Concept in Definition ABC

The suffix cide refers to the act of killing. In this sense, the murder of a person is a homicide, if the crime is committed against a person relevant it is an assassination and if someone ends their own life the term suicide is used. The list of words with this suffix is ​​extensive, since genocides, parricides or infanticides also occur. Regarding the title of this post, it is not about the murder of a specific individual or a group of people, but rather refers to a ecological attack.

The Ecocide Project

Some human actions or certain natural catastrophes have serious consequences on ecosystems and when this type of circumstance occurs, we speak of ecocide.

In 2010 there was a proposal promoted by the University of London for the UN to consider ecocide as a crime against humanity. In this way it was intended that the International right could act against those persons or entities that destroy the environment deliberately. This initiative had the purpose of prohibiting any damage to the environment

environment or the intentional destruction of the territories, but ultimately it was not approved by the United Nations.

Examples of initiatives to combat ecocide

Although crimes against the environment are not contemplated in the Right International, numerous initiatives are being carried out to combat the destruction of the environment.

In Europe there is a citizen platform called "Let's End Ecocide in Europe" and according to its postulates it is intended that ecocide be recognized as a crime against peace.

Entities such as Greenpeace promote complaint actions so that the public opinion be aware of the different ecocides that are happening on the planet (for example, Greenpeace has condemned the destruction of mangroves in Cancun in 2016).

Numerous environmental groups in Colombia have denounced the FARC for considering that the destruction of oil infrastructure by the terrorist group has caused serious damage to the environment in some territories (for example, damage to river basins near oil infrastructures affected).

Attacks on the environment

In some countries there is already the legal concept of ecological crime. There are very diverse ways of destroying nature by human action: by the emission of pollutants, through the illegal trafficking of species, by the deficient management of hazardous waste or by deforestation, among many other actions contrary to Balance of ecosystems.

Photos: Fotolia - Ingus Evertovskis / Mstay

Topics in Ecocide