Green Crime Flashcards
What are green crimes?
Crimes against the environment
Includes criminal acts but also any action that causes harm to the environment
What is transgressive criminology?
Goes beyond what is defined as criminal in law
What are traditional criminologists views of green crime?
See crimes as actions that break the law
However, many actions that harm the environment are legal under state laws
What do Marxists mean by an anthropocentric view?
Human centred and placing profit before the environment
What are primary green crimes?
Cause direct harm to the environment:
- air pollution
- water pollution
- deforestation
- species decline and animal rights
What are secondary green crimes?
Caused by deliberate breaking of rules designed to protect the environment:
- illegal disposal of hazardous waste
- state violence against oppositional groups
What is zemiology?
Where actions should be judged in terms of harm, rather than the law
According to Beck what is a late modern society?
Modern society hasn’t finished yet, but we’re near the end of it
Why does Beck argue green crimes in a late modern society are man-made risks?
Developments in technology have created new risks that cause harm
e.g. creation and use of plastic, nuclear waste etc.
Which social groups are more likely to be victims of green crime?
Those in poverty
Minority ethnic groups - “environmental racism: those suffering the worst effects of green crime are different ethnic groups to those causing the damage”
The developing world
What problems are there with dealing with green crime?
Laws vary from country to country
Can be difficult to detect
Green crimes may not be defined as a crime, may be defined as an accident
States often reluctant to pass laws against pollution and other private business and often only do so when under pressure from public opinion
Governments often form environmental policies in collaboration with big businesses who are the biggest offenders
Big businesses have resources to avoid being labelled as criminal
What is the evaluation of green criminology?
Green crime recognises that actions that are legal may still harm the environment and raises our awareness of actions that can causes serious damage to the environment
Transgressive approach becomes too broad and ‘crimes’ become subjective moral judgements about harm rather than based on law
