Eco-terrorism
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Eco-terrorism, also called ecoterrorism or green terrorism, is terrorism committed in support of ecological, environmental, or animal rights causes.
Eco-terrorism is defined by the FBI as "the use or threatened use of violence of a criminal nature against innocent victims or property by an environmentally-oriented, subnational group for environmental-political reasons, or aimed at an audience beyond the target, often of a symbolic nature." [1] This characterization of property destruction as "violence against property" rather than as vandalism is highly contentious. Within this article, however, acts labeled eco-terrorism by law enforcement are considered, whether or not they involve violence against persons or living things.
The FBI has credited to eco-terrorism 200 million dollars in property damage from 2003 and 2008, and a majority of states within the USA have introduced laws aimed at eco-terrorism.[2]
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[edit] Application of the term
The acts described by law enforcement organizations as eco-terrorism vary widely. Many involve sabotage of equipment and unmanned facilities using arson. Tree spiking, the embedding of metal spikes in trees, is sometimes described as eco-terrorism, in part for its tendency to not just damage property but to induce serious injuries to laborers. In the case of Peter Daniel Young, the release of minks was called "animal enterprise terrorism."
Acts of civil disobedience may be described as eco-terrorism. In 2003, a conservative Texas legislative reform group, the American Legislative Exchange Council (ALEC), proposed the "Animal and Ecological Terrorism Act" which defined an "animal rights or ecological terrorist organization" as "two or more persons organized for the purpose of supporting any politically motivated activity intended to obstruct or deter any person from participating in an activity involving animals or an activity involving natural resources."[3] The legislation has not been enacted.
Eco-terrorism has also been used to describe ecological destruction. Canadian environmentalist Paul Watson who has been accused of eco-terrorism himself as founder of the Sea Shepherd Conservation Society[4] countered with his own definition: "an act that terrorizes other species and threatens the ecological systems of the planet".[5] Watson accused Japanese Whalers of eco-terrorism, saying "They are the real eco-terrorists. They terrorise the environment."[6][7] David Suzuki described the former Prime Minister of Australia, John Howard, as an "eco-terrorist" for failing to abide by the Kyoto Protocol on climate change.[8] Environmentalists have accused corporations ranging from ExxonMobil [9] and General Electric to McDonalds[10][11] of eco-terrorism.
[edit] Groups accused of ecoterrorism
Organizations that have been labeled as "eco-terrorists" in the United States include the Animal Liberation Front (ALF),[13] and the Earth Liberation Front (ELF),[13]. The FBI in 2001 named the ELF as "one of the most active extremist elements in the United States", and a "terrorist threat,"[13] although they publicly disavow harm to humans or animals.[14][15]. The Greenpeace organization has also been implicated (and in some cases indicted) in eco-terrorism and associated unlawful use of monies as well as anti-piracy laws concerning unlawful boarding of private vessels on the high seas. [16]
A number of "local" organizations have also been indicted under US Federal laws related to eco-terrorism. These include, among others, the group "Stop Huntingdon Animal Cruelty." [17]
The Sea Shepherd Conservation Society led by Paul Watson of the Whale Wars television show is are considered eco-terrorist by the FBI for their acts of violence. [18]
[edit] See also
- Ecoterrorism in fiction
- List of environment topics
- List of environmental organisations
- Earth Liberation Front Press Office (ELFPO)
- North American Animal Liberation Press Office (NAALPO)
- Earth Liberation Prisoner Support Network (ELPSN)
- Animal Liberation Front Supporters Group (ALFSG)
- Green Scare
- THERMCON – FBI operation against the "Evan Mecham Eco-Terrorist International Conspiracy" (EMETIC)
- Operation Backfire – FBI operation
- Craig Rosebraugh – ELF spokesman.
- Paul Watson – founder of the Sea Shepherd Conservation Society and cofounder of Greenpeace.
- Sea Shepherd Conservation Society
[edit] Ideologies
[edit] Individuals
- Tre Arrow – set fire to trucks used in tree logging.
- Rod Coronado – at a public gathering, explained how to create an arson device.
- Wiebo Ludwig – saboteur of petroleum mining.
- Jeff Luers and William Cottrell – arsonists of SUVs.
- Marie Mason - environmental activist sentenced to twenty-two years for arson
- Eric McDavid – attempted to construct a bomb in a plan to sabotage the Nimbus Dam, the U.S. Forest Service's Institute of Forest Genetics, and other targets.[19]
- Daniel McGowan – set fire to a lumber farm.[20]
- William C. Rodgers – accused of setting fire to the National Wildlife Research Center in Olympia, Washington.
- Darren Thurston – set fire to a horse corral at the Bureau of Land Management after releasing the horses.
- Peter Daniel Young – released mink into the wild from fur farms.
- Paul Watson - Attempted to sink the Norwegian fishing vessel Nybrænna
- Theodore_Kaczynski - One of the best-known and deadliest of eco-terrorism examples, his story and deadly environmental activism are detailed in the book "Ecoterror: The Violent Agenda to Save Nature: The World of the Unabomber."
[edit] References
- ^ Federal Bureau of Investigation - Congressional Testimony
- ^ "Style Weekly" article.
- ^ ALEC - Animal and Ecological Terrorism Act
- ^ http://www.fbi.gov/congress/congress02/jarboe021202.htm
- ^ Dealing with the Hypocrisy of Human Perceptions - Commentary by Paul Watson
- ^ http://www.guardian.co.uk/environment/2008/jan/16/whaling.conservation "The Guardian's" article on Japanese eco-terrorism
- ^ CDNN :: Japanese Eco-Terrorists Take Marine Patrol Officers Hostage
- ^ PM dubbed eco-terrorist
- ^ Jonathan Paul talks about his sentence and views on eco-terrorism
- ^ "Wade's War," Style Weekly, February 6, 2008
- ^ Infoshop News - Jonathan Paul: "Will The Real Eco-Terrorists Please Stand Up?"
- ^ "The man, the activist", first published in Arkangel.
- ^ a b c Congressional Testimony Testimony of James F. Jarboe, Domestic Terrorism Section Chief, Counterterrorism Division, FBI before the House Resources Committee, Subcommittee on Forests and Forest Health at February 12, 2002 "The Threat of Eco-Terrorism"
- ^ ALF Credo/Guide
- ^ Earth Liberation Front News
- ^ [1]
- ^ [2]
- ^ http://www.fbi.gov/congress/congress02/jarboe021202.htm
- ^ http://cbs13.com/local/eco.terrorist.Eric.2.483155.html
- ^ http://nymag.com/news/intelligencer/33544/
