Eco terrorism

Eco-terrorism refers to acts of violence committed in support of ecological or environmental causes, against persons or their property.

The United States Federal Bureau of Investigation defines eco-terrorism as "...the use or threatened use of violence of a criminal nature against innocent victims or property by an environmentally-oriented, subnational group for environmental-political reasons, or aimed at an audience beyond the target, often of a symbolic nature." The FBI credited eco-terrorists with US$200 million in property damage between 2003 and 2008. A majority of states in the US have introduced laws aimed at eco-terrorism.

Eco-terrorism is a form of radical environmentalism that arose out of the same school of thought that brought about deep ecology, ecofeminism, social ecology, and bioregionalism. "Eco-terrorism" is a controversial term.

Eco-terrorism is closely related to civil disobedience and sabotage in the name of the environment. There is debate on where to draw the lines between the three. Some of those labelled as eco-terrorists do not commit violence against humans, but only against property. This has led to a debate that touches on whether or not to classify these actions as "terrorist". In the United States, the FBI's definition includes acts of violence against property, which makes most acts of sabotage fall in the realm of domestic terrorism.

Sabotage involves destroying, or threatening to destroy, property, and in this case is also known as monkeywrenching or ecotage. Many acts of sabotage involve the damage of equipment and unmanned facilities using arson.

Some "eco-terrorists" are people fighting to preserve their environment with the belief that they are preserving their existence. Examples of such "ecoterrorists" include tribal ethnic minorities such as the Waorani.

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