CRIME AND DEVIANCE - Green Crime / Eco-Crime

Question 1

Give some Examples of Green Crime! HINT: Name as many as you can; there are 10 Examples here!

Answer 1

• Climate Change
• Toxic Waste Disposal
• Nuclear Power (If it is not regulated; Chernobyl)
• Genetically Modifying Crops (If not legal and regulated)
• Species Extinction
• Burning Fossil Fuels
• Pollution
• Deforestation
• Oil Spills
• Illegal Whaling

Question 2

Who are 2 of the Sociologists who look into Traditional Criminology?

Answer 2

Situ and Emmons!

Question 3

(SITU AND EMMONS) How do they define ‘environmental crime’?

Answer 3

They define environmental crime as ‘an unauthorised act or omission that violate law’!

Question 4

Give some Examples of Laws that exist regarding Environmental Issues! HINT: Name as many as you can; there are 5 Examples here!

Answer 4

• Fishing Quotas
• Littering
• Climate Change Targets
• Fly tipping
• Restriction on emissions = Ulez Zone

Question 5

What does Wolf argue, in regards to Green Crime?

Answer 5

The term ‘green, eco or environmental crime’ was used to describe actions which broke laws protecting the environment.

This is a very traditional approach to defining these types of crimes.

He says the same things motivate people to commit green crime as ordinary crime (EG: Strain, greed, rational choice, control theory).

Question 6

TRUE OR FALSE - Wolf is NOT a Sociologist who believes in Traditional Criminology!

Answer 6

FALSE - He is! He believes that the same things motivate people to commit green crime as ordinary crime (such as strain, greed, rational choice, control theory)!

Question 7

What are the Criticisms of Wolf? HINT: There are 3 Examples here; name as many as you can - Weaknesses of Traditional Criminology!

Answer 7

• Laws change over time as society, technology and science changes; emerging relationships with the world, as seen with the different COP meetings etc, such as COP26!
• Different things are legal/illegal in different countries - Disparity regarding different laws, such as regarding poaching and the selling of ivory!
• Victims are disproportionately living in poorer countries rather than rich - Corporate crimes and businesses can normally pay off any fines they get + shipping of toxic waste will go to poorer countries and developing countries, as seen with the waste from the fast fashion industries going to countries in Asia and Africa! - Is this why we do not care about this as it doesn’t affect us / can we put our heads in the sand?

Question 8

Is White a Radical or Traditional Criminologist Sociologist?

Answer 8

He is a Radical Criminologist!

Question 9

(WHITE) What does he say about Green Crime?

Answer 9

Green crime is transgressive and should be defined as ‘any action that harms the physical environment and any creatures that live within it, even if no law has technically been broken’, such as different rules regarding poaching etc!

He notes rich companies move business to developing countries to get around stricter laws in the West but still cause harm even if not illegal, such as dumping waste to countries in the desert and in areas of South Central America and areas like Chile - Landfill sites with clothes that take around 200 years to decompose; smoke pollution from burning clothes! A Chilean law does hold importers to account for textile waste, but there is still an issue regarding synthetic clothing being dumped in sites like Chile’s desert! There is a lack of resources to control these situations!

Question 10

What is the Eco-Centric View of Crime? HINT: Eco in the centre!

Answer 10

Damage to the environment is damage to the other species as well putting the human race at risk in the future.

This is the view of Greenpeace, Extinction Rebellion, Just Stop Oil - Need money to save the environment!

Question 11

What is the Anthropocentric View of Crime? HINT: Humans in the centre!

Answer 11

Humans have the right to exploit the environment and other species for their own benefit.

This can be the view of transnational corporations / businesses - Exploit the environment to money!

Question 12

What Sociologist Identified 2 Different Types of Green Crime?

Answer 12

Nigel South!

Question 13

(SOUTH) What 2 Types of Green Crime did he identify?

Answer 13

Primary Crime and Secondary Crime!

Question 14

(SOUTH) Explain Primary Crime and Provide some Examples! - PLANET

Answer 14

This crime is a DIRECT RESULT of the destruction and degradation of the PLANET’S resources.

• Crimes of air pollution
• Crimes of deforestation
• Crimes of species decline and animal rights
• Crimes of freshwater and marine pollution
• Making knock-off drugs!

Humans damage the environment using things from the EARTH!

Question 15

(SOUTH) Explain Secondary Crime and Provide some Examples! - HUMANS

Answer 15

These are crimes that are a RESULT of flouting existing LAWS and regulations.

• Dumping toxic waste
• Breach of health and safety rules
• Offloading products such as pharmaceuticals onto third world markets after they have been banned on safety grounds in the west
• The impact, where viruses become resistant to drugs!

Humans damage the environment using things HUMANS have manufactured!

Question 16

What did Walter identify regarding Britain’s nuclear industry? HINT: Dumping waste and the action taken!

Answer 16

British nuclear industry dumps waste and causes pollution. Nothing is done to prevent this (such as burying it underground in concrete).

Question 17

What is the Impact of Genetically Modified Crops?

Answer 17

GM crops are not illegal but do cause harm to the ecological environment and us, potentially - Even though it is not a crime, it still causes harm! It is harder to know whether or not something has been GM unless it is labelled as so!

Question 18

Why do some Scoiologists believe that Actions should be judged in terms of their ‘Harm’ rather than the ‘Law’?

Answer 18

This is because laws reflect narrow interests of the powerful and therefore damage should be judged in terms of harm rather than what is illegal!

This links to Zemiology - The study of Social Harms!

Question 19

What are the 2 Ways in which Green Crime can be linked to Globalisation? HINT: The Planet is a single ecosystem (interconnected) + Transnational corporations commit Green Crime!

Answer 19

Green crime is increasingly seen as a form of global crime for two reasons:

1. The planet is a single ecosystem - EG: Radioactive fallout from the Chernobyl nuclear reactor disaster of 1986 spread thousands of miles across Europe, resulting in sheep farming in parts of England and Wales.
2. Green crime is carried out by powerful interests, particularly transnational corporations - Impact on developing countries that we import our waste too and criminal organisations being involved in the illegal ivory trade; they fuel these institutions and can contribute to the creation of by-produtcs, like greenhouse gas emissions and water run-off etc!

Question 20

What are 3 of the Difficulties in Policing Green Crime?

Answer 20

1. Very few local or international laws governing the state of the environment; some laws are not introduced and many have loopholes.
2. International laws are difficult to construct, due to the amount of people involved, such as the COP26 meetings etc - Hard to manage!
3. Laws that exist are shaped by powerful capitalist interests - They would rather maximise profits; most green crimes are corporate crimes, due to the scale of them etc!

Question 21

Explain the link between Green Crime and Beck with the ideas of ‘Risk Society’ and ‘Manufactured Risk’!

Answer 21

We have manufactured risk and we are worried that every development we have made will damage our environment; we are scared of the results of our actions, such as climate change.

There are some organisations that aim to be sustainable, such as Lush and The Body Shop; however, if there are 10 other countries in Africa and Asia producing pollution - They are just having their industrialisation periods later!

Agreements of fishing and climate change. Risk in society has declined as society has advanced. We have conquered environmental / natural risks (EG: Flood barriers or tsunami defence systems) but we have manufactured more risks by causing pollution and toxic waste.

Beck says we care about environmental risk as it doesn’t just affect particular groups but is a global issue. There is more publicity given to environmental issues. In solving one set of problems we can create more problems.

Question 22

What does Sutton argue about inequality regarding victims of Green Crime?

Answer 22

They argue that there is inequality in who experiences environmental damage = Rich people can afford to live in safer places!

People in poorer countries often face the brute force of Green Crime (such as the dumping of clothes in areas like Chile) and they do not have the money or resources to properly deal with this or to move away!

Question 23

What are the 4 Evaluation Points for Green Crime? HINT: 2 Positives and 2 Negatives

Answer 23

+ Green criminology recognises the growing importance of environmental issues and manufactured global risks = Global effects may be the problem but also the solution!

+ It recognises the interdependence of humans, other species and the environment.

HOWEVER:

• Its focus on harm rather than criminality means green criminology is often accused of being engaged with subjective interpretation rather than objective scientific analysis and is therefore biased - EG: Trump believing that Climate Change is not real and that debates regarding single-use plastics; using single-use plastics over using plastic tupperware etc!
• People should be more concerned about other more pressing crimes (EG: Rape, murder etc) BUT, we are all victims of green crime - existential problem - Green crime is a longer term problem and issue! Just Stop Oil (want to reduce eco-crime) but they increase other types of crime, such as vandalism etc!