Justice-based approaches to environmental harm - Environmental Harm: An Eco-justice Perspective - page 6

interact with their environment be constantly evaluated in relation to
potential harms and risks to specific creatures and specific locales as
well as the biosphere generally. Within the ecological justice framework,
it is environments and specific eco-systems that matter.
Species justice
Species justice includes the particular consideration that animal welfare
and rights ought to be of relevance to eco-justice (Benton, 1998;
Beirne, 2007). In specific terms, concepts such as speciesism may be
invoked. This refers to the practice of discriminating against nonhuman
animals because they are perceived to be inferior to the human species
in much the same way that sexism and racism involve prejudice and
discrimination against women and people of different colour (Munro,
2004). The animal-centred discourse of animal rights shares much
in common with the environment-centred discourse of ecological
justice, but certain differences are also apparent (Beirne, 2007). For
example, nonhuman animals are frequently considered in primarily
instrumental terms (as pets, as food, as resources) in conventional
criminology, or categorised in mainly anthropomorphic terms (such
as 'wildlife', 'fisheries') that belie the ways in which humans create
and classify animals as Other. Within the species justice framework, it
is animals that matter.
These three broadly different but connected approaches to justice
together constitute the eco-justice perspective. They overlap in varying
ways but ultimately have distinctive foci around which scholars and
activists tend to mobilise their efforts (that is, stopping toxic waste
dumping, saving forests, protecting animals). Within the particular
conceptual and action frameworks of each approach there are important
differences based upon how specific 'interests' are conceptualised. These
divisions, too, will be discussed more fully in subsequent chapters.
Contentious concepts
As this topic focuses on conceptualisations of environmental harm it is
important to outline both general philosophical perspectives and the
foundational concepts that inform matters of environmental harm. This
section is divided into two sub-sections. The first deals with conceptual
issues, including discussion of concepts such as the environment,
environmental crime, harm, risk, victimisation and justice. The second
considers issues pertaining to measurement. Here the concern is with