Ecoterrorism

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

Eco-terrorism is defined by the Federal Bureau of Investigation as "the use or threatened use of violence of a criminal nature against people 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 200 million dollars in property damage between 2003 and 2008, and a majority of states within the USA 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 causes, and there is a debate on where to draw the lines between the three. Some of those who are labeled as eco-terrorists do not perpetrate 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.

Another type of ecoterrorism also exists in which people use violence against people or property for environmental reasons. With this type of ecoterrorism people fight to preserve their environment, not just for the sake of keeping it pristine, but also to preserve their livelihood, hereby allowing them to continue living their day-to-day life. Examples of such "ecoterrorists" include some ethnic minorities as the Waorani.

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