Earth First!

In Time of Crisis – Dave Foreman (1991)

1990-2010, Blockade/Barricade, Date, Defining the Enemy, Disruptive Spaces, Occupation, Privatization, Sabotage/Ecotage, Subjectives of Refusal, Subjects Redefined, Tactics of Disruption, The 'Natural World', The Bourgeoisie

This piece is an excerpt from the book, Confessions of an Eco-Warrior, written in 1991 by Dave Foreman, a co-founder of Earth First!. In this excerpt, Foreman details the principles, practices, and goals of Earth First! activists.

In-Time-of-CrisisDownload

“It is through becoming part of the wild that we find courage far greater than ourselves, a union that gives us boldness to stand against hostile humanism, against the machine, against the dollar, against jail, against extinction for what is sacred and right: the Great Dance of Life.”

Mitsubishi Stumped! – NYC Earth First! (1998)

1990-2010, Blockade/Barricade, Date, Defining the Enemy, Disruptive Spaces, Occupation, Tactics of Disruption, The 'Natural World', The Bourgeoisie, The Workplace

This piece describes the direct actions taken by NYC Earth First! and Wetlands Rainforest Action Group activists at the Mitsubishi International office building. The activists entered the building with multiple 600-pound concrete-filled barrels, lockboxes, and megaphones. They used these tools to lock themselves to the doors and barrels, barricade the entrances, and effectively shut down the building until police forces arrived to break it up. The blockaders demanded to meet with Mitsubishi’s president and stood their ground until the blockade was deconstructed by the police. The activists sought to raise public awareness for the destructive environmental practices of Mitsubishi and repeatedly chanted the phrase “Earth First! Profits Last! Boycott Mitsubishi!” This piece by NYC Earth First! concluded with a call for all readers to boycott products with the Mitsubishi logo and with information on how to contact the president of the Mitsubishi International Corporation.

Mitsubishi-StumpedDownload

“We made Mitsubishi’s life hell for a day and got our message out with great newspaper, TV, international newswire and internet website coverage, bringing home the message: “Earth First! Profits Last! Boycott Mitsubishi!”

Maine Earth First! Disrupts State’s Approval of Plum Creek Development Plan – Maine EF! (2010)

1990-2010, Date, Defining the Enemy, Disruptive Spaces, Occupation, Privatization, Sabotage/Ecotage, Tactics of Disruption, The 'Natural World', The Workplace

This article, published by Maine Earth First! details the occupation of the Land Use Regulatory Commission’s meeting in Bangor, Maine in opposition to the agency’s approval of Plum Creek’s proposal to develop in the Moosehead Lake region. Activists argued that approval of this plan will allow Plum Creek to conduct harmful extraction projects, dump sewage sludge, clear cut forests, among other detrimental acts on the environment. Maine Earth First!ers burst into the room prior to the vote, demanded a chance to have votes of their own, and continued to occupy the meeting room by sitting down and linking arms.

Maine-Earth-First-Distrupts-States-Approval-of-Plum-Creeks-Development-PlanDownload

Blockade Personal Accounts – Earth First!ers (1983)

1946-1989, Blockade/Barricade, Date, Defining the Enemy, Disruptive Spaces, Occupation, Privatization, Self Institution, Tactics of Disruption, The 'Natural World'

This piece consists of personal accounts of three Earth First!ers during their various blockades over the course of a two week period. The blockades occurred in order to stop the continued destruction of the Bald Mountain road in the Kalmiopsis region. In each instance, activists locked arms, forming a barrier between the bulldozer and the rest of the road, temporarily halting destruction. Additionally, the second account describes how in addition to forming a blockade, Earth First!ers chained themselves to the bulldozers, halting the destruction for even longer.

Blockade-Personal-AccountsDownload

“We feel in our hearts that we have contributed to a great cause, and helped with the advent of a new tactic in the protection of wilderness in America: Direct Action.”

Ecodefenders Sabotage Bighorn Hunt – Rod Coronado (1987)

1946-1989, Date, Disruptive Spaces, Sabotage/Ecotage, Tactics of Disruption, The 'Natural World'

This piece, written by Rod Coronado, an active member of the Sea Shepherd Society, the Hunt Saboteurs Association, the Animal Liberation Front, and Earth First! describes the direct actions taken over the course of a week to prevent the trophy hunting of Bighorn Sheep near the Old Dad Peak region of California. For the first time in 114 years, a recent state amendment to the California Department of Fish and Game code granted a select number of applicants the opportunity to hunt one Bighorn each. Activists from both Earth First! and various animal rights groups engaged in acts of sabotage to disrupt the hunt, particularly through the use of horns and whistles. Although the ecodefenders were unable to prevent the death of all targeted Bighorns, they were able to set a precedent on the issue, draw greater attention to the abuse of wildlife, in addition to saving four Bighorn lives.

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“They were totally effective in their attempts to disrupt the hunt. They ruined it.” – Dr. Loren Lutz (Founder of the Society for the Conservation of Bighorn Sheep)

How to Sink Whalers, Driftnetters, and Other Environmentally Destructive Ships – Earth First! (n.d.)

1990-2010, Date, Defining the Enemy, Disruptive Spaces, Evasion, Sabotage/Ecotage, Tactics of Disruption, The 'Natural World', The Workplace

This is an in-depth guide provided by Earth First! on how to sink whalers, drift netters, and other environmentally-destructive ships. Necessary tool lists and chronological steps to undertake with diagrams included are described and illustrated in detail throughout the packet.

How-to-SinkDownload

Return to Bald Mountain: The Second Battle of the North Kalmiopsis – Chant Thomas (1987)

1946-1989, Blockade/Barricade, Date, Defining the Enemy, Disruptive Spaces, Imperialism, Occupation, Privatization, Sabotage/Ecotage, Tactics of Disruption, The 'Natural World', The Workplace

A story from Vol. VII, No. IV of the Earth First! Journal that describes the direct actions taken by Oregon Earth First!ers in response to the Siskiyou National Forest’s reneging on an agreement to postpone logging within the North Kalmiopsis Roadless Area. While much of the wilderness in the Kalmiopsis region is protected, this action occurred to defend the hundreds of thousands of unprotected roadless areas. Activists engaged in a precedent-setting seven direct actions in addition to providing non-violent direct action training sessions to others. The piece concludes with a call to action to all Earth First!ers as well as anyone interested in participating in the direct actions the group has planned in the coming weeks to protect the North Kalmiopsis.

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EF! Climbers Guild Vol. 1 Climb Training Orientation -Earth First! (2014)

2011-Present, Date, Disruptive Spaces, Occupation, Tactics of Disruption, The 'Natural World'

This is an in-depth guide provided by Earth First! on safe methods to climb and rig rope structures needed in direct action situations. Knots to learn, equipment checklists, the psychological aspects of climbing, safe climbing steps, and more are described and illustrated in detail throughout the packet.

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The Feminization of Earth First! (1992)

1990-2010, Date, Subjectives of Refusal, Women

In this document, Judi Bari describes her experiences as a woman in Earth First!. It explores the relationship between feminism and eco-radicalism – eco-feminism.

“I see no contradiction between deep ecology and eco-feminism. But Earth First! was founded by five men, and its principle spokespeople have all been male. As in all such groups, there have always been competent women doing the real work behind the scenes. But they have been virtually invisible behind the public Earth First! persona of “big man goes into big wilderness to save big trees.” I certainly objected to this.”

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