Death by a Thousand Cuts? Green Tech, Traditional Knowledge, and Genocide

Abstract

Traditional Knowledge is a system of knowledge that is passed down through generations of Indigenous and Ethnic Minority Peoples throughout the world. A subset of Traditional Knowledge is Traditional Ecological Knowledge. These knowledge systems are incorporated throughout various international instruments and are considered vital to ways of life for Indigenous and Ethnic Minority Peoples. The author examines the elimination of Traditional Knowledge as a result of green technology. With discussions surrounding ways to obtain “net zero” in response to climate change, the author (re)introduces the notion that the irresponsible push for carbon zero technologies has a horrendous impact on the homelands of Indigenous and Ethnic Minority Peoples and leads to the eradication of Traditional Knowledge systems and its subset, Traditional Ecological Knowledge, thereby resulting in genocide. The author suggests that the actus reus element in genocide should be expanded to include elimination of Traditional Knowledge.