green crimes

Question 1

What are the two views of green crime?

Answer 1

Traditional criminology – Only crimes that break the law. Humans have a right to to dominate nature for their own needs a human centred veiw.

Green criminology (zemiology) – Includes all actions causing harm, even if legal.
🔑 Key theorist: Hillyard et al. (2004)

Question 2

Who introduced the distinction between anthropocentric and ecocentric views?

Answer 2

A: Rob White (2008)

Question 3

Q: What is an anthropocentric view?

Answer 3

A: Human-centred – nature is only valuable if it serves humans (favoured by businesses/states).

Question 4

What is an ecocentric view?

Answer 4

A: Nature-centred – environmental harm is criminal regardless of human benefit.

Question 5

What are primary green crimes?

Answer 5

A: Direct harms to the environment (e.g. deforestation, air pollution, species extinction).
🔑 Example: Amazon rainforest destruction.

Question 6

What are secondary green crimes?

Answer 6

A: When rules/laws are broken to prevent environmental harm (e.g. dumping waste illegally, state cover-ups).

Question 7

Q: Why are green crimes hard to police?

Answer 7

Often cross borders

States and corporations may collaborate

Many are not illegal in some countries

Question 8

Example of state-corporate green crime?

Answer 8

A: Bhopal disaster (India, 1984) – Union Carbide gas leak killed thousands; state failed to regulate or compensate.