Climate Change, Ecocide and Crimes of the Powerful

• In Event: Criminological Perspectives on Climate Change

Abstract

The fight for climate justice can be utilised as the focus for discussion about ‘what is to be done’ about systemic and organisational crimes of the powerful. Rather pessimistically, this paper argues that we are rapidly heading for a dog-eat-dog ‘solution’ to global environmental problems, in part due to lack of political will and muscle on the part of nation-states and the United Nations in relation to capitalist imperatives and corporate power. Theoretically, and perhaps too optimistically, it is nonetheless acknowledged that calls for recognition of ‘ecocide’ as the fifth crime against peace could possibly open the door to more focussed responses to ecological matters, and thus provide one alternative avenue for political action. There are systemic pressures associated with the global capitalist mode of production (CMP) that inevitably leads to environmental crimes by the powerful. From a critical criminology perspective, the task is to go beyond exposition of these wrongdoings and harms – at both system and organisational levels – to consider key issues pertaining to strategic intervention.

Author

• Rob White, University of Tasmania, Australia