Green Options

[Editor's Note: This is a guest post by Will Potter, author of Green is the New Red.]

The FBI labels the environmental and animal rights movements the number one domestic terrorism threat. Those activists have never flown planes into buildings, taken hostages or sent anthrax through the mail. So how did they make it to the top of the government’s list?

Here are 10 ways you can be labeled an eco-terrorist:

British activists may receive up to 14-year jail sentences for blackmail and conspiracy to blackmail executives of and suppliers to Huntingdon Life Sciences, a company notorious for testing on animals. Three of them pled guilty to conspiracy charges, while four others denied the charges and were found guilty of conspiracy. One person was cleared.

They were all members of Stop Huntingdon Animal Cruelty, an organization known for using radical tactics and threats. The organization has been known to send fake bombs and needles claiming to be contaminated with AIDS to employees of HLS and companies that do business with them.

The North American Earth Liberation Front Press Office has issued a statement against the proposed bailout for the ‘big 3’ automakers. In particular, the release voices their opposition to bailing out General Motors due to their resistance to improving fuel-efficiency.

“General Motors deserves bankruptcy,” said Jason Crawford, a press officer for the ELF. “Fully aware of America’s dependence on foreign oil and the horrific environmental impact of the Hummer—an 8,500-pound monstrosity that yields an average of 10-mpg—GM continued producing gas-guzzling, polluting vehicles.”

The Sea Shepherd Conservation Society, a direct action animal rights organization led by Captain Paul Watson, will get some well-deserved attention in an upcoming seven-part Animal Planet television series titled “Whale Wars,” set to premier November 7th.

The group formed in 1977 after Watson, one of the founders of Greenpeace, became frustrated with the seminal environmental group’s hesitation to engage in direct action. Since then the group has faced down whalers year-after-year by literally chasing their ships around the open seas.