An **eco-exploiter** is an individual, organization, or government entity that profits from or otherwise benefits at the expense of the environment and its resources. This typically involves unsustainable practices that deplete natural capital, damage ecosystems, and often prioritize short-term financial gain over long-term ecological health and the well-being of future generations. Eco-exploiters may engage in activities such as deforestation, overfishing, pollution, irresponsible mining, and the promotion of environmentally damaging technologies for profit.
Eco-exploiter meaning with examples
- The corporation was widely criticized as an eco-exploiter after it was revealed to be illegally dumping toxic waste into a protected watershed, endangering local communities and wildlife. Their relentless pursuit of profit led to the destruction of significant areas of pristine forest.
- The government's decision to grant permits for extensive offshore drilling, despite warnings of potential oil spills and harm to marine ecosystems, painted it as an eco-exploiter, valuing oil revenues over the health of the oceans.
- The unscrupulous businessman became known as an eco-exploiter when he established a factory that, for maximum profit, used obsolete methods that significantly polluted a residential area. He dismissed environmental concerns as obstacles to his business.
- Some argue that the rapid expansion of industrial agriculture, characterized by monoculture farming and heavy pesticide use, makes its proponents eco-exploiters by depleting soil nutrients and contributing to biodiversity loss.