Green Crime Overview

Green Criminology is the study of environmental harms, focusing on the actions that cause them, regardless of whether they break the law.

Primary Green Crime: Direct harm to the environment, like deforestation or pollution (e.g., species extinction, air pollution, deforestation).

Secondary Green Crime: Actions that help cause harm to the environment but aren't directly causing the damage themselves (e.g., bribery to avoid environmental regulations, violence against environmental groups).

The term 'Green Criminology' was first coined by Nigel South in the late 1980s. Green Crime is defined by South as 'crime against the environment'.

Ulrich Beck's theory that we live in a 'global risk society' where risks are increasingly manufactured by human activities and technology, creating global problems like climate change.

Rob White proposes that Green Criminology should be concerned with anything that harms the environment, even if it's not explicitly illegal.

The idea that the environment and humans are fundamentally interconnected, and harm to one impacts the other.

The belief that harm to the environment is a problem only because it affects humans, not because it harms the environment itself.

Transgressive Criminology challenges traditional definitions of crime, pushing beyond laws to encompass harmful actions regardless of legal categorization.

The idea that social inequalities contribute to environmental problems as wealthy and powerful entities often create the most harm, while the poor and marginalized bear the brunt of the consequences.

Environmental Racism refers to the disproportionate impact of environmental harm on minority communities, often caused by the actions of those in power.

"Smog is democratic" means that environmental issues like pollution, unlike past social problems like poverty, affect everyone, regardless of social class.

The Bhopal disaster (1984) was a gas leak at a pesticide plant in India that killed thousands and left many with long-term health issues.

The Chernobyl disaster (1986) was a nuclear accident that released radioactive material into the environment, causing long-term health effects and environmental contamination.

Companies often engage in green crime by breaking environmental regulations to maximize profits and minimize costs, leading to significant environmental harm.

The state can also engage in green crime through activities like dumping waste, disregarding environmental laws, and supporting corporations that harm the environment.

Green Crime is often a global issue because of interconnectedness and the global reach of businesses and environmental problems.

Marxism suggests that Green Crime is driven by capitalist systems that prioritize profit over environmental sustainability, leading to exploitation.

Eco-feminism views Green Crime as a consequence of patriarchal systems that exploit both women and the environment.

Fly-tipping is the illegal dumping of waste, often in public spaces. It's a common example of Green Crime that can be harmful to both the environment and communities.

Situ and Emmons define Green Crime as any act that breaks environmental laws and regulations, regardless of the actual harm caused.

Traditional Criminology primarily focuses on actions that break laws, and may not adequately address environmental harm, especially when it's not explicitly illegal.