Radical environmentalism
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Radical environmentalism is a branch of the larger environmental movement which views certain human activities as an attack on the natural world, which it considers to be sacrosanct. Radical environmentalists see the solution to these problems in the overthrow of current Western ideas of religion and philosophy (including capitalism and the patriarchy) through "resacralising" and reconnecting with nature.[1]
The popular view of radical environmentalism is typified by groups such as Earth First! and the Earth Liberation Front which subscribe to the idea of taking "direct action" in defense of "mother earth" including civil disobedience and sabotage.[1] Other radical environmental groups include bioregionalists, green anarchists, deep ecologists, ecopsychologists, ecofeminists, neo-Pagans, Wiccans, anti-globalisation protesters and some animal liberation activists.[1]
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[edit] History of Radical Environmentalism
One of the first significant radical environmentalist group was Greenpeace, which made use of direct action to confront a variety of transgressors, including whaling ships and nuclear weapons testers.
In 1980 an organization called Earth First! was established by Dave Foreman and others to confront environmental destruction, primarily of the American West. Inspired by the Edward Abbey novel "The Monkey Wrench Gang", Earth First! made use of such techniques as treesitting and treespiking to stop logging companies, as well as other activities targeted towards mining, road construction, suburban development and energy companies.
In the mid-90s, Earth First! renounced the use of violence and committed to using other forms of activism to pursue the same goals. This led to a split within the movement, and the emergence of the increasingly militant Earth Liberation Front (ELF), concommitant with the emergence of the Animal Liberation Front (ALF). The ELF gained national attention for a series of actions which earned them the label of ecoterrorists, including the burning of a ski resort in Vail, Colorado, and the burning of an SUV dealership in Oregon.
Following the September 11, 2001 attacks several laws were passed increasing the penalty for ecoterrorism, and hearings were held in Congress discussing the activity of groups such as the ELF. To date no one has been killed as a result of an ELF or ALF action since both groups forbid harming human or non-human life.
[edit] New religious movement
Radical environmentalism has been called a new religious movement by Bron Taylor (1998). Taylor contends that "Radical environmentalism is best understood as a new religious movement that views environmental degradation as an assault on a sacred, natural world." [2]
Writers Ann Coulter, Michael Crichton and Tom Clancy also depict it as a religion, calling its adherents "Druids"[citation needed]. The latter two have written novels illustrating their point of view.
[edit] See also
[edit] Notes and references
- ^ a b c Taylor, Bron, 2005, Radical Environmentalism, pp 1326-1335 in The Encyclopedia of Religion and Nature, edited by Bron Taylor, ISBN 1-84371-138-9
- ^ Taylor, Bron, 1998. Religion, Violence and Radical Environmentalism: From Earth First! to the Unabomber to the Earth Liberation Front, Terrorism and Political Violence 10(4):1-42
