David Pellow, social scientist and environment activist at the University of Minnesota, presented a close examination of “eco-terrorism” in his panel: “Radical Politics, State Repression, and the Problems of ‘Eco-Terrorism’”. Throughout his program he told a interesting narrative involving one his former students being arrested and how Pellow himself began to be examined by the FBI. It was from an actual experience of being scrutinized by the law, that Pellow began to examine the “eco-terrorist” groups defined by the justice department.
Pellow found that the message of these radical groups is often muddled. These radical groups participate in arson and the destruction of property in the name of protest. These physical attacks are what get these groups branded as “terrorists”, but the radical environmentalist may have other issues besides their violent protest. Their ethics are also in question as a result of the racism, homophobia and transphobia among other things, that exists within the numbers of these groups. This problem has become so relevant that certain organizations are re-branding their groups by connecting the ideas of social justice and environmental politics.
This idea of human and environmental equality is serving to help the environmental groups like Earth Front, Earth Liberation Front and Animal Liberation Front. However the ideals of theses groups are still viewed as too radical by the public. The language in which these "eco-terrorists" use to convey their beliefs is incredibly intense and does not provide room for any stretch towards a more refined, peaceful group. The murkiness found in the radical environmentalist groups emulates the ethical ambiguity of our own government. While our government may fight for noble cause(s), (and in a black-and-white world, the government may be applauded) the actions taken by the government and the problems within the system itself creates problems that can be difficult to confront and reform.
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