The deliberate destruction or severe damage of an ecosystem or natural environment on a massive scale.
From Greek 'eco-' (oikos, house/environment) combined with Latin '-cide' (caedere, to kill), literally meaning 'killing of the environment'. The term was coined in the 1970s during growing environmental awareness.
The term 'ecocide' was barely used 50 years ago, but now it's part of serious international conversations—the International Criminal Court is considering recognizing ecocide as a crime, which could reshape environmental law!
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