'If You Build It We Will Burn It':
The Earth Liberation Front of the United States In the documentary If a Tree Falls: A Story of the Earth Liberation Front, Daniel McGowan poses the question: “When you're screaming at the top of your lungs and no one hears you...what are you supposed to do?” (Cullman and Curry 2011). It is this kind of sentiment that has led radical environmental activists to forego mainstream forms of protest and commit what the federal government calls acts of “eco-terrorism” (US Congress 2005). Those that commit these acts of arson, property damage and “monkey wrenching” (Foreman and Haywood 1987) do so under the moniker of the Earth Liberation Front (ELF). In the words of former ELF spokesperson Leslie James Pickering, …show more content…
The primary organization that has been to said to be the precursor to the ELF is Earth First, an environmental group founded in the United Kingdom that was later established in the United States by Dave Foreman and Bill Haywood in 1980 (Foreman and Haywood 1987). Though based upon the Earth First organization, the ELF is more of a “networked movement, not...an organization” (Loadenthal 2013). The North American ELF Press Office (NAELFPO) states the ELF to be made up of “autonomous cells...[and] if an individual believes in the ideology and follows a certain set of guidelines she or he can perform actions and become a part of the ELF” (NAELFPO 2001). Though the NAELFPO states that the ELF receives no funding and is a decentralized movement, not an organization, information presented at a 2005 US Congressional hearing on the ELF included reports of the ELF receiving donations from People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals, though they deny having any affiliation with the ELF (US Congress 2005). The Earth First slogan 'No Compromise in Defense of Mother Earth' largely defined the ideology behind the ELF and the founders of Earth First provided clear instructions on how to commit these …show more content…
tree spiking, placing sugar in gas tanks of construction vehicles, springing fur traps, etc (Foreman and Haywood 1987). In addition to arson, property damage, etc, all of these actions that were “utilized by the modern ELF”, were the reasons many came to identify the ELF as eco-terrorists and label their direct actions “eco-tage” (Loadenthal 2013, Parson YEAR). In the wake of several ELF actions, the United States government came to define eco-terrorism as “the use or threatened use of violence of a criminal nature against innocent victims or property...for environmental-political reasons” and found individuals affiliated with the ELF to be the primary perpetrators of ecoterrorism (Federal Bureau of Investigations 2002). Prior to the government coining the term “eco-terrorism”, the Earth First members' common tactic of monkeywrenching was already in full practice and it later provided the logistical framework for the actions of the ELF after a rift arose in the early 1990's within the radical environmental community (Cullman and Curry 2011). Members that believed direct action and “economic sabotage to stop the exploitation and destruction of the natural environment” were the only means of causing change started
The Earth Liberation Front of the United States In the documentary If a Tree Falls: A Story of the Earth Liberation Front, Daniel McGowan poses the question: “When you're screaming at the top of your lungs and no one hears you...what are you supposed to do?” (Cullman and Curry 2011). It is this kind of sentiment that has led radical environmental activists to forego mainstream forms of protest and commit what the federal government calls acts of “eco-terrorism” (US Congress 2005). Those that commit these acts of arson, property damage and “monkey wrenching” (Foreman and Haywood 1987) do so under the moniker of the Earth Liberation Front (ELF). In the words of former ELF spokesperson Leslie James Pickering, …show more content…
The primary organization that has been to said to be the precursor to the ELF is Earth First, an environmental group founded in the United Kingdom that was later established in the United States by Dave Foreman and Bill Haywood in 1980 (Foreman and Haywood 1987). Though based upon the Earth First organization, the ELF is more of a “networked movement, not...an organization” (Loadenthal 2013). The North American ELF Press Office (NAELFPO) states the ELF to be made up of “autonomous cells...[and] if an individual believes in the ideology and follows a certain set of guidelines she or he can perform actions and become a part of the ELF” (NAELFPO 2001). Though the NAELFPO states that the ELF receives no funding and is a decentralized movement, not an organization, information presented at a 2005 US Congressional hearing on the ELF included reports of the ELF receiving donations from People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals, though they deny having any affiliation with the ELF (US Congress 2005). The Earth First slogan 'No Compromise in Defense of Mother Earth' largely defined the ideology behind the ELF and the founders of Earth First provided clear instructions on how to commit these …show more content…
tree spiking, placing sugar in gas tanks of construction vehicles, springing fur traps, etc (Foreman and Haywood 1987). In addition to arson, property damage, etc, all of these actions that were “utilized by the modern ELF”, were the reasons many came to identify the ELF as eco-terrorists and label their direct actions “eco-tage” (Loadenthal 2013, Parson YEAR). In the wake of several ELF actions, the United States government came to define eco-terrorism as “the use or threatened use of violence of a criminal nature against innocent victims or property...for environmental-political reasons” and found individuals affiliated with the ELF to be the primary perpetrators of ecoterrorism (Federal Bureau of Investigations 2002). Prior to the government coining the term “eco-terrorism”, the Earth First members' common tactic of monkeywrenching was already in full practice and it later provided the logistical framework for the actions of the ELF after a rift arose in the early 1990's within the radical environmental community (Cullman and Curry 2011). Members that believed direct action and “economic sabotage to stop the exploitation and destruction of the natural environment” were the only means of causing change started