Eco-Terrorism: Radical Environmental and Animal Liberation Movements

by Donald R. Liddick Jr.

Radical environmentalism and its progeny, eco-terrorism, is a modern phenomenon. It is a movement far removed from the elite conservationists of the late 1800s and the mainstream environmental groups that emerged later. Drawn from the same pool of concerned individuals who comprise memberships in groups like Greenpeace, the Sierra Club, and the Wilderness Society, disaffected environmentalists have turned from political lobbying to direct action in the form of widespread property destruction and other types of crime and terror. Here, the author exposes the activities of radical groups determined to make their mark in the movement to protect the earth and its creatures from those they view as predators. He covers the major groups as well as less well-known ones and provides a careful portrait of who they are, what they do, and how to address them.

The growth, from the 1980s through the present day, of organizations involved in eco-terror is noticeable and significant. Such groups have caused millions of dollars worth of damage throughout the country. The FBI estimates that the ALF/ELF have committed more than 600 criminal acts in the United States since 1996, resulting in damages in excess of $43 million. Tactics include pulling up survey stakes, tree-spiking, arson, and other methods. Most groups will claim responsibility for their actions, just as other types of terrorist groups will take responsibility for theirs.

Eco-Terrorism takes an objective look at the most radical groups and their terrorist activities in the United States, including case examples and analysis of the methods and rhetoric the groups employ. It uncovers the losses both to individuals and the community as a result of these methods, and it describes the ideologies, motivations, history, and activities of the political movements that have been labeled environmental terrorism.

Genres: Politics, Nonfiction

189 pages, Hardcover

First published October 30, 2006

Reviews

[Steven H · Rating 5 out of 5]

A SURPRISINGLY "BALANCED" AND OBJECTIVE TREAMENT OF A CONTROVERSIAL SUBJECT

Donald R. Liddick is an associate professor of Administration of Justice at the University of Pittsburgh, Greensburg; he is also the author of 'Crimes Against Nature: Illegal Industries and the Global Environment' and 'The Global Underworld: Transnational Crime and the United States.'

He wrote in the first chapter of this 2006 book, "This is an academic study of a social phenomenon. Therefore, no political or philosophical position will be advanced, either for or against the groups/movements examined... radical environmentalism and animal rights activism are at the epicenter of a highly charged political debate. Therefore, extra care will be taken to pursue and present research findings in an evenhanded manner." (Pg. 7)

He observes, "Since its inception Greenpeace ... has always advocated nonviolent protest, choosing to disrupt and confront in the tradition of nonviolent civil disobedience. On the other hand, Greenpeace activists have themselves met with violent attacks on several occasions." (Pg. 16) He asserts, "while there is no doubt that the vast majority of animal right proponents are dedicated to protecting all animal life... progressive radicalization is nevertheless producing a new fringe of extremists who... have decided that the scale of non-human suffering is great enough to morally justify violent attacks against humans. In this extreme, the activities of some animal rights groups and individuals are properly labeled as terrorism." (Pg. 38)

He notes, "PETA has also taken out full-page ads endorsing ALF [Animal Liberation Front] criminality... PETA cofounders Alex Pacheco and Ingrid Newkirk have repeatedly expressed support for ALF criminality... Newkirk has expressed remorse that she does not personally have the 'guts to light a match.'" (Pg. 51) He records, "While for a large number of records the group or individual responsible for the criminal action was not known, by far the single most prolific group was the Animal Liberation Front.... ALF was responsible for 1,116 actions, or 39.3% of all events recorded." (Pg. 75)

He concludes, "The future does not look bright for ELF, ALF, and the rest of the radical environmental and animal liberation movement participants. Although some drastic and costly attacks have generated media attention and framed radical groups like PETA and Greenpeace as comparatively moderate, changes in societal use of animals and environmental protection have been incremental and slight... such goals as ending the use of animals for any reason, setting aside massive tracts of wilderness on a global scale, and engineering the downfall of modern technological civilization remain remote and almost certainly unattainable." (Pg. 99)

He argues, "Mainstream animal welfare and animal rights people see PETA and ALF as detrimental to their cause, while nasty splits like the one witnessed in Earth First! exemplify major disagreements over movement direction. Some activists I spoke to informally complained of egos or personalities becoming more important than the animals or the environment... (Some) noted the problem of a lack of dedication among many activists, whose motivation often amounts to little more than teen angst. One... believes that the feminist faction in the animal rights movement is especially counterproductive." (Pg. 108-109)

Liddick's book contains a vast amount of information, and---as he vowed---he manages to keep from asserting his personal beliefs to an amazing extent. (Although one suspects he is most sympathetic of the "non-extreme" environmentalist and animal rights movements.)

[Kevin · Rating 4 out of 5]

Some eco-terrorists are people who believe the life of a baby has the equivalent moral weight as the life of a cockroach. Scary, huh?