Eco-copaganda: 4ZZZ discussion about police greenwashing (Radio Reversal show)

A couple weeks ago, I had the great pleasure of chatting on-air with Anna Carlson on 4ZZZ 102.1 FM's show Radio Reversal about what we're calling 'eco-copaganda' – the normalisation of using punitive and carceral tools to protect the environment, and the phenomenon of police periodically making a big public show of pursuing certain kinds of environmental offences to help greenwash and legitimise their role in society.

You can listen to the show (including some excellent musical interludes) here:

Radio Reversal on 4ZZZ - 12 September, 2024

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I've really enjoyed thinking about policing through the eco-copaganda lens. I believe it's particularly important for environmentalists to reflect deeply on how we often resort to relying on policing (or other similar forms of state-controlled, bureaucratised violence) to protect the environment, even when we know how unjust and harmful coercive policing is by its very nature.

Although police occasionally make a big song and dance about enforcing certain rules relating to environmental protection, this mostly relates to contexts where an individual – often someone who is already marginalised or more likely to be targeted by police – has broken the law via some kind of minor wrongdoing. Meanwhile, when big corporations cause environmental harm in the pursuit of profit, police are much more likely to side with the company, using their powers to target and suppress people who protest against environmental destruction, rather than enforcing the environmental regulations that larger companies routinely break.

I'd be keen to hear what others think about this idea of eco-copaganda. Give the radio show a listen, and leave me a comment below or flick me an email with your thoughts.

Thanks for reading/listening! Shout-outs to the paying subscribers who help me find time to volunteer with awesome projects like 4ZZZ, and to think more deeply about stuff like this. If you'd like to keep in the loop about what I'm writing and thinking about, make sure you're subscribed to my email newsletter.