This study explores how the Canadian and Alberta governments downplay environmental harm in the Alberta Tar Sands, therein justifying its ongoing expansion and defining it as unnecessary to intervene through the law. In particular, this study draws on the concepts of hegemony, social harm and deep ecology to problematize how climate change has become the governments’ main environmental concern in the tar sands, despite the existence of other, equally troubling issues, and how carbon capture and storage (CCS) has become the states’ main climate change strategy, despite the largely untested nature of this technique. A critical discourse analysis of two government taskforce documents concerning CCS technology revealed that neoliberal and globalization discourses were used to narrowly conceptualize environmental harm, thereby privileging Canada’s trade relations and economic strength over the environment’s health. Relatedly, discourses of scientism were used to conceptualize climate change as a technical problem and CCS as the “preferred” solution.

Together with an internationally praised Constitution, South Africa can pride itself in having one of the best sets of environmental laws in the world, and since EIAs have become mandatory for projects that negatively affect the environment, our track record with respect to environmental protection has substantially improved from the Apartheid days. But as the integrated and proactive approach to environmental management has seemingly been established, a new provision was introduced: Section 24G of NEMA (“Rectification of unlawful commencement of activity”), allowing for retrospective authorisation of unlawful activities (i.e. activities identified in terms of S24 of NEMA). Six years after the introduction of the S24G rectification provision in NEMA, its ability to bring about increased levels of compliance is being questioned. The findings of this research show that in Gauteng S24G has had an ambivalent effect on compliance: while on one hand it has artificially increased compliance by rendering illegal activities legal, on the other, it has seriously undermined the overall compliance and enforcement effort by opening the door to abuse and effectively providing an escape route for potential criminals. It is argued that the schizophrenic character of S24G is at the heart of this dilemma. This research presents theoretical and practical perspectives on non-compliance and analyses data collected on S24G applications in Gauteng in order to determine the effect of S24G on compliance. It also identifies key factors influencing effectiveness of S24G, and derives from the above key performance areas to improve effectiveness of S24G. / Thesis (M. Environmental Management)--North-West University, Potchefstroom Campus, 2012

This thesis analyses the use of remote sensing technologies in efforts that seek to combat wildlife crime in East and Southern Africa. Companies and organisations working on the development of remote sensing technology used for anti-poaching efforts, in the study region, are identified through the creation of a database. The social impacts and risks involved in using these technologies are then outlined by analysing the responses to a research survey from those in the conservation community working with wildlife crime. The species focus is on rhino and elephant poaching, thus, the thesis begins with a background on the legislation surrounding both the hunting and trade of these species. Stockpiling of rhino horn and elephant tusk will be discussed as well as other anti-poaching strategies that do not use remote sensing technology. Three key research questions are then answered: Which remote sensing technologies are in use and what kinds of companies and organisations are mainly working on their development? What are the main risks of using remote sensing technology to specifically target wildlife crime in this region? And can the increased use of remote sensing technologies to combat wildlife crime be regarded as an extension of the militarised approach to conservation? The last question is discussed in relation to existing research on this topic. Considering the findings from this paper, recommendations for further research are then made.

The name and the central topic of this thesis is "Criminal Liability in Environmental Protection" and it is divided into two main parts. Firstly, it is an analysis and a description of a valid legal regulatory framework of criminal liability in environmental matters within the Czech legal system with a full description of each of the offences against environment under the new Criminal Code, Act N. 40/2009 Coll., as amended. The focus of the second part is on the international illegal trade in wildlife and the problems of enforcement. First chapter of this part is dedicated to the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora. In the second chapter I focus primarily on the problems of enforcement, which remain even though wildlife crime (and environmental crime in general) seems to benefit from an increasing profile amongst agencies tasked with its control. The last chapter of this part aims to explain the term "Situational Crime Prevention".

This thesis deals with legislation with the task of dealing with environmental crime in the area of illegal trading of flora and fauna in the Czech Republic. Of key importance for this thesis is the examination of domestic criminal legislation, it is supplemented by an excursion into related regulations of international law and European Union law. Introduce also the actual phenomenon of illegal trading of fauna and flora, its characteristic features, historical development, the articles most frequently traded, and other specific features that are typical of this type of illegal human activity. The theoretical bases of the thesis are enhanced by an examination of related practice in the form of practical examples, court rulings, and statistical data. Finally, this thesis also contains a few proposals for improving the existing legislation and raises some objections to practical application.

The main goal of the thesis is to answer the question, whether the current Czech criminal legislation enables effective punishment of serious environmental offences and ensures the enforcement of rules on environmental protection in a more efficient way than administrative sanctions. Protection of the environment through the criminal law can be traced in the Czech Republic back to 1980s. However, criminal law has until now played only marginal role in the sanctioning of offences against the environment. Majority of environmental offences are prosecuted in administrative procedures. Since 1990s the international community and later also the EU have discussed the need to pursue a harmonised criminal policy aimed at the protection of the environment. In case of serious environmental violations criminal law penalties are perceived as a more effective and appropriate measure than administrative penalties. Despite the fact that most of the potentially harmful activities are strictly regulated by both EU and national environmental law, environment continues to be threatened by pollution and excessive exploitation and environmental rules are being breached. The most serious environmental crimes are related to waste management, trade in endangered fauna and flora species and discharge or emission of...

As agressões ao meio ambiente, num contexto de esgotamento de recursos naturais, vêm recebendo crescente importância aos olhos da sociedade e, nesse cenário, o meio ambiente passou a ser protegido pelo Direito Penal. Assim, muitas destas agressões, como a poluição, passaram a ser qualificadas como crimes ambientais tornando se necessária a produção de prova técnica para o seu devido julgamento. Este trabalho apresenta uma nova estratégia para caracterização de crimes ambientais de poluição e correlatos baseado em abordagem multiparamétrica. Para isso foram utilizadas análises de diferentes parâmetros como metais, razões de isótopos estáveis e compostos orgânicos (hidrocarbonetos aromáticos policíclicos), e análise estatística multivariada, com o intuito de obter uma assinatura química robusta dos poluentes da fonte suspeita e assim estabelecer correspondência com os mesmos parâmetros determinados no compartimento ambiental receptor. Ainda, foram incorporados alguns conceitos de metrologia, como o cálculo de incerteza de amostragem, conforme preceituam as novas tendências de desenvolvimento conceitual e metodológico das ciências forenses. Os sedimentos de um curso dágua altamente impactado por descargas diversas foram o objeto das investigações como sendo o compartimento receptor e o percolado de um aterro de resíduos industriais perigosos envolvido em um crime ambiental foi analisado como possível fonte. A abordagem multiparamétrica utilizada neste trabalho proporcionou uma melhor discriminação dos pontos de coleta com base na sua localização com relação às fontes de poluição por meio da Análise de Componentes Principais e as análises de metais realizadas nos sedimentos permitiram caracterizar um crime de poluição ambiental. As estimativas de incerteza de amostragem evidenciaram variações nos resultados principalmente decorrentes da heterogeneidade da distribuição dos contaminantes no meio o que implica que as incertezas devem, preferencialmente, ser estimadas e reportadas nas medições no âmbito forense para um efetivo apoio às tomadas de decisões nelas baseadas. / The aggressions to the environment in a context of depletion of natural resources have been receiving increasing attention in the eyes of society; therefore, the environment became protected by criminal law. For this reason, many assaults, such as pollution, were classified as environmental crimes, generating the need for scientific evidence to be used in the due judgment of these crimes. This paper presents a new method for characterization of environmental pollution and related crimes based on a multiparameter approach. This approach employs the analysis of different parameters such as metals, stable isotope ratio and organic compounds such as polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, and statistical techniques of multivariate analysis in order to obtain a robust chemical signature of the suspected source pollutants and then establish correspondence with the same parameters determined in the affected environmental compartment. In addition, some concepts of metrology were incorporated, such as uncertainty of sampling, as demanded by the conceptual and methodological trends in the development of forensic sciences. Watercourse sediments highly impacted by various discharges were investigated as the pollution sink and the leachate from a landfill of hazardous industrial waste involved in an environmental crime was analyzed as a possible source. The multiparameter approach used in this study provided a better discrimination of sampling points based on their location with respect to sources of pollution with the principal components analysis. The metal analysis in sediments allowed the characterization of a pollution crime in the studied stream. The estimates of uncertainty of sampling showed large variations in the results mainly arising from the heterogeneity of the distribution of contaminants in the environment. Hence, the uncertainties should preferably be estimated and reported in the forensic measurements to provide an effective support to decision making.

Although examination of the relationship between the media and crime has received considerable attention in the academic literature, only a few studies have examined news media coverage of environmental crimes. The present study examines print news media coverage of federal penalties assessed against the petroleum refining industry from 1997 to 2003. The Environmental Protection Agency initiated and/or settled 162 cases involving seventy-eight petroleum refining companies from 1997 to 2003. While a news search of the nations twenty-five largest newspapers produced seventy-four articles related to petroleum refining industry violations, only seventeen articles matched the EPA cases analyzed in the present study. The present study found that while there is a considerable amount of federal petroleum refining industry violations, only a few cases receive media attention.

This study concerns researching the need for an environmental crime intelligence system at regional and local level geared specifically for environmental crimes within the Swedish Police as well as the need for such a combined operation towards e.g. supervisory authorities. The study views the current situation of environmental crime and environmental damage in part being caused due to an environmental legal implementation deficit. The study explains and defines the need as well as initiates a theoretical systematic design for an Environmental Crime Intelligence which could help reduce the deficit and so help reduce environmental damage. An Environmental Intelligence which in operation from the national level down through the organization would be linking police, prosecutors and county administrations. Authorities – who are assumed to enable, simplify, and standardize discoveries, obligations, investigations and prosecution – would be better interlinked and processed for an improved view and control in the field of environmental crime. This study shows the need to rethink and reevaluate the current state of environmental crime prevention process in terms of priorities and chronological regard. It has shown to verify the theory of legal implementation deficiency. Besides this, the study has also shown a way to reduce that deficiency. With this in mind it has been made visible how the need for an Environmental Intelligence system on a local and regional level would with all probability do very well by current anthropogenic systems. The study finds the presence of an Environmental Intelligence a consistently desired, preferred, alternative from the perspectives of the authorities mentioned above. Many of the findings points straight towards a similarity – principally in prioritization and procedures – through the intent and purpose of research for reducing environmental crime on an international level. This is viewed as a suitable segment of the methodological foundation.

Psychopathy has become a highly researched personality disorder in order to better understand criminal and violent behavior (Hare, 1993). Measures of psychopathy have proven to be useful tools in predicting outcomes of institutionalized populations by predicting future dangerousness (Hare, 1999). While several experts in the field of psychopathy allude to the idea of the successful psychopath and their presence in the corporate world (Hare, 1993; Babiak & Hare, 2006), very little research has been done in this area. The current study builds upon the small amount of empirical research by testing hypotheses regarding the relationship between psychopathic personality traits and intentions to engage in white collar crime. Using a sample of 181 university students, psychopathic personality traits were measured using the Psychopathic Personality Inventory - Revised (PPI-R). In addition, scales were developed to measure attitudes toward white collar offending and vignettes were constructed to measures intentions to engage in white collar crime. Four relationships are of primary focus: 1.) Do psychopathic personality traits account for variability in attitudes toward white collar crime?; 2.) Do attitudes toward white collar crime correlate with intentions to engage in white collar crime?; 3.) Are psychopathic personality traits related to intentions to offend and?; 4.) Do attitudes toward offending mediate the relationship between psychopathy and intentions to offend? A major finding is that the Self-Centered Impulsivity factor of the PPI-R accounts for a significant amount of variance in intentions to engage in white collar crime and environmental crime. Additional relationships between psychopathy, attitudes, and intentions are also discussed.