Crimes Against the Environment

Transcription

1 Program Support Notes by: Paul Harley Sociology Teacher Produced by: VEA Pty Ltd Commissioning Editor: Sandra Frerichs B.Ed, M.Ed. Executive Producers: Edwina Baden-Powell B.A, CVP. Sandra Frerichs B.Ed, M.Ed. You may download and print one copy of these support notes from our website for your reference. Further copying or printing must be reported to CAL as per the Copyright Act Video Education America

2 For Teachers Introduction This programme examines the relatively new topic of Green Crime. Bhopal is used as an example to explore and define Green Crime, including primary and secondary green crime. A range of sociologists explain how Green Criminology goes beyond the idea of crime as simply breaking the law. They introduce the idea of transgressive criminology and the wider concept of harm, which can be applied to problems such as the destruction of the rain forest and global warming. The programme looks at how Marxism and Beck s late modern concept of risk can be applied to crimes against the environment. In addition, it investigates the paradox of how increased economic growth and consumption runs counter to our need to curb global warming and deforestation, and it takes us through the example of how consumer desire for the latest mobile phones increase pollution. It asks the question of whether capitalism can be a part of the solution. Finally, it suggests that social pressure might compel us to change our behavior to become more green and that this will be just as important as any changes in the law. Other background Information for teachers In recent years we have become very aware of environmental issues like global warming, deforestation, and the threat of extinction to both plant and animal species, but how do they fit into the sociology of crime and deviance? Traditional criminology deals with law breaking. If you were to fly tip your unwanted rubbish in a country lane, you would be breaking the law. If a company disposed of its toxic waste in a river, it would be breaking a law. However, you run into all sorts of problems when you have different laws governing the environment in different countries because many forms of pollution do not stop at national frontiers. Thus, green crime adopts a global perspective on environmental harm. Green Criminologists have gone beyond the idea of crime as simply breaking the law, and they use the ideas of transgressive criminology, ideas which overstep the boundaries of traditional criminology. They define green crime as crimes against the environment, and as crimes which have an impact on the environment. Primary green crimes are defined as where the environment itself is damaged. For example, deforestation, pollution, and species decline. Secondary green crimes are defined as coming out of conflicts between humans and the environment. For example, the involvement of criminal gangs in the dumping of toxic waste and the sinking of the Rainbow Warrior by the French Secret service for opposing French nuclear tests in the South Pacific. The problem for some sociologists is that the definition of harm is too broad, too difficult to measure and depends too much on people s values. Marx s ideas have been adapted to explain green crime. The bulk of green crime is generated by multinational corporations, a product of capitalist society. They have been very successful at producing profits and the consumption of consumer goods has increased production four fold since Globalization has meant that they can move to areas where labor costs are low, health and safety laws are of much lower standards than our own and trade unions are weak. Marxists believe that capitalism causes green crime. 2

3 Ulrich Beck argues that the massive increase in productivity and the technology needed to sustain capitalism, which has brought us an ever-increasing amount of consumer goods, has also created manufactured risks many of which harm the environment. For example, global warming caused by greenhouse gas emissions from industry. However, each year there are thousands of industrial accidents around the world, slow-motion disasters that come unseen, through the slow, steady leak of toxic chemicals into the environment with unforeseen consequences. Beck refers to these as invisible risk. The response of governments has been to pass more laws to try to reduce environmental crime. However, in many cases it is difficult to pin responsibility on the offenders. Although the Bhopal disaster in India killed more than 10,000 people, the company, Union Carbide, never acknowledged criminal responsibility and blamed the accident on individual employees. Agreements between all countries are needed to decide on the extent of environmental crime and what to do about it. Some steps were taken at the climate change conference in Durban 2011, when governments, for the first time, committed themselves to an agreement to reduce greenhouse emissions. The paradox here is that any measures taken will probably conflict with the norms and values of affluent consumer societies. One answer might be to make being green a profitable industry and this has already started with the production of items like low energy light bulbs and schemes in various countries encouraging the use of solar energy and wind power. Curriculum links KS 4-5 Geography Citizenship and Re KS 3-5 Links with Globalization and crime and state crime in AQA sociology syllabus Timeline 00:00:00 Introduction 00:01:19 What is green crime? 00:06:33 Social causes 00:12:20 Controlling green crime 00:21:22 Credits 00:21:50 End program Recommended Resources 3

4 Student Worksheet Initiate Prior Learning 1. In groups/pairs, discuss what you think is meant by green crime. Try to agree on a definition. What disagreements have you had in coming to your definition? 2. Gather newspaper articles about environmental accidents, however big or small (fly tipping to oil spills). If there is nothing recent find out about the Trafigura case, and oil spills in the Niger delta. (See You Tube and Guardian websites). 4

5 Active Viewing Guide 1. Briefly describe what happened at Bhopal. 2. What is primary green crime? 3. What is secondary green crime? 4. Explain why the blowing up of the Rainbow Warrior was a secondary green crime. 5. What does the concept of power have to do with green crime? 5

6 6. What is meant by the transgressive approach to crime? 7. Which organizations cause the bulk of environmental damage worldwide? 8. What do Marxists say about green crime? 9. Which organizations drive green crime and why? 10. What does Beck mean by the risk society? 6

7 11. What are Beck s invisible risks? 12. What is the problem with using laws to deal with environmental harm? 13. How can capitalism be harnessed to solve the problems of green crime? 7

8 Extension Activities 1. How can we reconcile a society based on consumption with the need to stem global warming and deforestation? Discuss in groups. 2. Research either Bhopal or the Trafigura case (You Tube BBC extract and Guardian website). Outline what happened (the green crimes committed) and how this connects to globalization. 3. In groups, present arguments for the development of green crime and arguments against it, include Marxist and late modern perspectives as well as the arguments of traditional sociologists of crime and deviance. 8

9 Suggested Student Responses Active Viewing Guide 1. Briefly describe what happened at Bhopal. In 1984 at Bhopal in India there was a major accident at the Union Carbide factory in Bhopal, which killed 3,000 with another 8,000 dying from gas related injuries. 2. What is primary green crime? Crimes where the environment itself is damaged: eg pollution 3. What is secondary green crime? Crimes that come out of the conflict between humans and the environment eg the dumping of toxic waste by criminals 4. Explain why the blowing up of the Rainbow Warrior was a secondary green crime. It was a secondary green crime because it resulted from an attempt to stop green campaigners from protesting against what they saw as a green crime. 5. What does the concept of power have to do with green crime? It is easy to regulate individuals and small organizations but very difficult to regulate large multinational companies which produce huge wealth. 6. What is meant by the transgressive approach to crime? The transgressive approach goes beyond the strict legal definitions of crime to the concept of environmental harm. Wrongs against the environment, should be treated as if they are crimes. 7. Which organizations cause the bulk of environmental damage worldwide? Multinational corporations eg Union Carbide at Bhopal. 8. What do Marxists say about green crime? Capitalism itself causes green crime- greed for more and more profit encourages more production and more pollution. 9. Which organizations drive green crime and why? Multinational companies can place factories where labor is cheapest and laws are weakest because they produce the most, they pollute the most (this has been going on since industrialization) 10. What does Beck mean by the risk society? Beck says that in this period of late modernity all industrial production carries short and long term risks 11. What are Beck s invisible risks? Invisible risks are those that are building up, but as yet unknown eg the slow steady leak of toxic waste (soon to be discovered!) 12. What is the problem with using laws to deal with environmental harm? National criminal law is not enough, because pollution goes beyond the bounds of national boundaries. International law is also difficult because it is hard for all nations to agree on them, although the Durban agreement is a small step in the right direction. We need to change our attitudes. 13. How can capitalism be harnessed to solve the problems of green crime? If green products sell then companies will make them to make profits. 9