Environmentalists Gone Wild?

IMO, ELF is beyond extreme. They are a bonafide criminal terrorist group. Extremists, to me are the ones that chain themselves to equipment, live in trees to prevent them from being cut, and more notably, organizations that refuse to find common ground on controversial issues, such as Yellowstone.

 

I don't know anything about ELF. If they really do bomb vehicles, then I agree with Wolfman. However, I do not believe anything the FBI says. They have a long and well-documented history of lying. So I won't assume that ELF has ever bombed anything merely on the word of the FBI.

Sounds like the US government to me, as well as every other country that wages war.

 

Just google for ELF and burned hummers, easy to verify, no need to break out FBI paranoia or glib political sloganeering un-necessarily.

West Covina: Fires destroyed or damaged dozens of sport utility vehicles, burned a warehouse at an auto dealership, and vehicles there and at three other dealerships were spray-painted with slogans such as "Fat, Lazy Americans." Another SUV was burned in front of a home. "With all the evidence ... it's highly likely it's an arson fire," said Rick Genovese, fire marshal for West Covina, a Los Angeles suburb. The Earth Liberation Front issued an unsigned email Friday calling the incidents "ELF actions,"

And it's not just Hummers.

http://www.worldhistory.com/wiki/E/Earth-L...ation-Front.htm

The Earth Liberation Front (ELF) is a loosely-knit terrist (friendly term) or ecoterrorist (unfriendly term) organization that, according to the ELF, "uses direct action in the form of economic sabotage to stop the exploitation and destruction of the natural environment" http://www.earthliberationfront.com/librar...ary/elf_faq.pdf, mainly in the United States and Canada.

Their techniques involve destruction of property that they believe is being used to hurt animals or the environment via arson or other means, and the release of animals from research facilities. This is also called ecotage.

The current group's first claimed action was in 1997; followed in 1998 by an arson attack on the Vail Mountain ski resort in Vail, Colorado. Since then they have claimed responsibility for dozens of destructive actions http://www.earthliberationfront.com/about/—32 in 2001 alone http://www.earthliberationfront.com/librar...ectActions.pdf— resulting in "$50 million in damages,"

http://www.mercurynews.com/mld/mercurynews...cal/6562462.htm

Earth Liberation Front claims responsibility for San Diego arson

SAN DIEGO - The Earth Liberation Front suggested that a $50 million fire that destroyed an apartment complex under construction in San Diego two weeks ago was targeting "rampant urban development."

The Aug. 3 arson on San Diego's fast-growing northern edge was said to be the costliest action ever by the ELF, an underground group that since 1996 has claimed responsibility for arson attacks against commercial entities that members say threaten or damage the environment.

The ELF's press office said a banner left at the scene was a legitimate claim of responsibility. The 12-foot banner read, "If you build it, we will burn it" with the initials E.L.F. A statement issued shortly after the fire had made the same claim.

http://www.greenanarchy.org/zine/earthliberation.php

 

Sounds like a nasty bunch. Almost as nasty as big business, big oil, and government.

 

Oh yes, I hated ELF ever since that attack on Vail. I didn't get to go skiing either that year or the year after because my parents refused to go due to the fact that the building they burned down was my parents favorite mountaintop restraunt.

Childhood trauma!

 

They openly admit to, and brag about their terrorist activities. They have a website, and post every incident that one of their cells is responsible for on it.

 

At least they're honest about it then. Big business and government lie about all their terrorism.

 

No one should ever refer to these people as environmentalists, they don't in any sense of the word deserve the to be called that. They're terrorists, plain and simple.

 

While no one can condone the wrong doings of big business and governments, I fail to see how this justifies the wrongs of groups such as ELF (particularly as they present themselves as an alternative to them). What type of message does burning ski lodges, warehouses, SUV’s (etc, etc) send about one’s commitment to "saving the world"?

As one whom has spent much time trying to find ways to minimize my personal impact on this world (and attempting to convince those around me to follow suit), I am particularly offended and angry at these actions taken in the name of "environmentalism". I’d be willing to bet that their actions have had far more negative impact on their "cause" as public opinion backlashes against both them and environmentalism in general.

I see ELF less as "terrorists" than I do as group of uncreative, narrow-minded and unimaginative fools whom have sold out on creating a solution to the problem for simply trying to destroy that which they detest.

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Besides, without "big business", what would we here at "PriusChat" be discussing anyway?

 

I never suggested that one justifies the other. But there is the question of scale. One Exxon Valdez, or one oil-well fire ignited by a bomb dropped in war, or one cruise missile or bomber "sortie" probably does more environmental damage, than ELF could do in a century.

This in no way justifies what ELF does.

But criticizing ELF without at the same time criticizing government and business, is like swatting a mosquito while a grizzly is chewing off your leg.

But I would certainly not put Toyota or Honda in the same bag with Exxon.