Admin Table of Contents
Why are environmental crimes important?
Major drivers of environmental crime include economic benefits, sustainable demand, poverty, as well as institutional and regulatory failures. Perceived as a “victimless” and low priority crime, environmental crime often fails to prompt the required response from governments and law enforcement.
What are the effects of environmental crimes?
Illicit trade in ODS like the refrigerant chemicals chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs), contributes to a thinning ozone layer, which causes human health problems like skin cancer and cataracts. Environmental crime generates tens of billions of dollars in profits for criminal enterprises every year, and it is growing.
What are the causes of environmental crime?
Major environmental crimes
- Wild animal traffic;
- Indiscriminate logging:
- Electronic waste mismanagement.
- Finning:
- Dumping in rivers and aquifers.
How can environmental crimes be prevented?
What can you do?
- Buy from reputable outlets;
- Find out if products, including food, drink, and medicines, come from sustainable sources;
- Avoid traditional medicines made using endangered species such as tigers, rhinos and seahorses;
- Take exotic foods – including shark-fin soup or turtle eggs – off the menu;
What are examples of environmental crimes?
Environmental crimes encompass a broad list of illicit activities, including illegal trade in wildlife; smuggling of ozone-depleting substances (ODS); illicit trade of hazardous waste; illegal, unregulated, and unreported fishing; and illegal logging and trade in timber.
Who investigates environmental crime?
EPA’s criminal enforcement program investigates crimes under environmental statutes and Title 18 of the United States Code. Title 18 is the Federal Criminal Code for offenses such as fraud, conspiracy, and obstruction of justice, which are often committed in association with the commission of environmental crimes.
What is an example of environmental crime?