Green Crime Flashcards
What are the 5 definitions of green crime
- traditional criminology
- green criminology
- zemiology
- radical criminology
- transgressive criminology
Outline traditional criminology definition
Unauthorised act or omission that violates law
What is green criminology definition
Across boundaries of traditional
Broadens discussion look at harm
Link zemiology
What is zemiology definition
Looks at harm
Actions may injure humans and environment bht may not be against law - sociology of harm
Outline a strength and a limitation of zemiology definition
- STRENGTH: recognises growing importance environmental issues and manufactured risks, recognises interdependence humans, other species and environment
- LIMITATION: focuses harm not criminality, subjective interpretation
Who created radical criminologist definition
White
What is the radical criminologist definition
Any action harms physical environment and any creatures living within it, even if technically not breaking the law
What is the transgressive definition
Broader
Any human action illegal or not causes environmental harm
Environmental Justice Approach
Evaluation transgressive defintion
Broad: based moral and political judgements
Just because morally repugnant does not make it a crime
How does south divide crime
- primary
- secondary
Outline Souths Primary crime
- air pollution: 3 billion tons carbon each year from burning fossil fuels
- deforestation: 1960-90 1/5 worlds tropical rainforest destroyed e.g through logging
- species decline: 50 species a day becoming extinct
- water pollution: 25mill die each year from drinking contaminated water
Briefly outline Souths primary definition
Crimes resulting directly destruction and degradation earths resources
- water pollution
- species decline
- air pollution
- deforestation
Outline Souths secondary crime definition
Crime result gov flouting rules aimed preventing or regulating environmental pollution and natural disasters.
States and countries break own regulations or profit degradation another country
Example of Souths secondary crime
Dumping toxic waste in another country
Deep Water Horizon 2010: largest oil spill in history
What are the two views of harm
- Anthropocentric
- Ecocentric
Outline Anthropocentric view of harm
Prioritise man over other species
Humans right to dominate nature for own ends
Corporations adopt this view justify means their damage
Outline Ecocentric view of harm
Humans and environment interdependent
Environmental harm hurts humans to
Do not have priority over other species
Green crime adopts this view
Who commits crime
Wolf:
- individuals
- private business organisations
- states and gov
- organised crime e.g. Mafia Italy dispose illegal waste for businesses
Outline different links to globalisation
- global demand
- trafficking
- easier communicate/cheaper
- global risks
How does it link to global demand
Encourage green crime
Deforestation Amazon logging
How does it link to trafficking
Endangered species in global market
Wider market of potential customers
How does easier to communicate/ cheaper travel link
Companies/states developed world send toxic waste be disposed of in countries where costs cheaper and h&s legislation more lax
May not be illegal but is it ethical?
How do global risks link with it
Beck
Unlike natural disasters: famine and drought developed those own making ‘manufactured risks’
Involve harm environment and consequences humanity
Global warming caused greenhouse gas emission from industry
Searching more profit
Taking more and more risks
What are the causes
- capitalism
- biopiracy
- consumerism
- states and organised crime
How does capitalism lead to green crime
Halsey and Whyte: dominance capitalist ideology, prioritising economic growth over wellbeing environment, linked corporate crime
How does biopiracy lead to crime
South: corporate colonisation of nature - nature exploited capitalist profit
Walters: examples: companies take control sometimes illegally of plants and animals preventing them being used by indigenous people e.g. Stripping rainforests of resources so impossible local population and rainforest thrive
Engineering of nature: genetically modified crops, building dams, mining, fracking undermine sustainability and diversity harming local population e.g introduction GM crops Zambia threatened contaminate other crops and food supply
How does consumerism cause green crime
Car buyers contribute greenhouse gases by adding to global warming through carbon emissions
How does state and organised crime cause green crime
E.g. Chinese state responsible building 3 gorges in a dam, flooding 400sq miles
Causing soil erosion, drought and displacement 1mill people
South: Sicilian Mafia: disposing hazardous waste Bay Naples: only 10% disposed legally
How does green crime link to state crime
Marx: global capitalism and crimes of powerful. Global social injustice poor suffer most
Japan
State violence against oppositional groups:
Every case gov committed nuclear power those who oppose treated same degree as enemies of the state
State collides organised crime: South Italy Eco Mafia
What is an example of state violence against oppositional groups
french gov secret service blew up Green peace ship rainbow warrior as used to stop France testing nuclear weapons South Pacific
Example state crime
JAPAN
bribery and corruption Japanese gov on International Whaling Commission to stifle opposition try and make exceptions
Examples corporate crime
- union carbide Bhopal 1984
- union carbide Sydney Harbour 2006
- recycling ships Bangladesh/India/Brazil/China
How does Bhopal 1984 Union Carbide demonstrate corporate crime
- cyanide gas leak due failure safety systems Estimated 20,000 died 120,000 still suffer 1 dies per day Only acknowledged 3,800 deaths H&S more lax Bhopal
How many died result Bhopal 1984 Union Carbide
20,000
How many are still suffering result Bhopal Union Carbide 1984
120,000
1 dies per day
How does Union Carbide 2006 Sydney Harbour link corporate crime
Banned commercial shipping after tests showed fish 100x more cancer causing dioxins than considered safe
Result union carbide chemical plant low income area regularly dumping chemical e.g agent orange 1940s-70s when closed down
What was Union Carbide accused of doing in 2006
Sydney Harbour
Plant low income area
Regularly dumping chemicals e.g. Agent orange
Betweens 40s-70s when closed down
How does recycling ships link to corporate and green crime
Bring employment Bangladesh, India, Brazil, China
Havent technology dismantle asbestos laden ships
What are the reasons for green crime being hard to detect
- Brunos 5 techniques of neutralisation
- international laws difficult construct some reluctant to sign
- gov reluctant pass laws hurt big multi national companies they rely on
What are brunos 5 techniques of neutralisation
Deny Delay Divide Dump Dupe
Give an example to demonstrate Brunos 5 techniques of neutralisation
- global warming not happening
- cant act until we know more
- chose jobs or environment
- export products banned at home
- pose friends environmental groups (greenwashing)
Why do international laws make green crime hard to detect
China and USA reluctant sign any internal carbon reduction treaties
Japan opposed anti-whaling legislation
Multi-jurisdictional pollution does not stay in boundaries
Why are gov reluctant pass laws hurt big multi-national companies they rely on
Enforcement often weak
Stay benefitting
Firm can hire lawyers escape prosecution
Have laws tightened UK
2005 environmental Agency
Prosecutions against 317 companies
Nearly 1/2 fined over £1000
Illegal waste disposal and water pollution cracked down on
Illegal fly tip, litter, pick protected flowers, or deal endangered species
