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Religion and Politics
Earth First!: Environmental Apocalypse
In the summer of 1980, Dave Foreman, along with four conservationist colleagues, founded the millenarian movement Earth First!. A provocative counterculture that ultimately hoped for the fall of industrial civilization, the movement emerged in response to rapid commercial development of the American wilderness. "The earth should come first" was a doctrine that championed both biocentrism (an emphasis on maintaining the earth's full complement of species) and biocentric equality (the belief that all species are equal). Martha Lee was successful in gaining extraordinary access to information about the movement, as well as interviews with its members. While following Earth First's development and methods, she illustrates the inherent instability and the dangers associated with all millenarian movements. This book will be of interest to environmentalists and those interested in political science and sociology.
208 pages, Hardcover
First published November 1, 1995
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Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews
July 7, 2023
Very well researched. The impartiality of this text is something I can appreciate, considering it's a work about a movement with so many internal and external controversies.
August 8, 2024
AN ACADEMIC LOOKS (NOT UNSYMPATHETICALLY) AT THE ORGANIZATION
Martha F. Lee is professor of political science at the University of Windsor in Canada. She wrote in the Preface to this 1995 book, “During the final decades of the twentieth century, profound political changes have occurred. One of the most critical of these changes has been the rise to power and prominence of environmental ideologies. Environmentalism is particularly significant because it addresses a fundamental fact of our existence: the relationship between human beings and the natural world… It is therefore not surprising that environmentalism has spread across the traditional left-right spectrum… It is now part of the political mainstream. In all its forms, environmentalism is---at least marginally---apocalyptic… threats to the health of the earth are therefore threats to human life itself… Among environmental movements, Earth First! is unique because it makes this connection explicit in its doctrine and in its activities… Earth First!ers are willing to protect that wilderness by any means necessary… coupled with their willingness to use illegal and potentially violent tactics to defend that good, makes their story compelling…
“This book focuses on the evolution of the Earth First! movement, which began as a result of the direct political experience of Dave Foreman and a number of likeminded environmentalist colleagues. Over time, the movement split into two factions, one that emphasized biocentrism, and one that emphasized the interrelated nature of biodiversity and social justice. It is Earth First!’s original doctrine, however, that most clearly raises the issues of why individuals might anticipate an apocalyptic event, and choose not to compromise in their defense of the earth…. The movement’s development illustrates in compact form the tensions inherent in all political communities that anticipate the end of civilization… If we take environmentalism seriously, and follow it to its logical conclusion, we must confront many of the issues that have been (and are) confronted by Earth First!ers.”
She notes that according to Rik Scarce in ‘Eco-Warriors,’ “what ultimately distinguishes radical movements from mainstream groups is the former’s willingness to destroy private property. Earth First!, the Sea Shepherds, and animal liberation groups believe sabotage is s legitimate tactic, while Greenpeace does not.” (Pg. 10)
She observes, “Bron Taylor’s [essay] … argues that [Earth First!’s doctrine] contains both religious and political themes. While most Earth First!ers reject organized religion, the foundation of the movement lies in ‘a radical “ecological consciousness” that intuitively… experiences a sense of the sacredness and interconnectedness of all life.’” (Pg. 14) She adds, “Earth First!’s belief system was rooted in a philosophy known as deep ecology.” (Pg. 18)
She suggests, “Many Earth First!ers are uncomfortable with identifying a philosophical source for their beliefs. They believe that evidence for their beliefs appears in the world around them and in scientific documents that identify elements of the environmental crisis… many of these ‘intuitive feelings’ surfaced in the foundations of … deep ecology.” (Pg. 37)
She recounts the demonstration in 1981 when Earth Fist!ers gathered at the Colorado Bridge near Glen Canyon Dam, where they unfurled on the dam a plastic wedge, which made the dam appear to have a ‘crack’ in it. She notes, “By all of Earth First!’s measures, the event was a success: the group made a political statement, no one was arrested, and the authorities were made to look foolish.” (Pg. 45-46)
She also notes, “In the movement’s early years, the relaxed atmosphere [at such] gatherings was in part the result of the great volume of beer that was imbibed… approximately 2500 cans of beer were consumed. The drinking that took place at these events was accepted as a form of release from the stressful intensity of Earth First!’s struggle to save the wilderness.” (Pg. 52)
She states, “Many Earth First!ers identified human overpopulation as one of the primary causes of the environmental crisis, and in response many undertook to be sterilized… Many Earth First!ers also publicly advocated a reduction in the total human population. They believed it was too late to reduce the population through education; the remedy therefore lay in other, quicker means. Foreman, using the pseudonym Chim Blea, suggested that the government should offer free contraceptives and free abortion.” (Pg. 62)
Foreman (using the same pseudonym) opined, “I don’t think nuclear war is the worst ecological disaster imaginable. I think the continuation of industrial civilization is the worst ecological scenario, that will destroy more species, ravage more land, and poison the planet more thoroughly than a major but brief exchange of nuclear warheads.” (Pg. 68)
She points out, “Earth First!’s anti-Coors stance had begun in 1982 as a reaction to the company’s ties to the Reagan administration… As has been noted, beer played an important role in Earth First! rituals and folklore; it reinforced the movement’s antinomian tendencies. Coors was therefore an especially meaningful symbol. Earth First!’s boycott continues to this day.” (Pg. 82)
She explains, “[Judi] Bari became well-known in California Earth First! circles. She was assertive and outspoken---and vehement in her belief that environmental problems were inextricably linked to social justice issues. Not only did she insist on bringing Earth First!’s message to other activist groups, she also brough their messages to Earth First!. Bari was particularly determined that Earth First! and Earth First!ers should embrace feminism.” (Pg. 119)
She explains, “While the [FBI’s] undercover investigation was underway, ideological conflicts continued to rage within the movement. In February 1989, [John] Davis announced Foreman’s official retirement from ‘his role as publisher of the Journal and as spokesperson for the Earth First! movement.’ Davis then pleaded with Earth First!ers to stop their constant bickering and focus on environmental issues.” (Pg. 124)
She summarizes, “by mid-1989, Earth First!’s apocalyptic faction had not only lost its mentor Edward Abbey, but the FBI had successfully targeted Dave Foreman. Ironically, though [Foreman] had distanced himself from the tension-fraught movement, the FBI investigation drew him back to it. By this point, however, the movement’s balance of power had shifted. The publicity Earth First! had received had expended its numbers, and the new adherents were predominantly from the West Coast. By sheer force of numbers, the millenarian social justice faction had come to dominate Earth First!’s committees and campfires.” (Pg. 127)
She concludes, “Earth First! expanded the range of the environmental debate within the United States, and in this respect, it might be understood as functional. By the extreme nature of its tactics and goals, it made other environmental groups appear moderate, and that comparison allowed them to make greater demands upon the government. Its tactics, moreover, drew media attention to environmental problems, and in that way increased public awareness of those issues… it was jarred into existence by a disaster… and when its adherents became frustrated, the movement became unstable.” (Pg. 150)
This is an informative, balanced perspective on the Earth First! movement, that will be of great interest to anyone studying environmental activism.
Martha F. Lee is professor of political science at the University of Windsor in Canada. She wrote in the Preface to this 1995 book, “During the final decades of the twentieth century, profound political changes have occurred. One of the most critical of these changes has been the rise to power and prominence of environmental ideologies. Environmentalism is particularly significant because it addresses a fundamental fact of our existence: the relationship between human beings and the natural world… It is therefore not surprising that environmentalism has spread across the traditional left-right spectrum… It is now part of the political mainstream. In all its forms, environmentalism is---at least marginally---apocalyptic… threats to the health of the earth are therefore threats to human life itself… Among environmental movements, Earth First! is unique because it makes this connection explicit in its doctrine and in its activities… Earth First!ers are willing to protect that wilderness by any means necessary… coupled with their willingness to use illegal and potentially violent tactics to defend that good, makes their story compelling…
“This book focuses on the evolution of the Earth First! movement, which began as a result of the direct political experience of Dave Foreman and a number of likeminded environmentalist colleagues. Over time, the movement split into two factions, one that emphasized biocentrism, and one that emphasized the interrelated nature of biodiversity and social justice. It is Earth First!’s original doctrine, however, that most clearly raises the issues of why individuals might anticipate an apocalyptic event, and choose not to compromise in their defense of the earth…. The movement’s development illustrates in compact form the tensions inherent in all political communities that anticipate the end of civilization… If we take environmentalism seriously, and follow it to its logical conclusion, we must confront many of the issues that have been (and are) confronted by Earth First!ers.”
She notes that according to Rik Scarce in ‘Eco-Warriors,’ “what ultimately distinguishes radical movements from mainstream groups is the former’s willingness to destroy private property. Earth First!, the Sea Shepherds, and animal liberation groups believe sabotage is s legitimate tactic, while Greenpeace does not.” (Pg. 10)
She observes, “Bron Taylor’s [essay] … argues that [Earth First!’s doctrine] contains both religious and political themes. While most Earth First!ers reject organized religion, the foundation of the movement lies in ‘a radical “ecological consciousness” that intuitively… experiences a sense of the sacredness and interconnectedness of all life.’” (Pg. 14) She adds, “Earth First!’s belief system was rooted in a philosophy known as deep ecology.” (Pg. 18)
She suggests, “Many Earth First!ers are uncomfortable with identifying a philosophical source for their beliefs. They believe that evidence for their beliefs appears in the world around them and in scientific documents that identify elements of the environmental crisis… many of these ‘intuitive feelings’ surfaced in the foundations of … deep ecology.” (Pg. 37)
She recounts the demonstration in 1981 when Earth Fist!ers gathered at the Colorado Bridge near Glen Canyon Dam, where they unfurled on the dam a plastic wedge, which made the dam appear to have a ‘crack’ in it. She notes, “By all of Earth First!’s measures, the event was a success: the group made a political statement, no one was arrested, and the authorities were made to look foolish.” (Pg. 45-46)
She also notes, “In the movement’s early years, the relaxed atmosphere [at such] gatherings was in part the result of the great volume of beer that was imbibed… approximately 2500 cans of beer were consumed. The drinking that took place at these events was accepted as a form of release from the stressful intensity of Earth First!’s struggle to save the wilderness.” (Pg. 52)
She states, “Many Earth First!ers identified human overpopulation as one of the primary causes of the environmental crisis, and in response many undertook to be sterilized… Many Earth First!ers also publicly advocated a reduction in the total human population. They believed it was too late to reduce the population through education; the remedy therefore lay in other, quicker means. Foreman, using the pseudonym Chim Blea, suggested that the government should offer free contraceptives and free abortion.” (Pg. 62)
Foreman (using the same pseudonym) opined, “I don’t think nuclear war is the worst ecological disaster imaginable. I think the continuation of industrial civilization is the worst ecological scenario, that will destroy more species, ravage more land, and poison the planet more thoroughly than a major but brief exchange of nuclear warheads.” (Pg. 68)
She points out, “Earth First!’s anti-Coors stance had begun in 1982 as a reaction to the company’s ties to the Reagan administration… As has been noted, beer played an important role in Earth First! rituals and folklore; it reinforced the movement’s antinomian tendencies. Coors was therefore an especially meaningful symbol. Earth First!’s boycott continues to this day.” (Pg. 82)
She explains, “[Judi] Bari became well-known in California Earth First! circles. She was assertive and outspoken---and vehement in her belief that environmental problems were inextricably linked to social justice issues. Not only did she insist on bringing Earth First!’s message to other activist groups, she also brough their messages to Earth First!. Bari was particularly determined that Earth First! and Earth First!ers should embrace feminism.” (Pg. 119)
She explains, “While the [FBI’s] undercover investigation was underway, ideological conflicts continued to rage within the movement. In February 1989, [John] Davis announced Foreman’s official retirement from ‘his role as publisher of the Journal and as spokesperson for the Earth First! movement.’ Davis then pleaded with Earth First!ers to stop their constant bickering and focus on environmental issues.” (Pg. 124)
She summarizes, “by mid-1989, Earth First!’s apocalyptic faction had not only lost its mentor Edward Abbey, but the FBI had successfully targeted Dave Foreman. Ironically, though [Foreman] had distanced himself from the tension-fraught movement, the FBI investigation drew him back to it. By this point, however, the movement’s balance of power had shifted. The publicity Earth First! had received had expended its numbers, and the new adherents were predominantly from the West Coast. By sheer force of numbers, the millenarian social justice faction had come to dominate Earth First!’s committees and campfires.” (Pg. 127)
She concludes, “Earth First! expanded the range of the environmental debate within the United States, and in this respect, it might be understood as functional. By the extreme nature of its tactics and goals, it made other environmental groups appear moderate, and that comparison allowed them to make greater demands upon the government. Its tactics, moreover, drew media attention to environmental problems, and in that way increased public awareness of those issues… it was jarred into existence by a disaster… and when its adherents became frustrated, the movement became unstable.” (Pg. 150)
This is an informative, balanced perspective on the Earth First! movement, that will be of great interest to anyone studying environmental activism.
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August 5, 2011Lee traces the rise and eventual decline of the activist environmental group Earth First! She argues that the division within members of the group can be understood via the diffences between apocayptic and millenarian movements. It is an interesting way of understanding Earth First! though I'm not sure I entirely agree that framing environmental movements through Christian discource is all that productive, the book nonetheless provides invaluable insight into the formation, life and eventual decline of one of the better known and controversial environmental groups of the latter part of the 20th century.
December 6, 2013
A little dry, but it's a history of the early years of Earth First!, so it may be of interest to some. Particularly useful are its discussion of dynamics within the movement such as the conflicts between the "leaders" and the "anarchists" and the conflicting ideologies being advanced. It is a good source for uncovering some of the disturbing debates that occurred within Earth First! in the 1980s (anti-immigrant views, etc).
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