Green Crime - Crime Flashcards
What is green crime?
Crimes against the environment
- links globalisation, corporations and organised crime together
What do traditional criminologists argue about green crime?
Study the patterns and causes of law breaking:
- See most ‘green’ crime as not an actual crime as no real law has been broken
What are traditional criminologists criticised for?
For accepting official definitions of environmental problems and crimes often shaped by powerful groups to serve their own interests
What do green criminologists argue about green crime?
Look at the notion of harm rather than criminal law:
- White: green crime is any action that harms the physical environment/human or non-human animals within it, even if no law has been broken
Green criminology is a form of transgressive criminology - oversteps the boundaries of traditional criminology
What is evaluation of green criminology?
By focusing on much broader concepts or harm rather than on legally defined crimes its hard to define the boundaries of Green Criminology’s field of study
How can green crime be linked to globalisation?
- Atmospheric pollution from industry in one country can turn into acid rain which falls in another
- Accident in the nuclear industry (e.g. Chernobyl) can spread radioactive materials over thousands of miles
What is Primary green crime (South)?
Actions that are currently not illegal under international law, and are considered to by simply ‘environmental issues’
What is Secondary green crime (South)?
Actions that are illegal under national or international law,. but may not be enforced
What are examples of Primary green crime?
- Air pollution - not illegal but estimated 24000 ppl die prematurely every year due to it
- GM crops - may be harmful
- Deforestation
What are examples of Secondary green crime?
- Hazardous waste - disposal
- Water pollution
What is an example of a crime that is both a secondary and primary green crime?
Species decline and animal rights:
- some of this is due to poaching and trafficking of animals but some is due to legal hunting and environmental changes
What does Beck argue about green crime?
That much of it is manufactured and not natural. Therefore as more countries become industrialised the amount of green crime may spread
How might green crime begin to decline?
There are a growing number of laws and international agreements against green crime e.g. the Kyoto Agreement
How are green crimes enforced?
They are rarely enforced, or the penalties are so low that it is still worthwhile for companies to flout them
e.g. some types of air pollution are illegal, yet few corporations are ever punished - maximum fine is only 20,000
