What is Ecocide?

The word ecocide is made by combining 'eco', which has its roots in the ancient Greek word 'oikos', meaning house or the Latin word 'oeco' meaning 'household' and which over the years has come to mean 'habitat' or 'environment';  ' -cide' comes from the Latin verb 'caedere', meaning 'to cut down' or 'to kill'.  A more familiar word -  'homicide' - means the killing of a human being, with 'homo' in Latin meaning 'a man'.  Ecocide is a crime against ecosystems.  At the moment there is no such law preventing crimes that can be called ecocide.