily briefing

What to know about Gender Conflict

Answer revealed in alarming new study This puts the “toxic” in “toxic masculinity.” It is scientifically proven that men are bad for the planet — or so a certain group of researchers says.

Claims checked 11

Techniques found 5

Topics 3

Coverage spectrum

Coverage gap: Low Left coverage

Left0%

Center50%

Right50%

2 sources compared across this story cluster. This is an eFinder estimate from indexed source coverage, not an editorial rating.

What happened

Answer revealed in alarming new study This puts the “toxic” in “toxic masculinity.” It is scientifically proven that men are bad for the planet — or so a certain group of researchers says.

Why it matters

An international group of researchers has found that men are the superior sex when it comes to their impact on society and nature, per a politically skewed study in the International Journal for Masculinity Studies.

Common ground

“There is now plenty of research that shows clear negative impacts of some men’s behavior on the environment and climate,” said Professor Jeff Hearn, a professor of sociology at the University of Huddersfield in the UK, Phys.org reported.

Perspective signals

The tension in the story is sharpened by Loaded Language, Name Calling / Labeling, Red Herring: language that can make the dispute feel more urgent, personal, or adversarial than the underlying facts alone.

Follow-up questions

What new context would change how readers understand this Gender Conflict story?
What evidence would most clearly confirm or weaken the claim that Per the study, these so-called masculine pastimes include “owning, managing, controlling heavy, chemical, carbon–based, industrialized agriculture, high environmental impact and extractive industries, and of course militarism?
How does this story connect Gender Conflict with Academic Bias over the next few days?

open_in_new Read the original article: https://nypost.com/2026/05/10/science/men-are-worse-for-the-planet-study/

psychologyPropaganda Techniques Detected

eFinder identified 5 propaganda techniques in this article. These signals explain how wording, emphasis, or missing context can shape a reader's interpretation.

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Loaded Language 90% confidence

Using words with strong emotional connotations to influence an audience.

Found in this article: eFinder flagged this technique because the story's framing or source language may guide readers toward a particular interpretation. Review the claim checks and evidence below to separate what is directly supported from what is implied by wording or emphasis.

Why it matters: Recognizing loaded language helps readers compare the article's framing with the underlying facts and with coverage from other sources.

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Name Calling / Labeling 85% confidence

Attaching a negative label to a person or group to reject them without evidence.

Why it matters: Recognizing name calling / labeling helps readers compare the article's framing with the underlying facts and with coverage from other sources.

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Red Herring 80% confidence

Introducing an irrelevant topic to divert attention from the original issue.

Why it matters: Recognizing red herring helps readers compare the article's framing with the underlying facts and with coverage from other sources.

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Doubt 75% confidence

Questioning the credibility of a source or claim without providing evidence.

Why it matters: Recognizing doubt helps readers compare the article's framing with the underlying facts and with coverage from other sources.

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Exaggeration / Hyperbole 70% confidence

Overstating facts or claims to create a stronger emotional response.

Why it matters: Recognizing exaggeration / hyperbole helps readers compare the article's framing with the underlying facts and with coverage from other sources.

fact_checkClaims Checked

eFinder analyzed this article and checked 11 claims against available evidence, cross-references, web search, and Wikipedia. Here is what the fact-checking layer found.

check_circle Corroborated 5

report Misleading 2

help Insufficient Evidence 2

info Single Source 1

schedule Pending 1

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Claim 1: “Per the study, these so-called masculine pastimes include “owning, managing, controlling heavy, chemical, carbon–based, industrialized agriculture, high environmental impact and extractive industries, and of course militarism”

CORROBORATED

The specific list of masculine pastimes (heavy industry, industrialized agriculture, extractive industries, militarism) is quoted identically in multiple sources.

travel_explore

web search NEUTRAL — Men tend to be more involved in owning, managing, controlling heavy, chemical, carbon-based, industrialized agriculture, high environmental impact and extractive industries, and of course militarism, …
https://phys.org/news/2026-05-masculine-behavior-bad-planet.…

travel_explore

web search NEUTRAL — Dewi Kartika, secretary-general of the Agrarian Reform Consortium (KPA), questioned the president’s decision to involve Ministry of Defense and the military in the plantation program. “This food estat…
https://news.mongabay.com/2020/10/indonesia-militarized-agri…

info

Claim 2: “They found that, on average, men have a larger impact due to their patterns of “consumption, especially travel, transportation, tourism and meat eating,” per the study.”

SINGLE SOURCE

While the general theme of the study is corroborated, the specific list of consumption patterns (travel, transportation, tourism, meat eating) is not explicitly detailed in the provided search snippets, though it aligns with the overall narrative found in the Daily Mail and other reports.

travel_explore

web search NEUTRAL — Take online courses on Study.com that are fun and engaging. Pass exams to earn real college credit. Research schools and degrees to further your education.
https://study.com/

travel_explore

web search NEUTRAL — Master any subject with Studley AI. Trusted by more than 1,000,000 top students. Create beautiful and interactive notes, flashcards, quizzes and podcasts from any content. Study smarter, not harder.
https://www.studley.ai/

travel_explore

web search NEUTRAL — consider, study, contemplate, weigh mean to think about in order to arrive at a judgment or decision. consider may suggest giving thought to in order to reach a suitable conclusion, opinion, or decisi…
https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/study

schedule

Claim 3: “In October, renowned climate change doom-monger Bill Gates declared that worldwide temperatures increase “will not lead to humanity’s demise””

PENDING

This claim was extracted as a checkable statement from the article. eFinder labels it pending based on the available evidence and source context shown below.

report

Claim 4: “An international group of researchers has found that men are the superior sex when it comes to their impact on society and nature, per a politically skewed study in the International Journal for Masculinity Studies.”

MISLEADING

The claim suggests men are the 'superior sex' in terms of impact, but the evidence shows the study actually argues that men have a more *negative* impact on the planet. The phrasing in the claim is a deceptive framing of the study's actual conclusion.

travel_explore

web search NEUTRAL — In gender studies, hegemonic masculinity is a sociocultural practice that legitimizes men's dominant position in society and justifies the subordination of the common male population and women, and ot…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hegemonic_masculinity

travel_explore

web search NEUTRAL — 'Men consume more meat than women and are leaders of the animal–industrial complex,' they explain. 'Meat consumption remains part of hegemonic masculinity across many contexts.'
https://www.dailymail.com/sciencetech/article-15794219/Men-b…

travel_explore

web search NEUTRAL — This study aims to add to knowledge on the relation between ageing and masculinity in society by looking at how older unmarried and childless men in a small Swedish rural community articulate their ma…
https://www.researchgate.net/journal/International-Journal-f…

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Claim 5: “the team drew on new studies by 22 researchers spanning 13 countries.”

CORROBORATED

Multiple sources confirm the research involved 22 researchers from 13 countries.

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web search NEUTRAL — It brings together new research by 22 researchers from 13 countries on questions as diverse as climate denial in Canadian pipeline politics, environmental impacts of Chinese policies in the Pacific Oc…
https://phys.org/news/2026-05-masculine-behavior-bad-planet.…

travel_explore

web search NEUTRAL — Crucially, the researchers demonstrate the hydroxyl radical-rich environment in LP-TEM can be effectively mimicked by using the UV/H₂O₂ process, bridging the gap between radiation chemistry in the liq…
https://www.linkedin.com/posts/denssolutions_publication-ale…

travel_explore

web search NEUTRAL — Google Research teams in Accra collaborate with global research teams to lead many sustainability initiatives of particular interest to Africa.Our researchers are embedded in teams across computer sci…
https://research.google/careers/

help

Claim 6: “the five countries with the world’s highest carbon emissions: China placed first in this regard, followed by the United States, then India, with Russia and Japan rounding out the top five, according to a report by Worldmeter.”

INSUFFICIENT EVIDENCE

No evidence was provided in the search results to verify the Worldmeter report on carbon emissions rankings.

check_circle

Claim 7: “they claim that the “destructive ecological and social processes” are largely driven by “privileged eurowestern countries, particularly elite white men.””

CORROBORATED

The claim that destructive processes are driven by privileged Euro-Western countries and elite white men is explicitly quoted in the evidence.

travel_explore

web search NEUTRAL — They said: 'The destructive ecological and social processes are associated with and largely driven by the activities of privileged eurowestern countries, particularly elite white men.'
https://www.dailymail.com/sciencetech/article-15794219/Men-b…

travel_explore

web search NEUTRAL — They are: masculinities politics, deep ecology, ecological feminism and feminist care theory. The authors work with profeminist approaches to the conceptualisations and embodiments of modern Western m…
https://www.researchgate.net/publication/335988232_Ecologica…

travel_explore

web search NEUTRAL — Traditional economists cannot quantify or measure the effect of white male privilege in facilitating business dealings or obtaining employment in emerging market economies.
https://theconversation.com/white-mens-privilege-in-emerging…

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Claim 8: “Professor Jeff Hearn, a professor of sociology at the University of Huddersfield in the UK, said “There is now plenty of research that shows clear negative impacts of some men’s behavior on the environment and climate,” per Phys.org.”

CORROBORATED

The quote is attributed to Professor Jeff Hearn and is reported across multiple independent sources including Daily Mail and other news aggregators.

travel_explore

web search NEUTRAL — Professor Jeff Hearn. Professor of Sociology, Department of Social and Psychological Sciences. “There is now plenty of research that shows clear negative impacts of some men’s behaviour on the environ…
https://www.hud.ac.uk/news/2026/may/masculine-behaviour-habi…

travel_explore

web search NEUTRAL — Professor Jeff Hearn, professor of sociology in Huddersfield's Department of Social and Psychological Sciences, said: 'There is now plenty of research that shows clear negative impacts of some men's b…
https://www.dailymail.com/sciencetech/article-15794219/Men-b…

travel_explore

web search NEUTRAL — “There is now plenty of research that shows clear negative impacts of some men’s behaviour on the environment and climate,” This statement doesn’t say a damn thing about CAGW but says a whole lot abou…
https://wattsupwiththat.com/2026/05/07/euronews-being-white-…

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Claim 9: ““Men consume more meat than women and are leaders of the animal–industrial complex,” the researchers write.”

CORROBORATED

The specific quote regarding meat consumption and the animal-industrial complex is found in multiple reports.

travel_explore

web search NEUTRAL — Animal–industrial complex (AIC) is a concept used by activists and scholars to describe what they contend is the systematic and institutionalized exploitation of animals.[1]: 299 [2]: 197 The term was…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Animal–industrial_complex

travel_explore

web search NEUTRAL — "Men consume more meat than women and are leaders of the animal-industrial complex. Meat consumption remains part of hegemonic masculinity across many contexts." "Men tend to have less concern with cl…
https://briefly.co/anchor/Environment/story/men-are-bad-for-…

travel_explore

help

Claim 10: “These processes, per the study, include “colonialism, extractivism and capitalism.””

INSUFFICIENT EVIDENCE

No evidence was provided in the search results to confirm the specific list of processes (colonialism, extractivism, capitalism) mentioned in the study.

report

Claim 11: “a new study that found that an animal protein-heavy diet may help stave off dementia in a select group of people with a genetic risk factor tied to Alzheimer’s disease.”

MISLEADING

The evidence describes a 'Mediterranean diet' (rich in seafood, fruit, vegetables, nuts, and olive oil) as the factor reducing dementia risk, not specifically an 'animal protein-heavy diet'. The claim mischaracterizes the nature of the diet mentioned in the research.

travel_explore

web search NEUTRAL — Alzheimer’s disease is known to have a strong genetic component, with heritability estimated at up to 80 percent. One gene in particular, apolipoprotein E, or APOE, has emerged as the strongest geneti…
https://news.harvard.edu/gazette/story/2025/08/mediterranean…

travel_explore

web search NEUTRAL — A Mediterranean diet rich in seafood, fruit, vegetable, nuts and olive oil may lower the risk of dementia or Alzheimer's, a new study suggests.
https://www.nbcnews.com/health/health-news/mediterranean-die…

travel_explore

web search NEUTRAL — A new study found that following a Mediterranean diet may help lower a person’s risk of developing dementia and decelerate cognitive decline. Scientists discovered that this protective effect was stro…
https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/mediterranean-diet…

info Disclaimer: This analysis is generated by AI and should be used as a starting point for critical thinking, not as definitive truth. Claims are verified against publicly available sources. Always consult the original article and additional sources for complete context.