Eco-terrorism

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Eco-terrorism also called ecoterrorism or green terrorism is a term given to a violent political action for ecological, environmental, or animal rights causes. The word is a neologism and its applicability is contested.

Eco-terrorism is defined by the United States Federal Bureau of Investigation's Domestic Terrorism Section 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] Damage caused by environmentalist sabotage from 1980 to 1999 is estimated to have amounted to $42.8 million.[2] Since 2003 the FBI has attributed "eco-terrorists" with 200 million dollars in property damage. [3]

The term is controversial among environmentalists, animal-rights activists and others, who see it as a propaganda term devised by law-enforcement to criminalize or marginalize their protests. Paul Watson, the founder of the Sea Shepherd Conservation Society, has presented his own definition of the word in a commentary criticizing Japanese whalers: "an act that terrorizes other species and threatens the ecological systems of the planet".[4]

Definitions

While there is no consensus on the exact definition of "terrorism", the word is typically used to describe selfish and ideologically motivated acts of violence with the intention to intimidate others. Acts meeting these criteria and committed in the name of environmental causes are described as "eco-terrorism" by law enforcement agencies such as the FBI.[5] Another term that is sometimes used is "eco-sabotage" (also "ecotage" and "monkeywrenching"), because it involves disruption of a business or governmental operation, but is directed against things, property or machines.

The acts of violence described by authorities as eco-terrorism vary widely. Some acts involve sabotage of equipment and unmanned facilities using techniques ranging from equipment destruction to arson and firebombing. Tree spiking, the embedding of metal spikes in trees to harm others, is sometimes described as eco-terrorism because of the risk when the spikes are struck by high speed band saw blades in the milling process of lumber. Arson attacks like ELF's 2008 Seattle Street of Dreams arson fires and the 1998 arson attack on Vail, Colorado ski resorts and attacks on prominent individuals such as SHAC's alleged firebombing of stockbroker's car[6] meet the more formal definition. Other groups accused of eco-terrorism include the Animal Liberation Front, (ALF)[7] the Animal Rights Militia, (ARM)[8] Earth First!,[citation needed] the Earth Liberation Army (ELA),[9] the Environmental Rangers, [9] the "Justice Department", [10], the Revolutionary Cells - Animal Liberation Brigade (RCALB).[11] and Sea Shepherd[12][13]

Acts of civil disobedience and other nonviolent protest do not meet a rigid definition of "eco-terrorism," though they may be described as such for political purposes. 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."[14] The legislation has not been enacted.

Eco-terrorism is distinct from "environmental terrorism", which describes attacks against, or using, the environment or natural resources for political or military objectives.[15] At a conference on terrorism at the University of Georgia in 1997, William S. Cohen, then the U.S. Secretary of Defense, spoke of the possibility of rogue researchers developing "an eco-type of terrorism, whereby they can alter the climate, set off earthquakes [or] volcanoes remotely, through the use of electromagnetic waves."[16]

Environmentalists have argued that "eco-terrorism" should mean the opposite of its current accepted meaning. They say that persons, companies and governments engaging in ecologically irresponsible activities such as clearcutting of forests are committing "terrorism" against the environment.[17] This counter-definition is also sometimes used rhetorically to express the environmentalist point of view, or to try to justify their actions. Canadian environmentalist David Suzuki, for instance, has described the former Prime Minister of Australia, John Howard, as an "eco-terrorist" for failing to abide by the Kyoto Protocol on climate change.[17] Environmentalists have accused corporations ranging from ExxonMobil [18] and General Electric to McDonalds[19][20] of eco-terrorism. Paul Watson, founder of anti-whaling group Sea Shepherd accused Japanese Whalers of eco-terrorism, saying "They are the real eco-terrorists. They terrorise the environment."[21][22]

Allegations

File:Hornebeagles.jpg
An ALF raid removing 82 beagles and 26 rabbits from Interfauna in Cambridge on St Patrick's Night 1990.[23]

Organizations that have been labeled as "eco-terrorists" in the United States include the Animal Liberation Front (ALF),[5] and the Earth Liberation Front (ELF),[5]. The FBI in 2001 named the ELF as "one of the most active extremist elements in the United States", and a "terrorist threat".[5] Through their actions, millions of dollars of homes, equipment, and research have been willfully destroyed by ALF and ELF operations, although they publicly disavow harm to humans or animals.[24][25]

In early March 2008 three large homes went up in flames in a Seattle suburb, apparently set by eco-terrorists who left a sign mocking the claims of the builders that the 4,000-plus-square-foot houses were environmentally friendly.[26] In August 2008, two University of California, Santa Cruz biology professors' houses were firebombed, one of whom was home with his family but only mildly injured while escaping; investigators linked the attacks to pamphlets and threats that had targeted 13 of the university's researchers.[27]

In 2006, several newly constructed homes were burned in Oyster Bay, NY, in another alleged act of eco-terrorism.

Ecoterrorism in Fiction

See also

Ideologies

Individuals

Opposition

References

  1. ^ Federal Bureau of Investigation - Congressional Testimony
  2. ^ Why Animal Experimentation Matters: The Use of Animals in Medical Research (2001), by Jeffrey Paul and Ellen Frankel Paul, p.11
  3. ^ "Style Weekly" article.
  4. ^ Dealing with the Hypocrisy of Human Perceptions - Commentary by Paul Watson
  5. ^ a b c d 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"
  6. ^ When threats turn to firebombs, Canaccord cuts loose on client June 24, 2005
  7. ^ Terrorists in our midst
  8. ^ http://www.adl.org/Learn/Ext_US/Ecoterrorism.asp
  9. ^ a b The eco-terrorist anthrax connection, ESR, October 21st 2001. Cite error: The named reference "ela" was defined multiple times with different content (see the help page).
  10. ^ Ecoterrorism: Extremism in the Animal Rights and Environmentalist Movements, Anti-Defamation League.
  11. ^ MIPT Terrorism Knowledge Base
  12. ^ AdelaideNow... Aggressive anti-whaling tactics criticised
  13. ^ Federal Bureau of Investigation - Congressional Testimony
  14. ^ ALEC - Animal and Ecological Terrorism Act
  15. ^ A New Vigilance: Identifying and Reducing the Risks of Environmental Terrorism(PDF)
  16. ^ "To Some, Katrina Was Mission Accomplished", New York Times, September 12, 2005 (login required)
  17. ^ a b PM dubbed eco-terrorist
  18. ^ Jonathan Paul talks about his sentence and views on eco-terrorism
  19. ^ Style Weekly : Richmond's alternative for news, arts, culture and opinion
  20. ^ Infoshop News - Jonathan Paul: "Will The Real Eco-Terrorists Please Stand Up?"
  21. ^ http://www.guardian.co.uk/environment/2008/jan/16/whaling.conservation "The Guardian's" article on Japanese eco-terrorism
  22. ^ CDNN :: Japanese Eco-Terrorists Take Marine Patrol Officers Hostage
  23. ^ "The man, the activist", first published in Arkangel.
  24. ^ Credo/Guide
  25. ^ Earth Liberation Front | News
  26. ^ http://news.aol.com/story/_a/homes-burn-in-apparent-eco-attack/20080303111009990001
  27. ^ "UC bombings linked to animal rights activists". The San Francisco Chronicle. August 3, 2008. {{cite news}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
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