Green Crime

• Green Crime- Defined

  Defined as crime against the environment- much can be linked to globalisation. Regardless of the division of the world into separate nation-states, the planet is a single ecosystem, and threats to this are increasingly global.
• 'Global Risk Society' & the Environment

  Beck: argues in today's late modern society we can produce resources for all. Though the massive increase in productivity and the technology needed to sustain it has created new 'manufactured risks'. Many include harm to the environment and consequences for humanity (e.g. global warming from burning fossil fuels). Many of these risks are global rather than locally scaled.
• 'Global Risk Society' & the Environment: Real-World Example

  In 2010, global heating triggered a heat wave in Russia which caused wildfires, some passing over the grain belt. After losing much of this crop, they then introduced export bans and increased the world price of grain. Consequently, Mozambique which is heavily reliant on imported food had to then rise the price of their breads by 30% which caused riots around food stores. Their harvest had been hit by drought too- the World Development Movement was then said to be 'gambling on hunger' in financial markets.
• Traditional Criminology

  Their subject matter of study is defined by criminal law- specifically the national and international laws concerning the environment. Situ and Emmons- 'an unauthorised act or omission which violates the law'. Like other traditional approaches, it investigates the patterns and causes of law breaking.
• Traditional Criminology (AO3)

  An advantage of this approach is it has a clearly defined subject matter. Though its criticised for accepting official definitions of environmental problems and crimes, which are often shaped by powerful groups such as businesses to serve their interests (Marxism).
• Green Criminology

  Takes a radical approach, starting from a notion of harm rather than criminal law. White argues that the study of criminology is any action that harms the physical environment and those within it, even if no law has been broken. A form of transgressive criminology- overstepping the boundaries of traditional criminology to include new issues, in this case 'zemiology'- study of harms.
• Green Criminology

  Furthermore, different countries have different laws- so regulations vary. Thus legal definitions don't provide a consistent standard of harm as they are a product of individual nation-states and their political processes (Interactionism). By removing a legal definition, it develops a more global perspective.
• Green Criminology (AO3)

  This approach is similar to the Marxist view regarding 'crimes of the powerful'- seeing the capitalist class as being able to shape the law and define crime so their exploitative actions aren't criminalised. Similarly, green criminologists argue that powerful interests, especially nation-states and transnational corporations, can define what counts as unacceptable environmental harm within laws.
• Green Criminology- 2 Views of Harm

  Anthropocentric- (human-centred view) adopted by nation-states and transnational corporations, where they assume that humans have the right to dominate nature, putting economic growth before environmental sustainability.
• Green Criminology- 2 Views of Harm

  Ecocentric- sees humans and their environment as interdependent, seeing environmental harm as hurting humans too. Meaning that both are liable to exploitation, particularly by global capitalism. Green Criminology adopts this view as the basis for judging environmental harm.
• Types of Green Crime- South

  Primary Green Crimes- crimes which result directly from the destruction and degradation of the earth's resources. E.g. air pollution, deforestation, species decline and animal abuse, and water pollution.
• Types of Green Crime- South; Primary Example

  Crimes of Deforestation: between 1960 and 1990, 1/5 of the world's tropical rainforest was destroyed. For example, in the Andes the 'war on drugs' has led to pesticide spraying to kill coca and marijuana plants, but has created a new green crime- destroying food crops, contaminating drinking water, and causing illness. Criminals include: the state and those profiting from forest destruction (e.g. logging companies).
• Types of Green Crime- South

  Secondary Green Crimes- crimes which grow from breaking rules which are aimed at preventing or regulating environmental disasters. E.g. governments often break their own regulations and cause environmental harm.
• Types of Green Crime- South; Secondary Example

  Hazardous Waste & Organised Crime: Western businesses ship waste to be processed in poorer countries where costs are lower and safety standards are often non-existent. Rosoff et al notes the cost of legitimately disposing of toxic waste in USA is $2,500 a ton, but some poorer countries will dispose it for $3 a ton. Moreover, transnational corporations may offload pharmaceutical products to poorer countries after they have been banned on safety grounds in the West.
• Evaluation of Green Criminology

  Though it recognises the growing importance of environmental issues and the need to address harms and risks of environmental damage to both humans and non-human animals, it does then mean mean the boundaries of the study are hard to define due to it being such a broad focus. Defining boundaries involves making moral/political statements about which acts should be seen as wrong- critics argue that due to their values, they cannot establish objectivity.