Earth First! And Earth Liberation Front

Posted: August 6th, 2013

Earth First! And Earth Liberation Front

Similarities

            The major environmental advocacy groups in America are Earth Liberation Front and Earth First! Both movements have a British origin, and they are networked globally to protect the environment from random destruction. Earth Liberation Front evolved from Earth First! in 1992. Worldwide environmental destruction has been prevalent over the years up to recent days, and this necessitated the emergence of vigilant advocacy groups to uncover and address the issue. Both Earth First! and Earth Liberation Front used a no compromise approach to promote environmentalism. Their intention through the approach was to counter the mainstream policies that were not aligned with their core objectives. Both movements assert that biological diversity can only be maintained if ecosystems are preserved and protected. Individuals in the movements began by supporting environmental conservation through by direct action. However, when Earth Liberation Front was formed in 1992, Earth First! decided to cease using direct action to communicate their ideologies but the Earth Liberation Front took over the role of direct action as a weapon to advocate environmentalism.

After Earth First! retreated from the violent direct action, it resorted to dialogue and other prudent methods of addressing issues of the environment. The movement was restructured in to an organization of regional cells, which promote legal resource, thoughtful action and counseling before delving into civil disobedience. Therefore, though Earth First! still maintains direct action for environmentalism, it considers legitimacy. Unlike Earth Liberation Front, Earth First! is moderate in its practices. The Earth Liberation Front still causes financial losses with its violent and extreme actions because many Americans have suffered loss of private property worth billions of dollars. The extremist movement bases its practices on the Marxist belief system that negates private property ownership.