Sociology - C&D - Green crime/environmental crime

Question 1

What is green crime?

Answer 1

criminal activity which affects the environment in some way

Question 2

Why is green crime viewed as global?

Answer 2

The planet is an ecosystem and species depend on each other. Nations are not a defence against the effects of green crime

Question 3

What does the cultural criminologist Marx argue about green crime?

Answer 3

Damage caused by green crime exceeds damage caused by street crime

Question 4

What does Marx say about the consequences of state sanctioned activities (in relation to green crime)?

Answer 4

They often relate to the environment, even if this is done indirectly

Question 5

What do green crimes show about competition for natural resources?

Answer 5

Demonstrates how competition for scarce natural resources can lead to public unrest and disorder

Question 6

What did Potter state about Green crime and poverty?

Answer 6

The poorest people suffer the most from environmental harm, losing their livelihood, way of life or health

Question 7

What are the disadvantages of green crimes (in relation to Marx and Potter’s ideas)?

Answer 7

• White criticises definitions of green crime
• Green crime is difficult to monitor and police

Question 8

Why does White criticise definitions of definitions of green crime?

Answer 8

Says they need to be extended to include the idea of harm to nature as well and should look at zeminology (study of social harms)

Question 9

How did Zeminology originate?

Answer 9

As a critique of conventional criminology and how crimes are defined

Question 10

What do Zemiologists argue?

Answer 10

That definitions of green crime should include social and environmental harms committed by corporations and national states (Marxists influences)

Question 11

Why is Green crime hard to monitor and police?

Answer 11

There are few local/international laws this govern the state of the environment (they are often inconsistent), and they are often influenced by transnational oil, mineral and chemical companies

Question 12

What did Carrabine and South (2004) look at?

Answer 12

The types of green crimes

Question 13

What types of green crime did Carrabine and South (2004) identify?

Answer 13

Primary and secondary

Question 14

What is primary green crime?

Answer 14

Crimes that directly inflict harm on the environment and people due to environmental harms. They destroy the planet. There are 4 types.

Question 15

What are the four types of primary green crimes?

Answer 15

Air pollution, water pollution, deforestation and species decline

Question 16

Air pollution facts (AO2)

Answer 16

• Burning fossil fuels causes 6 million tons of carbon to be released into the air

Question 17

Water pollution facts (AO2)

Answer 17

• 25 million people die every year due to water contamination issues
• 1/3 of fish are at risk due to contaminated water
• 1.1 million tons of oil was leaked into the sea since 1990

Question 18

Deforestation facts (AO2)

Answer 18

• 9% of the worlds tree species are at risk of extinction
• Between 1960 and 1990, 20% of the worlds tropical forest was lost
• 75-95% of living species live in the forest and will be affected by deforestation
• 10 million hectares of forest are lost each year

Question 19

Species decline facts (AO2)

Answer 19

• Fishing fleets are 40% larger than oceans can sustain
• 50 species a day are lost due to poaching and hunting
• by 2020, 10 million species of animals may cease to exist

Question 20

What are secondary green crimes?

Answer 20

Actions committed as a response to the commission of primary green crime and might involve illegal acts (like covering up crimes or breaking regulations)

Question 21

What do secondary green crimes include?

Answer 21

• Breaking existing laws and causing industrial pollution
• Criminal organisations being used to assist in the dumping of toxic waste
• Rich countries dumping their toxic waste in poorer countries
• State violence used against opposition to environmental groups

Question 22

What is an example of the secondary green crime of “Breaking existing laws and causing industrial pollution”?

Answer 22

When 4000 people in india were killed in the Bhopal chemical factory incident in 1984

Question 23

What is an example of the secondary green crime of “criminal organisations being used to assist in the dumping of toxic waste “?

Answer 23

In Italy the mafia control many waste contracts. The illegal dumping of water pollutes on the gulf of Naples

Question 24

What is an example of the secondary green crime of “using state violence in opposition to environmental groups”?

Answer 24

Green peace ship called rainbow warrior was blown up by the french secret police and one of their crew was murdered

Question 25

What are the disadvantages of Green crime (in relation to Carrabine and South (2004))?

Answer 25

- White criticised international laws - Marx criticises the idea of green crimes

Question 26

Why does White criticised current international laws?

Answer 26

He says they are anthropocentric and laws are aimed at protecting humans from the effects of "corporate colonisation" of nature

Question 27

Anthropocentric

Answer 27

Where people assume that humanity has the right to exploit the environment

Question 28

"corporate colonisation" of nature

Answer 28

Corporate greed shapes law making processes and law makers rarely consider the long term risks for humanity or the planet when analysing green crime and its impact

Question 29

Why do Marxists criticise the idea of green crime?

Answer 29

Because they might not be criminal but more deviant. Those responsible for making the laws in the first place are the same governments creating the conditions for harm and green crime to flourish

Question 30

What are the advantages of ideas related to green crime (Carrabine and South (2004))?

Answer 30

The fact that this has been raised as an issue means that it can be focused on and people can try to adopt new social policies to help control it and reduce its negative impact on society

Question 31

What did Beck look at?

Answer 31

Green crime and manufactured risks

Question 32

Green crime and manufactured risks by Beck

Answer 32

Threats to the environment are due to manufactured risks.

Question 33

Green crime and manufactured risks by Beck (Premodern society)

Answer 33

In premodern society risks to human life were the products of forces outside of people's control (poverty, disease, floods, earthquakes)

Question 34

Green crime and manufactured risks by Beck (Modern society)

Answer 34

in modern society, technology, machinery, mass food production and science developed to minimise the risks of poverty, disease and flooding. Scientists began predicting risks brought about by natural forces so they could be avoided

Question 35

Green crime and manufactured risks by Beck (Late modernity)

Answer 35

Beck claims a demand for economic growth and consumer goods has led to a manufactured new global risk such as global warming, climate change, cancer, obesity, nuclear radiation

Question 36

What are the disadvantages of Becks ideas?

Answer 36

- There are potential issues of green crime that occur in society despite advancements in tech - It is in its infancy as a type of crime - Some of his ideas about late modernity have elements of individualism and rationality