Green crime

What is green crime

Refers to crimes/and or harm done to the environment, including to animals.

Describe Becks risk society (published in Sage Journals)

There is danger present in ‘reflexive modern societies’ at a higher rate than pre-modern societies, where they did not face risks but ‘external threats from god or nature’. In reflexive modern society the nature of what we are trying to protect ourselves from as hazards is changing (eg flooding, wildfires). Instead of external threats, we now face manufactured risks

What are both types of environmental criminology

Traditional

Green (transgressive + zemiology)

What is traditional criminology

Studies the breaking of criminal law, focusing on patterns and causes

What is green crminology

Studies any notion of harm toward the environment

What are the two views of harm

Anthropocentric

Eco-centric

Describe the anthropocentric view of environmental harm

Humans have a right to dominate nature, putting economic growth before the environment

Describe the eco-centric view of environmental harm

Sees humans and their environment as interdependent, so that environmental harm hurts humans also

Which two types of green crime does South identify and what are they

Primary Green crime = result directly from the destruction and degradation of the earth’s resources’

Secondary green crimes = flouting of rules aimed at preventing or regulating environmental disasters

What are 2 examples of primary green crimes + describe them

Crimes of water pollution = Half a billion lack access to clean water + Marine Pollution caused by humans (deepwater horizon oil spill) threatens 58% of coral reefs globally

Crimes of species decline and animal abuse = Animals are abused through endangered species trafficking + 50 species go extinct a day due to declining biodiversity affecting their natural habitats

What are 2 examples of secondary green crimes + describe them

State violence against oppositional groups’, such as when the French government bombed the Greenpeace ship ‘Rainbow Warrior’ to prevent its anti-nuclear campaigning activities. (arrests over just stop oil protests)

‘Hazardous waste and organised crime’, such as when eco-mafias help corporations side-step strict laws about pollution and disposal of hazardous waste by accepting money to take such waste away.

How does Walters describe hazardous waste and organised crime

The ocean floor has been a radioactive dump for decades

Describe the eco-mafias actions in toxic waste dumping

Cam generate $30billion per anum

They can find connections in countries with looser environmental policies and drop the price for waste/per for as low as $3

What is a criticism of green criminology

It takes too broad a focus from ‘harm’, it is impossible to define boundaries of harm as they are subjective

What is a criticism of traditional criminology

It ignores entirely the crimes that have not been made illgela yet/have emerged as a result to globalisation