Ecotage

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Ecotage is a portmanteau of the "eco-" prefix and "sabotage". It is used to describe (usually) illegal acts of vandalism and violence. As a term it goes back to 1972 and predates the more recent neologism "eco-terrorism." Ecotage is also referred to as ecodefense or monkeywrenching.

The Earth Liberation Front claims that ecotage requires neither aggression nor any direct confrontation with police, politicians, or other authority, as the actions are carried out in secret and at times of day where the risk to life is nil. However, certain types of ecotage (e.g. tree spiking) can cause injury or death after the act has been committed.

Many environmentalists see non-destructive forms of civil disobedience, such as tree sitting, as more effective, particularly if the goal is to influence public opinion.

According to its detractors, the reverence for life professed by those who perform ecotage is not reflected in their disregard for property rights or willingness to risk the lives and safety of humans to make a political point. Supporters believe this type of criticism puts more value on property than on life. Furthermore, most groups and individuals who engage in ecotage claim to take all necessary precautions to avoid causing injury or death to any humans.

1 Ecotage cases
2 Ecotage in fiction
3 Further Resources
4 See also

[edit] Ecotage cases

Some of the more well known cases of ecotage are:

1998 - Arson of buildings at Vail Mountain in the United States by the Earth Liberation Front (ELF).
1999 - On the 25th of December in Monmouth, Oregon, fire destroys the main office of the Boise Cascade logging company costing over $1 million. ELF claim responsibility in a communiqué.
1999 - Genetically engineered potatoes uprooted at Crop and Food research centre in New Zealand. [1]
2003 - On August 1st, a 206-unit condominium being built in San Diego, California was burnt down causing damage in excess of $20 million. A 12 foot banner at the scene read "If you build it, we will burn it," signed, "The E.L.F.s are mad."
2003 - On the 22nd of August, arsonists associated with the Earth Liberation Front attacked several car dealerships in east suburban Los Angeles, burning down a warehouse and vandalizing several cars. All told, more than 100 cars were damaged or destroyed causing an excess of a million dollars in damages, most of them SUVs or Hummers which were targeted due to their low fuel efficiency.
2005 - 402 apartment units and 20 cars were burned by an anarchist/environmentalist in Atlanta, Georgia [2]
2005 - 3 counties and 20,000 customers lost electrical power on November 21st when activists shot out a transformer on at a power substation in South Middleton, Pennsylvania. Damage estimate: $300,000 [3]
2005 - The ELF burned down a recently completed townhouse development in Hagerstown, Maryland. Damage estimate: $225,000. [4]