Warning of imminent ecological catastrophe, the Earth Liberation Front became notorious in the late 1990s for setting fire to symbols of ecological destruction, including timber mills, an S.U.V. dealership and a ski resort. The group was widely demonized. Its exploits were condemned by mainstream environmental groups, ridiculed by the media and inspired a furious crackdown from law enforcement.But in 2022 the group is more relevant than ever. These days even America’s mainstream environmental movement has begun to take a more confrontational approach, having previously confined its activities largely to rallies, marches and other lawful forms of protest. Even the “staid” environmental groups based in Washington have slowly started to embrace more radical tactics. Climate activists are starting to abandon their dogmatic attachment to pacifism, choosing instead to work toward destroying the “machines” inflicting the damage — but will such a radical idea prove effective?The journalist Matthew Wolfe delves into the world of the activists, and questions the future of environmental activism.This story was written by Matthew Wolfe and recorded by Audm. To hear more audio stories from publications like The New York Times, download Audm for iPhone or Android.
Activists in the 1980s felt larger environmental groups were compromising too much and began burning down buildings of institutions they said were complicit in destroying the environment, leading to the growth of the Earth Liberation Front.
This transcript discusses the radical environmental movement in the US, which culminated in the trial of Eco-Terrorist, Bill Debae, for his involvement in the publication of a radical environmental journal. It argues that with the urgency of global warming, new tactics must be explored, beyond conventional forms of protest.
A group of individuals, including Tubbs and Ferguson, burn a ranger station and later, a letter surfaces claiming responsibility for the attack on behalf of a radical environmentalist group.
The Earth Liberation Front (ELF) was a radical environmental organization that carried out acts of arson and vandalism against corporations and government agencies seen as contributing to environmental destruction, with the goal of advancing a broader environmental agenda.
A discussion of the American Legislative Exchange Council (ALEC), a group which drafts laws with the input of major industries and lobbies for them in Congress, and their role in shaping environmental policy and the criminalization of activism.