The mistake of our cultures, as Freya Mathews argues, is that they paint a distorted picture of ourselves; we are not taught that destroying the environment is fundamentally destroying our greater self. In turn, we are taught that we, as human beings, are conflicting with or against the environment. If interpreted in depth, humans and other creatures are parts of the same being and the same life cycle.
Ecocide generally means attacking the environment and its components in order to destroy or damage them, so that they are no longer suitable for life and sustainability. The concept of ecocide was first used in the 1970s by Arthur Galston during the US-Vietnam War. In recent years, the two concepts or crimes of genocide (extermination of humans) and ecocide (destruction of ecosystems) are sometimes discussed together. Genocide has a stronger legal basis and has long been considered a serious crime under international law. In addition to any applicable laws and regulations, the 1948 Convention on the Prevention and Punishment of the Crime of Genocide and the 1998 Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court define and categorize the crime and clarify the response and punishment of perpetrators. But ecocide is not like that. An implicit reference is found in the Rome Statute (Article 8, paragraph 2), which deals with damage to civilian structures and the natural environment of an area in a manner excluded or unnecessary in relation to military purposes. This is a war crime and not about protecting the environment itself and ecocide. That is, it cannot be considered as a direct text on the prohibition and punishment of ecocide. In the academic and legal community, ecocide is an illegal or random act intended to cause long-term or widespread damage to the environment, without being linked to war crimes or military objectives. Therefore, some argue that it should be treated as a fifth type of international crime alongside genocide, war crimes, crimes against humanity, and crime of aggression.
Until now, the environment has been considered a domestic issue, under the full control of the state and part of the sovereignty, natural structures (e.g., rivers) have not received their proper natural identity and are not properly protected. What is read from the Rome Statute is the annexation of the environment for war crimes and military objectives, not an independent type of crime. The devastating effects of climate change, biodiversity loss and other environmental phenomena are appearing day by day, which affect many human rights, peace and security, mental and social stability, food security, migration and displacement, and many other areas and issues.