ENVIRONMENTAL VICTIMIZATION AND VIOLENCE

Why do we not readily conceptualize environmental victimization and re sultant injury as violence? What could be the social outcome of leavin g environmentally-mediated violence without redress ? From definitions of environmental victims and environmental cause, this paper argues t hat such victimization clearly embodies a form of violence. The percep tion of violence by potential or actual victims rationalizes further v iolence in the from of preventive protest'' or resistance, which often transmutes to serve ends that are not related to environmental victim ization. Reports concerning Ogoni (Nigeria), Bougainville, Bhopal, Bre nt Spat; French Nuclear testing in the Pacific, and UK antiroad protes t are reviewed. From a view of the general pattern of victim responses , it is proposed that information flow is one key to avoiding spirals of ongoing violence. Environmentally-related violence is then framed m ore broadly in terms of global security.