Green Crime

• McLaughlin


  Primary green crime - deforestation, pollution, animal trafficking etc.

  Secondary green crime - crime that happens through attempting to hide primary green crime e.g. violence against protests, rangers
• Example 1


  Gulf War Oil Spill

  • Leader of Iraq ordered 11 million barrels of crude oil to be poured in the Persian gulf to prevent US marine landing
  • Most damaging oil slick, led to extinction of 2 species
• Example 2


  Trafficking of Endangered species

  • Often from Africa to China for use in medicine
  • Responsible for decline in numbers of many species
  • Most trafficked animal is the Pangolin
• Example 3


  Climate Change

  • Zemiologists claim it is a green crime as our failure to alter our actions shows criminal negligence
  • Already led to destruction of 50% of the world's species
• Transgressive Criminology


  Wolf - says that green crime is hard to define as they are defined by the state, who are often the perpetrator.

  Also, something that is illegal in one country may not be in another, leading to the use of transgressive criminology to look at harmful actions of crime

  White - human actions cause green crime
• Evaluating White


  Says that basic human thing that we require to live is a green crime. It's so expansive that almost anything could be included.
• Beck - Risk Society


  We have moved from localised threats to more global threats, like global warming. These are harder to understand and create a sense of unease and anxiety in society.
• Evaluating Beck


  White argues there is more risk for the global poor as Western nations can keep safe by dumping hazardous waste in poor nations. Means the unease is not shared evenly between everyone.
• Why is green crime globalised?

  • The environment is not held to national boundaries
  • Harm in one country is likely to spread