Damage to the environment caused

either deliberately or through negligence

(Covers a wide range of offences)

Quick Questions:

How seriously do you take Green Crime?

Can you think of any examples of Green Crime?

Many ‘Green’ crimes are committed by individuals however the majority are

committed by businesses (see notes on Corporate Crime). These crimes are not

necessarily illegal but can cause many problems to the environment and can cost

huge amounts of money in reparation strategies.

So what counts as an Environmental ‘Green’

Crime?

> Illegal dumping or disposal of toxic.

Hazardous waste/ waste in general.

> Discharge/ emission of dangerous/ toxic

substances into the air/ soil or water.

> The destruction of wide areas: oil spills,

exploration, development

See Handout for Example Case Studies

South (1998) explores the idea that environmental crimes do not ‘respect national

boundaries’ in the sense that they are not contained and restrained within national

borders e.g. toxic gases, oil spills.

Hughes & Langan (2001) demonstrate this point

further by highlighting the illegal trade in

Caiman Alligators where over one million

Alligators are killed for the fashion trade per

year for trade in the West.

This provides a good link between enviromental crime, the Globalisation

of Crime and the nature of the Post-Modern World. Please discuss

these links…..

•Transgressing Borders

•‘Free-Flowing’ Unstructured World

• Consumerism, Competition and the Market Economy

• Glocalization (Robertson, Wellman, Bauman)

Environmental ‘Green’ Crime can also be linked to

capitalism (Marxism) and therefore Corporate Crime….

E.g. Toxic Waste -

By creating laws that regulate the disposal of toxic waste, capitalists can

‘capitalise’ on this by making profits through businesses that specialise in disposing

of toxic waste. Thinking closer to home we might use the issue of recycling as an

example of this.

South (1998) highlights how many western countries (which have criminalised toxic

waste disposal in land fill sights) pay off officials of other ‘needier’ countries to

dispose of the waste in their countries.

Questions:

How often and where do you here about these crimes?

What types of crime are you more likely to worry about?

Brazil’ Catholic Land Commission (2008): At least 260

environmental activists are threatened with murder due to

their fight against loggers, farmers and cattle ranchers.

In September 2008 official statistics showed that

deforestation in the Amazon had risen by 64% over the past

year. Opposition to deforestation is extremely dangerous

Many activists have actually been killed by gunmen employed by

loggers, farmers and ranchers in their attempt to protect the

rainforest.

Franco Fratinni (EU Justice Commissioner 2008) points out

that 73% of Green Crime cases are committed by Corporations

In 2007 the European Commission proposed to combat all levels environmental crime.

It’s main strategies for this were:

• To enforce existing ‘Green’ laws

• Encourage cooperation across

borders• Standardise ‘Green’ guidelines

• More Prosecutions

How might different forms of green crime be prevented?

• Heavier Fines

• More Prison Sentences

Samantha Jayaram of the Uk Env. Agency (2008) suggests that it is ‘rare for councils

to prosecute’ and that prison sentences are ‘rare’ for environmental crimes

Discuss the extent to which you agree with the following statement:

Environmental Crime can be prevented/ lessened through better Primary &

Secondary Socialisation through Families and Education.

Why might Green Crime be difficult to research?