C&D- GLOBALISATION: ENVIRONMENTAL CRIME Flashcards
What are environmental or green crimes?
Environmental crimes are crimes that damage the environment. They can be committed by individuals, businesses, or governments.
What are examples of environmental crimes committed by individuals?
Examples include dumping waste, littering, picking protected wildflowers, shooting birds of prey, collecting birds’ eggs, badger baiting, fox hunting, and dealing in endangered species.
Why are individual environmental crimes a recent focus?
They are a recent focus due to the actions of the Environment Agency in the UK and increased concerns over global warming.
What was the Bhopal disaster, and why is it significant?
In 1984, a poisonous gas leak from Union Carbide’s plant in Bhopal, India, injured 20,000 people and killed 10,000. The parent company in the USA escaped prosecution, highlighting how environmental crimes cross national boundaries.
What are examples of corporate environmental crime?
Examples include pollution and the dumping of toxic waste. Companies may illegally ship hazardous waste to LEDCs where regulations are weaker.
What are examples of environmental crimes committed by governments?
Examples include pollution, transport, and dumping of nuclear waste. A notable example is the sinking of Greenpeace’s Rainbow Warrior ship by the French government to suppress protests against nuclear testing.
How has increased awareness of green issues affected environmental crime?
It has led to the introduction of environmental legislation, which individuals and corporations may seek to break.
What does “global risk society” mean in the context of environmental crime?
It refers to the idea that threats to the environment, like pollution and global warming, have global impacts, as the Earth functions as a single ecosystem.
What are manufactured risks, according to Beck?
Manufactured risks are human-made dangers, such as global warming, that we have not faced before and which create global risks.
How can global human-made risks cause crime?
In 2010, a heatwave in Russia caused wildfires, destroying grain fields and leading to a global grain shortage. In Mozambique, the rising cost of bread led to riots and looting.
What is traditional criminology’s approach to environmental crime?
Traditional criminology focuses on environmental crimes that violate national or international laws, as defined by authorities.
What is a criticism of traditional criminology?
It accepts official definitions of environmental crime, which are often shaped by powerful groups like large corporations that may influence environmental laws in their favor.
How does green criminology differ from traditional criminology?
Green criminology focuses on actions that harm the environment, even if they are not defined as crimes. It takes a global perspective and challenges the practices of powerful corporations.
What does White argue about environmental laws?
White argues that many harmful environmental practices are not illegal due to differing laws between countries. Green criminology studies these practices regardless of legality.
What is an ecocentric view in green criminology?
An ecocentric view sees humans and the environment as interdependent, where harm to the environment also harms humans.
What is an anthropocentric view of environmental harm?
This view is human-centered and assumes that humans have the right to dominate nature for their own benefit.
What are primary environmental crimes?
These are crimes directly resulting from the destruction of the Earth’s resources, such as air pollution, deforestation, species decline, and water pollution.
What are examples of primary environmental crimes?
Air pollution: Burning fossil fuels adds 3 billion tons of carbon to the atmosphere annually.
Deforestation: One-fifth of tropical rainforests were destroyed from 1960-1990.
Species decline: 50 species go extinct daily, with 46% of mammals at risk.
Water pollution: Half a billion people lack clean drinking water, leading to 25 million deaths annually.
What are secondary environmental crimes?
These include illegal actions like dumping hazardous waste, state violence against environmental groups, and environmental discrimination.
What is an example of state violence against environmental groups?
In 1985, the French government sank Greenpeace’s Rainbow Warrior ship to suppress protests against nuclear testing in the Pacific.
What is environmental discrimination?
Poorer communities are disproportionately affected by pollution. For example, Black communities in the USA often live near garbage dumps or polluting industries.
What are the strengths of green criminology?
It highlights the importance of global environmental issues and the harm they cause to both human and non-human species.
What are the weaknesses of green criminology?
Its focus on harmful actions rather than clearly defined illegal actions makes its scope too broad and subjective
Recent statistics
Global Environmental Crime Trends: Environmental crime is one of the fastest-growing sectors of organized crime, generating hundreds of billions in illicit profits annually. Estimates suggest that environmental crimes are growing by 5-7% per year, outpacing the growth of the global economy.
DISCOURSE MAGAZINE
Deforestation in Bolivia: In 2023, Bolivia experienced a 27% increase in the loss of primary forests, reaching its highest number on record for the third consecutive year, largely due to environmental crimes.
DIÁLOGO AMERICAS
EPA Enforcement Efforts: In 2024, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) significantly enhanced its enforcement efforts, doubling financial penalties issued to polluters compared to 2023. The EPA concluded over 1,850 civil cases and charged 121 criminal defendants, with financial penalties totaling $1.7 billion.
