Green Crime

Question 1

What does transgressive mean in the context of green crime?

Answer 1

Looking at the wider definitions of crime, focusing on the harm that crimes cause, not just breaking state laws.

Question 2

What does anthropocentric mean in the context of environmental harm?

Answer 2

Harm to the environment from the perspective of humanity. Pollution or climate change is harmful because of its impact on people and economic costs.

Question 3

What does ecocentric mean in the context of green crime?

Answer 3

Harm to any aspect of the environment is considered harm to all of it. Crimes like animal cruelty or habitat destruction are green crimes regardless of human cost.

Question 4

How does globalisation link to green crime?

Answer 4

Environmental crimes are global; an act in one location can have knock-on effects across the planet.

Question 5

Why is green crime difficult to police?

Answer 5

Acts may be legal in one location but harmful elsewhere; identifying responsibility is often complex.

Question 6

How does traditional criminology define green crime?

Answer 6

Situ & Emmons (2000): “An unauthorised act or omission that violates the law of a state or nation.” Focuses on law-breaking; doesn’t include acts like global warming or acid rain.

Question 7

How does transgressive criminology define green crime?

Answer 7

White (2008): Any action harming the physical environment and/or humans/non-human animals, even if no law is broken.

Question 8

What does Beck’s concept of global and manufactured risk contribute?

Answer 8

Modern society produces manufactured risks (e.g., greenhouse gases) that harm the environment globally, affecting humans.

Question 9

What is primary green crime?

Answer 9

Nigel South (2014): Direct destruction/degradation of Earth’s resources. Examples: air pollution, deforestation, species decline, animal abuse, water pollution.

Question 10

What is secondary green crime?

Answer 10

Crimes resulting from breaking rules designed to prevent/regulate environmental disasters. Examples: state violence against environmental groups, hazardous waste, organised crime, environmental discrimination.

Question 11

Who are the main victims of green crime?

Answer 11

Wolf: Poor people, ethnic minorities, and developing world populations are most vulnerable due to inability to move from toxic areas.

Question 12

Who are the main perpetrators of green crime?

Answer 12

Wolf: Individuals: cumulative impacts like littering/fly-tipping. Businesses: corporate pollution through waste, air, water contamination, health/safety breaches. Governments: Santana (2002) notes military as the largest institutional polluter. Organised Crime: collaborates with governments/industry, e.g., waste disposal contracts.

Question 13

What are the key challenges in studying green crime?

Answer 13

Lack of agreed definition makes research difficult. Long-term impacts are hard to assess. Research relies on case studies. Value judgments often influence interpretation due to absence of clear definitions.