Eco-terrorism
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Eco-terrorism, also called ecoterrorism or green terrorism, is terrorism committed in support of ecological, environmental, or animal rights causes. The word is a neologism and its application 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] 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]
Application of the term
The acts of violence described by authorities as eco-terrorism vary widely. Some acts involve only 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 deter logging, is sometimes described as eco-terrorism because of the risk to loggers when the spikes are struck by chainsaws and other machinery. Most of these acts fail to meet law enforcement's definition of eco-terrorism, as they lack the publicity and symbolic elements. 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[3] meet the more formal definition. Other groups accused of eco-terrorism include the Animal Liberation Front, (ALF)[4] the Animal Rights Militia, (ARM)[5] Earth First!,[citation needed] the Earth Liberation Army (ELA),[6] the Environmental Rangers, [6] the "Justice Department", [7], the Revolutionary Cells - Animal Liberation Brigade (RCALB).[8] and Sea Shepherd[9][10]
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."[11] The legislation has not been enacted.
Rethorical use of the term by eco-terrorists
Eco-terrorism has also been used, rhetorically, to describe ecological destruction. Paul Watson, the founder of the Sea Shepherd Conservation Society, has presented his own definition: "an act that terrorizes other species and threatens the ecological systems of the planet".[12] Canadian environmentalist 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.[13] Environmentalists have accused corporations ranging from ExxonMobil [14] and General Electric to McDonalds[15][16] of eco-terrorism. Paul Watson accused Japanese Whalers of eco-terrorism, saying "They are the real eco-terrorists. They terrorise the environment."[17][18]
Activist groups accused of ecoterrorism
Organizations that have been labeled as "eco-terrorists" in the United States include the Animal Liberation Front (ALF),[20] and the Earth Liberation Front (ELF),[20]. The FBI in 2001 named the ELF as "one of the most active extremist elements in the United States", and a "terrorist threat,"[20] although they publicly disavow harm to humans or animals.[21][22]
In October 2008 it was revealed that three members of the Chesapeake Climate Action Network were falsely suspected of terrorism by Maryland State Police and placed under surveillance for a 13-month period. The police later said that "no evidence whatsoever of any involvement in violent crime."[23]
Counter-terrorist activities against eco-terrorist groups
In 1985, the French secret service bombed the Rainbow Warrior, a vessel belonging to Greenpeace. The vessel was destroyed and claimed the live of 1 man, Fernando Pereira [24]
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
Ideologies
Individuals
Except otherwise noted, these individuals have been convicted under terrorism laws for eco-terrorism.
- Tre Arrow – set fire to trucks used in tree logging.
- Rod Coronado – at a public gathering, explained how to create an arson device.
- Ted Kaczynski (the "Unabomber") – used a mail-bomb campaign to force the Washington Post to publish his manifesto. (Not convicted under terrorism laws.)
- Wiebo Ludwig – saboteur of petroleum mining.
- Jeff Luers and William Cottrell – arsonists of SUVs.
- 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.[25]
- Daniel McGowan – set fire to a lumber farm.[26]
- William C. Rodgers – accused of setting fire to the National Wildlife Research Center in Olympia, Washington.
- Craig Rosebraugh – ELF "spokesman." (Not convicted of any crime.)
- 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.
References
- ^ Federal Bureau of Investigation - Congressional Testimony
- ^ "Style Weekly" article.
- ^ When threats turn to firebombs, Canaccord cuts loose on client June 24, 2005
- ^ Terrorists in our midst
- ^ http://www.adl.org/Learn/Ext_US/Ecoterrorism.asp
- ^ 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).
- ^ Ecoterrorism: Extremism in the Animal Rights and Environmentalist Movements, Anti-Defamation League.
- ^ MIPT Terrorism Knowledge Base
- ^ http://www.news.com.au/adelaidenow/story/0,22606,21038435-5005962,00.html
- ^ http://www.fbi.gov/congress/congress02/jarboe021202.htm
- ^ ALEC - Animal and Ecological Terrorism Act
- ^ Dealing with the Hypocrisy of Human Perceptions - Commentary by Paul Watson
- ^ 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?"
- ^ 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
- ^ "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
- ^ [http://dotearth.blogs.nytimes.com/2008/10/23/climate-campaigners-on-terrorist-list/ Climate Campaigners Were on Terrorist List By Andrew C. Revkin, New York Times, October 23, 2008]
- ^ Bombing of Rainbow Warrior
- ^ http://cbs13.com/local/eco.terrorist.Eric.2.483155.html
- ^ http://nymag.com/news/intelligencer/33544/