ABSTRACT

This chapter provides an overview of critical green criminology. It discusses critical green criminology in terms of these key organising concepts. These conceptual building blocks provide the foundations for particular types of analyses of substantive issues and the identification of certain key targets for social action. The chapter outlines three broad approaches to critical green criminology – those that focus on political economy, ecology, and species. The hallmark of the political economy approach is its focus on "politics" and "economics" in explaining social behaviour and environmental issues. The exploitation of humans and nonhumans is explained as being part and parcel of the commodification of nature and humans alike. Another critical approach of green criminology is that which focuses primarily on ecology as the key criterion in determining the nature of harm and criminality. Global warming is rapidly and radically transforming the biophysical world in ways that will continue to have massive ramifications for humans, and animal and plant species.