Green Crime

• Why is green crime an example of global crime?

  • Globalisation is an important factor of global crime
  • Environmental crime can span borders e.g. pollution
• AO2: White

  • Green crime should be extended to harm to nature, not just humans/animals
  • Argues current laws are 'anthropocentric' - the problems that environmental crime pose on humans
  • We should take 'eco-centric' approach - not distinguishing between humans + the rest of the environment
• AO2: Nigel South

  Identified Primary + Secondary green crime

  Primary: Human actions that directly damage the environment, e.g. deforestation

  Secondary: Crime derived from defying environmental laws, e.g. violence against environmental groups (Rainbow Warrior)
• AO2: Rainbow Warrior

  • Rainbow Warrior (Greenpeace's flagship boat) sailed to the Pacific to protest against French nuclear testing
  • French Intelligence bombed boat, 1 died
  • 2 spies arrested, France paid $8.1M compensation
  • Secondary green crime (Nigel South)
• AO2: Ulrich Beck

  • We've entered a 'risk society'
  • Modern risks are derived from human technological advances. Have massive potential to seriously damage environment, e.g. Chernobyl
  • 'Smog is democratic' - green crimes affect all regardless of social inequalities
• Marxist perspective on green crime:

  • See Industrial Capitalism as the biggest cause of environmental crimes
  • AO2 Potter: Green crimes committed by rich + powerful reinforce social inequality. W + poor suffer disproportionately due to green crime.
• What is environmental racism?


  Those causing damage (normally yt) cause further damage to a diff. minority group.
• What about the law makes it difficult to police g. crime?

  • Few international laws protecting environment - current laws differ across countries
  • Existing environmental laws affected by powerful transnational oil/mineral/chemical companies so they don’t affect their operations/profits
• AO3: Why is the distinction of 2ndary g. crime arguably useless?

  Its just crime, environment links are incidental