The Earth Liberation Front

During the 1990’s, a new organization arose to fight against the destruction of the natural environment, they called their selves the Earth Liberation Front (ELF). Then in March, 2001 , the Federal Investigation Bureau (FBI), considered the ELF to be the number one domestic terroristic threat within our nation. They began to cause their own destruction, primarily by the means of arson and explosions, to institutes, factories, farms, etc. that they considered exploited the earth’s natural environment or any living specimens. These attacks cost millions of dollars worth of damages to their victims but yet they never harmed or risked the lives of any persons.

In January 2011, Marshall Curry and Sam Cullen released If A Tree Falls: A Story of the Earth Liberation Front, an inside look of the ELF organization, as they followed several activist to learn how the group internally functioned and recollect their involvement in many well-known attacks.

The film centers the life of Daniel McGowan, who was once heavily involved within the organization for several years, which included attacks by arson. Years after his separation with the group, McGowan is on house arrest awaiting his final trial. He, like many, now regrets many of his actions, but acknowledges that he must still take responsibility for what his done.

Daniel McGowan appears to be a very gentle environmentalist, not the extreme radical activist who would protest by arson. McGowan was born in 1974, his father was a New York Police Officer, and he graduated college with a business degree then he went to work for a public relations office. After some time passed and being made aware of the environmental destruction that was taking place, he soon moved to Eugene, Oregon to be apar...

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...tte National Forest, by burning an U.S. Forest Service truck.

Craig Rosebraugh, formerly an Earth Liberation Front spokesperson, encourages individuals to attempt to overthrow the American government, by stating that “revolution in the United States must be comprised of a variety of strategies” and that “it cannot be successful without the implementation of violence” (LIDDICK). Environmental radicals call what they do “direct action,” while the government has called their behavior “eco-terrorism.” As mentioned earlier the group is founded on three main guidelines:

. To inflict economic damage on those profiting from the destruction and exploitation of the natural environment

. To reveal and educate the public on the atrocities committed against the earth and all species that populate it

. To take necessary precautions against harming any animal, human and non-human