Green Criminology Flashcards
Why has Green Crim emerged?
Globalisation and the impact that growing industry has had on the environment and depleted our natural resources - we are overconsuming
What is Globalisation?
Division of labour, the concept of money, accumulation of capital and trade and excessive consumption
Environmental Pressures include…
climate change, flood risk, increased urbanisation, population growth, increased competition for resources
Victims and Offenders - Not just the fault of corporations…
The Environment (and everyone living in it) are the victims, but the offenders are also society as a whole for our consumption, overpopulation and misconduct
Foundations of Green Crim (South, 1998)
Make, Break, React
Making the law - studies of regulation and disasters (single events or misconduct by corporations)
Breaking the law - legal and social censures
(how are acts categorised and how should we respond)
Social Reaction - social movements and politics
(pressure groups, rallies and political treaties)
What is Environmental Crime?
“Any unlawful act that threatens or damages the
environment” (EIA, 2008) very vague and “lawful but awful” harms and risks
What is primary EC?
direct impact on the environment e.g. oil spill/dumping
what is secondary EC?
violation of regulatory rules e.g. not disposing of waste properly
what is environmental risk with a nexus to crime?
major event (e.g. a natural disaster) leads to further crime e.g. looting after a hurricane
Environmental “Harm” - why not crime?
relative to each country’s different environmental protection laws - corps exploit LEDC’s minimal laws
3 Different views of harm (Halsey and White, 1998)
Anthropocentric - values humans the most important
Ecocentric - humans and environment are co-dependent
Biocentric - all creatures and environment have equal value
Offending can either be … or …
Non-compliant or unregulated activities or a deliberate flouting of the law
Offenders can be…
individuals, social groups, governments or national and transnational corporations
Environmental Crim can happen…
anywhere! Local, national and international criminality and small-scale to serious and organised crime
Offenders can have…
Various motives and Varying degrees of: • Organisation • Skills • Knowledge • Different levels of: • Finance • Equipment Requiring varying numbers and levels of offenders
Victims are…
key prob: lack of self-identification and detection/conviction
anything or anyone harmed by environmental disruption, from fish in polluted rivers to indirect victims of the Chernobyl disaster, and global victims of climate change
The problem with implementing GC…
prevention is more important than punishment/deterrent. Offender motives often profit-driven or laziness, or people “don’t know its illegal”
Why might regulation be more a more appropriate response than enforcement?
because prevention is more effective than a cure
Not policed traditionally, but enforcement happens when…
Stop crime from continuing or occurring
• Put right environmental harm or damage
• Punish an offender
• Deter future offending
Problem Orientated Policing in terms of GC
similar offences grouped together, scrutinised, develop evidence based, multi-agency policies that are preventative not reactive
