The Colour of Eco-Crime.

This article examines how eco-crime—the criminal harm directed at the environment—is visually constructed in mass media images and how these constructions are imbued with racialized meanings through the use of color. It argues that green criminology, which shifts focus from human-centered crime to environmental harm, often overlooks the role of race and racial ideologies in shaping perceptions of eco-crime, even when humans are not explicitly depicted. Through semiotic analysis of U.S.-based media photographs, the article identifies patterns in color usage—such as green and blue symbolizing idyllic nature and black evoking criminality and danger—that contribute to racialized narratives about perpetrators, protectors, and victims of eco-crime. The study highlights the need for green criminology to critically engage with race and the social dimensions of environmental harm to better understand and address the intertwined nature of ecological and racial injustices.