Eco terrorism has been said by the Federal Bureau of Investigation to be "the most significant domestic terror threat facing the United States today" ("Environmental"). This assumption could not be any more true. Everyday, the lives of many innocent citizens and animals are put in danger just for a group of people to try to make a statement about what they believe is right, and what they believe is wrong. These actions are "usually committed by individuals who believe that the exploitation of natural resources and despoliation of the environment are becoming so severe that action outside of conventional legal and environmental channels is required" ("Ecoterrorism." Pollution). Although this may be effective in getting the wanted attention brought to the subject, a better system needs to be found that doesn't put any innocents in harm's way.
Developing primarily in the 1980's, the United States has seen over one hundred acts of destruction causing close to $42.8 million in damages as a result of eco terrorists' protesting (Nilson). Using these harmful and disruptive acts to bring publicity to an issue is not highly unusual, but when it is administered on this level, something needs to be done to stop it. For the majority of these groups, their goal is to prevent the progress of any businesses that they deem harmful. Increasing rapidly in the last 20 years, this threat has become a serious problem in terms of types of acts committed, their potential for deadly violence, and the number of individuals involved in committing these acts or aiding in their commission through providing financial support. With the danger and severity level of these crimes increasing, something needs to be done to protect the United States and it's devot...
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The first two acts of this film are truly inspiring because they capture the "fire" of the environmental movement. It chronologically begins by discussing the origins of conservative environmentalists, to documenting the details of successful environmental movements, and concluding by explaining the merging of civil rights with environmentalists. Ultimately, “A Fierce Green Fire “serves as a dynamic call for the continuing action of protecting and conserving our biosphere.
Retrieved from http://www.terrorismanalysts.com/pt/index.php/pot/article/view/268/540 White, J. R. (2014). Terrorism and homeland security (8th ed.). Belmont, CA: Wadsworth.
While terrorism—that is, violence or the threat of violence aimed intentionally at civilians—has been employed since time immemorial as a means of securing political goals, the 1960s ushered in an entirely new form of political violence. Motivated by thinkers like Karl Marx and Friedrich Engels, this new breed of terrorism struggled in vain to halt the vehicle of Capitalism: as it was steered by the opulent and sustained through exploitation of a bloodied working class. Significant amongst likeminded New Left groups was the Weather Underground Organization (WUO), which conducted a series of bombings in protest against perceived American injustice. This expression of hostility by student activists, albeit far from a true revolutionary movement, stands out as one of the only so-called "terrorist movements" to consistently attack and antagonize on American soil.
Ecoterrorism is hard to define. It is used by the FBI and other government agencies to describe individuals or groups that use arson and sabotage against property, equipment, materials, or facilities that they feel are being used to destroy the environment. This is known as direct action and many such direct action tactics exist such as ecotage, eco-drama and monkeywrenching. Ecotage Acts of major economic sabotage that are designed to hurt the profits of businesses that radical environmentalists believe are profiting from environmentally harmful practices. Eco-drama (Staging non-violent, often illicit events that cause no property damage, but that are designed for the sake of gaining media attention for an environmental cause or to expose an environmental abuse. This type of action is often designed to spur a law enforcement response to maximize sympathetic media attention. Monkeywrenching was made popular by Edward Abbey's fictional work The Monkey Wrench Gang (1975). It generally refers to minor acts of vandalism or sabotage that are undertaken to frustrate the perpetrators of a perceived environmental harm (CITE).
Response to terrorism. FreeRepublic, LLC, 10 Febuary 2001. Web. 5 Apr. 2014. http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/fr/537799/posts.
In 1989, seventy five percent of Americans identified themselves as environmentalists, and the number has continued to grow since then (Walls 1). Environmentalism is now the most popular social movement in the United States, with over five million American families donating regularly to environmental organizations (Walls 1). Environmentalists today focus on what kind of world they hope to see in the future, and largely deal with limiting pollution and changing consumption rates (Kent 1 and 9). Modern environmentalists also have much different issues than those Carson’s America faced. With climate change becoming more threatening each year, protection of the natural world is needed more than ever. Pollution has caused the warmest decade in history, the deterioration of the ozone layer, and species extinction in extreme numbers (Hunter 2). It not only threatens nature, but also human populations, who already suffer from lack of clean water and poisoning from toxic chemicals (Hunter 16). Unlike environmental actions in the 1960’s, which were mostly focused on protection, a massive increase in pollution has caused efforts to be focused on environmental restoration (Hunter 16). Like in the time of Silent Spring, environmentalists are not only concerned with one country. Protecting the environment remains a global issue, and every nation is threatened by the
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A. A. “The Case Against Animal Rights.” Animal Rights Opposing Viewpoints. Ed. Janelle Rohr. San Diego: Greenhaven Press, 1989.
...al security, which I believe are the most pressing concern of our time. When considering the fragile Caspian region, there is a tendency to focus on the complicated geopolitical struggle that underlies the New Great Game. A to focus on energy security. Energy security, which has been the cause for several of the most recent wars of our time, including the war in Iraq. Yet global ecopolitics and environmental security, have caused wars of their own, and may still cause another. I have endeavoured to demonstrate the importance of environmental security in our lives. An environmental security crisis can leave a lake devoid of life, or transform a landscape into a wasteland. It can take a vibrant community and turn it into a sickhouse. It is my argument that environmental security should be brought alongside energy security, to the forefront of our political agenda.
21 Sept. 2011. Freeman, Carrie. The Packwood. " Framing Animal Rights in the "Go Veg" Campaigns of U.S. Animal Rights Organizations.
Chasek, P. S., Downie, D. L., & Brown, J. W. (2014). The Development of Environmental Regimes: Chemicals, Wastes, and Climate Change. In P. S. Chasek, D. L. Downie, & J. W. Brown, Global Environmental Politics (6th ed., pp. 101-173). Boulder: Westview Press.
... one threat, secondly with alien species. On the other hand I believe that pollution is the number one following up with habitat destruction and alien species. Pesticide pollution imposes a threat to birds such as bald eagles, and falcons in North America. Why should we care? Because the list of endangered species is broad and is crucial for the need of support, if nothing is done now the unique species will never be seen again. Over 500 species from the United States alone has become extinct. It is not just the responsibility of the government to keep our species safe, but it’s everyone’s job.