Radical Environmentalism

From Polcompball Wiki
Jump to navigationJump to search

"We must make this an insecure and inhospitable place for capitalists and their projects. We must reclaim the roads and plowed land, halt dam constructions, tear down existing dams, free shackled rivers and return to wilderness millions of acres of previously settled land."

Radical Environmentalism (RadEnv) represents an ideology distinct from mainstream Environmentalism, characterized by its advocacy for more extreme and direct measures to safeguard the natural world. Unlike conventional Environmentalism, which often focuses on policy reforms, sustainable practices, and incremental change, Radical Environmentalism is marked by its endorsement of direct action and civil disobedience as necessary tools for confronting and halting environmental degradation. This ideological framework frequently intersects with a range of other movements and philosophies, including Eco-Nationalism, Anarcho-Primitivism, Bioregionalism, Eco-Anarchism, Deep Ecology, and Ecopsychology.

Additionally, Radical Environmentalism shares some common ground with ideologies such as Ecofeminism, Total Liberationism, Wicca, Eco-Fascism, Anti-Capitalism, and even the Voluntary Human Extinction Movement, though these affiliations are often more tangential. It is important to note that not all individuals who subscribe to these related beliefs and values are classified as Radical Environmentalists, as the latter term is specifically reserved for those who advocate for, or engage in, radical methods of environmental activism. This ideological approach is motivated by a deep sense of urgency regarding the perceived failures of traditional environmental efforts to address the ecological crisis adequately.

Radical Environmentalist Movements

Environmental Life Force

The Enviromental Life Force (ELF) was a radical environmentalist group founded in 1977. The group is famous for being the first radical environmentalist group to ever use violent tactics. The group was short lived, disbanding in 1978 after it's founder, John-Clark Hanna, was arrested for the use of explosives on federal property. The ELF is commonly seen as an influence on the much more famous Earth Liberation Front.

Earth Liberation Front

The Earth Liberation Front is a collective name for a group of covert cells who use tactics such as sabotage and guerilla warfare in order to stop the destruction of the environment. The ELF was founded in 1992 in the United Kingdom. The ELF started by targeting businesses that were either known for, or accused, of causing environmental distruction. The ELF has connections to the Animal Liberation Front, another similar organization.

In 1992, members of the ELF targeted a company known as Fisons, causing nearly $100,000 in damages. The ELF and similar organizations would gain popularity across the rest of Europe. In Europe, members of the ELF targeted the Schiphol Airport in the Netherlands, destroyed hunting towers in both the Netherlands and Germany,

In 1996, on Columbus Day, the ELF made their debut in the United States by spraypainting messages such as "504 years of genocide" on the walls of a McDonalds office, and gluing locks.

The ELF has been active internationally, with cells in many different countries across the world.

Deep Green Resistance

The Deep Green Existence is a radical environmentalist organization founded by Derrick Jensen and Lierre Keith in 2011. The DGR advocates for attacks on infrastructure and assassinations as forms of resistance against environmental destruction.

The DGR and it's leaders are commonly criticized for their criticism of anarchism, and due to Keith's transphobic views.

Stop Huntingdon Animal Cruelty

Stop Huntingdon Animal Cruelty was an international animal rights advocacy campaign that aimed to shut down Huntingdon Life Sciences, a laboratory that partook in large amounts of animal testing.

The SHAC is classified as radical environmentalist due to its members using tactics such as firebombing against the HLS.

Camps For Climate Action

The Camps For Climate Action are a series of camps that are organized in order to draw attention to environmental pollution. The camps originated in the United Kingdom in 2006, and later expanded to Canada, France, Australia, Belgium, and Denmark.

On August 31st, 2006, the group organized it's first day of action, organizing a 600 people protest at the Drax Power Station in an attempt to shut it down. Almost a year later, in August 2007, the group organized a camp in London, England, that lasted from August 14th to August 21st.

On August 4th, 2008, the group would organize another camp protest in Scotland, at the Kingsnorth power station, to protest the plans to create another coal-powered power station by the owners of Kingsnorth. The protest was also intended to highlight the fossil fuels industry. Protesters would later attempt to shut the power station down on August 9th, clashing with the police.

In April 2009, the group would organize another protest during the G20 London Summit. The protest took place outside the European climate exchange in Bishopgate. A few months later, in late August 2009, the group would set up another camp on Blackheath Common, the site of the Peasants Revolt of 1381. In October, members of the CCA would take part in the "Great Climate Swoop" protest at the Ratcliffe-on-Soar Power Station. The police arrested many on suspicions of violence.

The CCA would later set up another camp in Edinburgh on August 18th, 2010, near the headquarters of the The Royal Bank of Scotland, to protest against bank involvement in environmental distruction. The protest ran until the 25th.

Animal Liberation Front

The Animal Liberation Front is a leaderless and decentralized movement that advocates against animal cruelty. The ALF was founded in the 1970's in the United Kingdom. The roots of the Animal Liberation Front trace back to late 1963, when British journalist John Prestige was forced to cover a deer hunting event where a pregnant deer was killed. In retaliation, he cc created the Hunting Saboteurs Association in order to prevent future incidents by thwarting hunters.

In 1971, another HSA-style group was founded by Ronnie Lee. Lee would latter become friendly to more militant tactics. Members of Lee's group, which he had named the Bands Of Mercy, led attacks on hunting vehicles.

Lee and another activist, Clif Goodman, were arrested in August 1974 for staging a raid on an animal colony center in Bicenter. A year later, Lee and Goodman would be paroled, and in Spring 1976, the ALF was founded by former members of the BOM.

The ALF, in 1976 alone, targeted multiple butcher shops, slaughterhouses, and restaurants, causing £250,000 in damages. Despite this, Lee held the ALF under a strict non-violence policy.

However, in the late 1970s and early 1980s, factions of the ALF became prone to violence. Members of the ALF became more focused on their own opposition to the state than environmental advocacy. During this shift to violent tactics, the ALF would expand outside of the United Kingdom, and establish themselves in countries such as the United States. The ALF made their debut in the US in either 1977, 1979, or 1981.[1]


In 1984, members of the ALF raided several universities, causing the shuttering of several animal studies. In these raids, members of the ALF freed multiple monkeys that had been undergoing animal abuse. Firebombs and letterbombs were allegedly used by ALF members, but the ALF denied it, claiming that the incidents were false flags.


In the 2000s, the United States government would launch Operation Backfire in an attempt to combat attacks by environmentalist groups such as the ALF and the ELF. Members of the ALF would be them charged with crimes such as conspiracy and arson.

Personality and Behaviour

  • Is kind to other environmentalist ideologies, such as Total Liberationism and Eco-Anarchism.
  • Commonly can be portrayed with a wire-cutter or a Molotov cocktail, as they use those items during ecotage.
  • Loves the Lorax
  • May or not use letter bombs similar to Neoluddism.

How to draw

Flag of Radical Environmentalism
  1. Draw a ball.
  2. Fill it green.
  3. Draw a white over-crossing monkey wrench and stone hammer.
  4. Add the eyes.

You're done.

Color Name HEX RGB
Green #288003 40, 128, 3
White #FFFFFF 255, 255, 255


Relationships

Friends

Frenemies

  • Eco-Capitalism - Capitalism is inherently bad for the environment, but at least you try.
  • Green Libertarianism - It was the right decision to count environmental damage as a NAP violation. But how are you going to keep capitalism part of that?
  • Eco-Anarchism - You love the environment and hate greedy industrialists, but please stop throwing Molotov cocktails at police officers unless you're protesting against industrialists.

Enemies

  • Industrialism - Check your mail. It should have arrived by now.
  • Post-Industrialism - Half Industrialism is still Industrialism!
  • Posadism - DON'T YOU DARE NUKE THE EARTH! Although, your demographic variant is really based. And nuclear winter can reverse global warming.
  • Climate Skepticism - Why are you even doing this?! There is no reason to make your life worse in every way possible!

Further Information

Wikipedia

Literature

Gallery

Navigation

  1. ↑ The date is disputed.
Retrieved from "https://polcompball.wiki/wiki/Radical_Environmentalism?oldid=554081"