The Effects of Corporate Victimisation on the General Public - Essay Example

GREEN CRIMINOLOGY: THE EFFECTS OF CORPATATE VICTIMISATION OF THE GENERAL PUBLIC ESPECIALLY POOR COUNTRIES BY DUMPING OF TOXIC HAZARDS Introduction Beirne & South, (2007) have defined Green Criminology as the study of those harms against humanity, against the environment (including space) and against non human animals committed by both powerful institutions and ordinary people (Beirne & South, 2007, p.xiii). Moreover White (2008) defined green or environmental criminology as the study of environmental harm, environmental laws and environmental regulation by criminologists (White, 2008, p.8). Green criminology is relatively a new term came into exist in the current world. It refers to the concerns general public have over the violations of animal rights, harm to eco systems or environmentally destructive activities made by the business corporations and states. German sociologist Ulrich Beck (1992) has labeled the current society as ‘the risk society’, whereby modern industrial societies create many new risks – largely manufactured through modern technologies – that were unknown in earlier days (The Greening of Criminology, n. d, p.314). It is a fact that science and technology advances are contributing heavily for the advancements of life on earth. Nobody can overlook the efforts of science and technology in reducing the human efforts needed in many areas of our social life. At the same time advanced technologies brought many challenges also. For example, nuclear power is believed to be the future energy option because of the rapidly exhausting oil resources and increasing energy needs. But nuclear power generation produces lot of radioactive wastes and the dumping of these wastes is a major issue we are facing at present. Most of the industrialized or developed countries like America, Britain, France, China etc have toxic wastes generated out of high levels of industrialization and it is a fact that these countries dumping the toxic wastes in poor countries, misleading the administrations of the poor countries. This paper briefly analyses the victimization of general public in poor countries by the developed countries in dumping toxic wastes. Green Criminology: The effect of Corporate Victimisation In December, 1984, Indian city Bhopal has witnessed one of the worst examples of green criminology. The Union Carbide chemical plant at Bhopal, which used, highly toxic chemicals in its production process faced a catastrophic explosion when water somehow mixed with the chemicals because of the negligence. As per the estimates more than 6000 people died around the company proximity and more than 60000 people were seriously affected (The Greening of Criminology, n. d, p.315). The toxic gages liberated out of the plant reached the nearby Bhopal railway station and killed many people who were sleeping there. This plant was established in a heavily populated area which itself is a proof for negligence from the part of the authorities and the Union Carbide company. If the plant was located in a less populated area, the calamities could have been reduced considerably. The natural environment and the eco system have affected seriously and even after 26 years, still the normal human life in this area is difficult. One of my friends who got an opportunity to visit this place has told me about a monument established there after the tragedy. In that monument it is written as “No more Hiroshima, No more Bhopal”. In other words, the Bhopal tragedy was similar to the Hiroshima bombing. Chisupa (n. d) has mentioned some other incidents in which the corporate cruelty caused severe problems to the human life and environmental in Zambia. Zambia unknowingly imported contaminated beef (radioactive) from a former Eastern Block country. The beef had been lying on the shelves of state-run shops for many months and consumed by countless Zambians. Moreover, over ten years, more than 100 tonnes of imported fertilizer and pesticides has been lying outside a Lusaka warehouse, exposed to the hot tropical sun and heavy rain. These toxic substances have caused havoc to the groundwater around the capital, though the extent of groundwater contamination is not yet known (Chisupa, n. d) E- Wastes are one of the major problems faced by industrialized countries. Mobile phones, computers, televisions like electronic products can create severe environmental problems if not handled properly. “By 2020 e-waste from old computers will have jumped by 200 to 400 percent from 2007 levels, and by 500% in India” (Science news, 2009). Poor countries have less technological advances and less standards of life and hence they normally depend on the mercy of the heavily industrialized nations. On the other hand, the industrialized nations will give subsidized products to the poor nations and they will declare it publicly to boost their image. In fact, most of these subsidized products would be toxic and highly contaminated. For example, America and Britain like countries are facing the problem of how and where to dump the old generation computers. Computer technology is updated rapidly and the old generation computers are useless now. At the same time these computers can cause severe environmental problems and they cannot dump or dispose it in their soil because of the toxic effect. Most of these old generation computers are exported to the poor countries. Poor countries, because of their necessity accept these products without knowing the consequences of it. Analysis/Critique of Green criminology Heavy industrialization, urbanization, local resource exhaustion, soil and water pollution, change in rural environments and forest loss, some global extinction contributions to global warning, marine depletion, deforestation, acid deposition, etc are some other major causes of green criminology. Injudicious industrialization has destroyed the eco system. Most of the technological advances were implemented without adequate study about the future consequences of it. Business groups and organizations were giving more importance to their short term goals rather than the long term goals and they implemented their policies and tactics without adequate researches about the future consequences of it. “The kinds of health consequences associated with modern industrial production of toxic waste products can be thought of as “criminal” in the broadest sense since alternative, nontoxic methods of production are often available” (Lynch & Stretesky, 2004). It is a fact that most of the green crimes were happened purely because of the negligence and the thirst for increasing profits at any cost. Most of the human life segments were commercialized now and ethics and morality have fewer roles in the current world. The rich were exploiting the poor more vigorously now. Even the globalization policies brought to the current world by the capitalist countries were suspected as a strategy to exploit the wealth of poor countries. Poor countries don’t have enough resources or technology to stand on their own bases and they were forced to rely on the mercy of the rich countries. Rich countries on the other hand exploit the weakness of poor countries and they are forcing the poor countries to dance in accordance with the tunes created by them. Hazardous wastes are being generated in huge quantities in developed countries and the recycling or disposal of these wastes are major problems for them. They normally look for underdeveloped countries which offer least resistance for dumping this waste in their territories. The African countries are the major victims of this waste disposal by the developed countries because of high levels of poverty, low Gross National Product (GNP) and high foreign debt. hence importing hazardous waste as a source of foreign exchange can be highly tempting. Olurominiyi Ibitayo (2008) has mentioned that Guinea Bissau, one of the poorest 20 countries in the world was to be paid $600 million for storing and disposing of imported hazardous waste. This amount was twice the country’s foreign debt, and about four times its Gross National Product (Ibitayo 2008). $ 600 million is a huge amount for Guinea Bissau and it is difficult for them to resist the temptation of accepting the above offer for waste dumping considering their economic conditions. Guinea Bissau doesn’t have much natural resources and their scope for economic development is limited. Developed countries know this weakness of Guinea Bissau and they are smartly exploiting it. Conclusions Green criminology is relatively a new entrant in the crime lists of the modern world. Disappearance of morality and ethics are contributing heavily to the green criminology. Green crimes are mostly committed by big companies and the states and hence they are escaping from punishments easily. Poor countries are normally the major victims of the exploitation done by the corporate and the developed countries. Poverty, unemployment, lack of education, poor economic conditions and visionless political leadership are the major factors which forcing poor countries to accept the offer from developed countries, for dumping their toxic wastes. Green criminology is a boomerang. Developed countries are of the view that once they succeeded in dumping these wastes outside their territories, they may comparatively safe. But it is a fact that such activities might cause problems to developed countries also in future their activities may pollute the air and the environment. It is not necessary that the negative impacts caused to the environment by the developed countries may affect the poor countries alone. References 1. Chisupa Katongo (n. d), Number 6: Sustainable Development Part 2, Retrieved on 07 April 2010 from http://www.un-ngls.org/orf/documents/publications.en/voices.africa/number6/vfa6.04.htm 2. Beirne Piers, South Nigel (2007), Issues in Green Criminology: Confronting Harms Against Environments, Other Animals and Humanity, Publisher: Willan Pub (January 1, 2007) 3. Ibitayo Olurominiyi (2008), Transboundary dumping of hazardous waste, Retrieved on 07 April 2010 from http://www.eoearth.org/article/Transboundary_dumping_of_hazardous_waste 4. Lynch Michael J. & Stretesky Paul, (2004) Toxic Crimes: Examining Corporate Victimization of the General Public Employing Medical and Epidemiological Evidence, Retrieved on 07 April 2010 from http://www.springerlink.com/content/k903xca59n8gvc1c/ 5. Science news, (2009) Hazardous E-Waste Surging in Developing Countries, Retrieved on 07 April 2010 from http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2010/02/100222081911.htm 6. The Greening of Criminology (n. d), Retrieved on 07 April 2010 from http://cw.routledge.com/textbooks/0415281687/pdf/CY17.pdf 7. White Rob (2008), Crimes Against Nature: Environmental Criminology and Ecological Justice, Publisher: Willan Publishing (UK) (May 30, 2008) Read More