Ecodefense

A Field Guide to Monkeywrenching

Paperback, 311 pages

English language

Published April 3, 1987 by Earth First_books.

ISBN:
978-0-933285-03-3
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4 stars (1 review)

Much of the inspiration for the book, as well as the term "monkeywrenching", came from Edward Abbey's 1975 novel The Monkey Wrench Gang. Other inspiration for the book likely came from the 1972 book Ecotage!, which was published by the group Environmental Action and was in turn inspired by the actions of an activist in the Chicago, Illinois area who called himself "The Fox", and engaged in such vigilante actions to protect the environment as plugging smokestacks. The Fox named after the Fox River northwest of Chicago was an avid historical boater who educated and demonstrated Native American and early trapper fishing and boating techniques.

The Fox was radicalized and became a founding mentor of the Earth Liberation Front movement after witnessing toxic dumping into the Fox River over decades which polluted the river to near-death. The Fox became infamous after dumping a bucket of said toxic waste upon the …

2 editions

reviewed Ecodefense by Dave Foreman

This book starts with a disclaimer that it is for entertainment purposes only. It is certainly entertaining.

4 stars

I really appreciated the editors'& authors position that defense of the planet should never put human life at risk. Ecodefense is one that is going in my "To Buy" list. But it is also one I really shouldn't have borrowed the library, and I will not purchase online, due to its subversive nature it would be better if there was no record associated with one's name and should be purchased with cash. Radical environmentalism has never really been my cup of tea, but I was hoping this book would give me some insight into sabotage as a political strategy for industrial unionization, particularly being co-edited by Bill Haywood. Well, this book was written decades after the death of Big Bill Haywood, so it certainly wasn't' the legendary labor organizer, and probably just a pseudonym. But it certainly had some good insight that could be used for all sorts of political …

Subjects

  • Criminal methods
  • Terrorism
  • Ecology
  • Environmental policy
  • Handbooks, manuals, etc
  • Sabotage