Mapping the Terrain of an Astro-Green Criminology: A Case for Extending the Green Criminological Lens outside of Planet Earth

Abstract

ABSTRACT Green criminological scholarship has expanded considerably in the previous two decades. However, criminologists are yet to acknowledge the space related environmental harms caused by humankind. Consequently, this article makes the case for an astro-green criminology and has two central aims. The first is to discuss the importance of astro-green criminology by examining the environmental harms related to human exploration of outer space. The second is to ‘map the terrain’ of future research into astro-green crimes and harms. This includes the proposal of five quintessential areas of study: space refuse and debris; space mining; emissions pollutions from space related activities; protecting extraterrestrial heritage sites; and the future uses of the extraterrestrial world by humans.