Ecodefense: A Field Guide to Monkeywrenching

Dedication

This book is dedicated to: Edward Abbey 1927–1989 John Zaelit (Mr. Goodwrench) 1954–1986 Bill Turk (The Mad Engineer) 1953–1992 Wilderness needs no defense, only more defenders (From: TheAnarchistLibrary.org.)

Introduction to the Third Edition

Ecodefense is a historical artifact. It could be argued that it is the most controversial environmental book ever published; more importantly, though, it is a key exhibit in the legal history of freedom of the press in the United States. The First Amendment to the United States Constitution was ratified in 1791. It reads in part, “Congress shall make no law ... abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press.” That enshrined freedom of the press and speech sets the United States of America apart from all other nations. No other country so jealously defends the right of its citizens to speak and publish controversial ideas. Several years ago when Australia banned the importation and sale of Ecodefense, it was not possible for t... (From: TheAnarchistLibrary.org.)

Forward!

If a stranger batters your door down with an ax, threatens your family and yourself with deadly weapons, and proceeds to loot your home of whatever he wants, he is committing what is universally recognized — by law and morality — as a crime. In such a situation the householder has both the right and the obligation to defend himself, his family, and his property by whatever means are necessary. This right and this obligation is universally recognized, justified and even praised by all civilized human communities. Self-defense against attack is one of the basic laws not only of human society but of life itself, not only of human life but of all life. The American wilderness, what little remains, is now undergoing exactly such an ... (From: TheAnarchistLibrary.org.)

Chapter 1 : Strategic Monkeywrenching

By Dave Foreman In early summer of 1977, the United States Forest Service began an 18 month-long inventory and evaluation of the remaining roadless and undeveloped areas on the National Forests and Grasslands of the United States. During this second Roadless Area Review and Evaluation (RARE II), the Forest Service identified 2,686 roadless areas of 5,000 acres or more totaling 66 million acres out of the 187 million acres of National Forest lands. Approximately 15 million acres of roadless areas were not included in RARE II because of sloppy inventory procedures or because they had already gone through land use planning after the first RARE program in the early ’70s. All in all, there were some 80 million acres on the National Forest... (From: TheAnarchistLibrary.org.)

Chapter 2 : The Future of Monkeywrenching

By T.O. Hellenbach In an era of international tensions over bombings, shootings, and acts of mass destruction, the word “terrorism” is a guaranteed headline-grabber and a simplistic brand for anyone’s political opposition. As early as 1986, Democratic Representative Pat Williams of Montana used this number one media buzzword to condemn Earth First!, announcing his refusal to consider any EF! wilderness proposals while tree spiking continued. His sense of moral outrage was shared by another public official, Thomas Hutchinson, governor of Massachusetts colony. The indignant governor refused to negotiate with radical colonists whom he associated with numerous attacks on public and private property. Rebels had attacked his h... (From: TheAnarchistLibrary.org.)

Chapter 3 : Developments

Clearcuts springing up in every nook and cranny of the National Forests; high-voltage power lines marching arrogantly across desert valleys and Midwest farms; seismograph crews scarring roadless areas with their bulldozers, thumper trucks, and explosives; survey stakes and their Day-Glo orange flagging warning of who-knows-what awful scheme; and the ubiquitous signs of overgrazing on public lands are the hallmarks of the industrial siege on the wild and open space areas of America. As Ed Abbey said, it looks like an invasion, an invasion from Mars. As good patriots, lovers of our native land, it is our duty to resist invasion and to defend our planet. The following chapter describes some of the tools for that defense. A hammer and nails to... (From: TheAnarchistLibrary.org.)

Chapter 4 : Roads and Tire

Napoleon’s army may have traveled on its stomach, but the army of wilderness destruction travels by road and vehicle. Indeed, one of the most commonly used criteria for “wilderness” is “roadlessness.” Roads are used for logging, for mineral exploration and development, for oil & gas activity, for grazing “management,” for powerline construction, for dam building, for ski area, recreational, and subdivision development. Trappers, poachers, slob hunters, archaeological site vandals, prospectors, seismographic crews, and other vanguards of the industrial spoliation of the wild use four-wheel-drive vehicles on dirt roads, on jeep trails, and cross-country. Then there are the mindless masturbators on... (From: TheAnarchistLibrary.org.)

Chapter 5 : Vehicles and Heavy Equipment

The classic act of monkeywrenching is messing around with a bulldozer. Probably the best known technique is pouring sugar or Karo syrup in the gas tank or oil system. But this doesn’t really work! It just clogs the fuel or oil filter. There are better — and simpler — ways to “decommission” that piece of heavy equipment threatening your special place. The ‘dozer is a tool of destruction. But like David against Goliath, a little ingenuity and moxie can go a long way toward stopping a monster. There are, of course, more incendiary ways to take out one of these behemoths. You can totally dismember one with a cutting torch. Or you can just barbecue one. Be careful when doing this kind of “night work.&r... (From: TheAnarchistLibrary.org.)

Chapter 6 : Animal Defense

I’ll admit it right out front: I am a hunter and proud of it. But I’m not proud of much of what passes for hunting these days or what passes for a “sportsman.” Slob hunters and poachers generally travel by pickup or some other form of mechanical conveyance and if you take their wheels out from under them, they’re helpless. An even more sinister and despicable “hunter” is the trapper. Trapping is cruel, serves only greed and vanity, and disrupts the population balance of important carnivorous “furbearers.” The leg-hold trap should be outlawed. But until that glad day, you can stop the trappers yourself in your neck of the woods. Be careful. These good of boys are armed and have the law on... (From: TheAnarchistLibrary.org.)

Chapter 7 : Miscellaneous Deviltry

In this chapter, we look at a potpourri of tricks in the monkeywrencher’s bag. Smoke bombs and stinkers, lock jamming, returning trash ... this is where the ecoteur can have fun! After all, we need to let our hair down once in a while. Enjoy. But don’t forget security! This chapter also includes ideas and techniques for urban and computer ecotage because we couldn’t decide where else to pigeonhole them. In this Third Edition of Ecodefense, we have dropped several items in the “harassment” line. For those interested in a wide array of clever and wicked methods to harass and torment individual evil-doers, we suggest you consult books like Get Even by G. Hayduke (not to be confused with Ed Abbey’s George H... (From: TheAnarchistLibrary.org.)

Chapter 8 : Propaganda

Propaganda — psychological warfare — has been around ever since the early agricultural cities of the Fertile Crescent began quarreling and pushing each other around. Half of your battle is won when your enemy is afraid of you. Propaganda is a good way for the monkeywrencher to not only present her message to the public, but also to cause sleepless nights for the black-hearted Freddies, developers, subdividers, gutless politicians, sleazy advertizers, and others. Besides the well-known act of cutting down billboards, other entertaining ideas in this chapter can leave the evil ones sweating and sleepless in their beds. Advanced Billboarding Monkeywrenchers are rarely called upon to enforce the law, but with the lack of proper... (From: TheAnarchistLibrary.org.)

Chapter 9 : Security

It is important not to get caught. The information in this chapter comes from experienced monkeywrenchers who have studied police science, law enforcement officers from several agencies, and military veterans who have served in “unconventional” units. Don’t take this chapter of Ecodefense lightly. It may be the most important chapter to you in this entire book. You may find some redundancy here. That is deliberate. Security rules are so important that we want to hammer them home till they become second nature to the serious ecodefender. As monkeywrenching becomes a more serious threat to the greed-heads ravaging Earth for a few greasy bucks, they will force law enforcement agencies to crack down on Earth defenders. You ca... (From: TheAnarchistLibrary.org.)

Epilogue : Marine Monkeywrenching

By Gray Wolf & Hummingbird Over 70 percent of the surface of this planet is covered by oceans. Some biologists estimate that 90 percent of Earth’s living biomass is in the oceans, and that 90 percent of photosynthesis occurs in the oceans. The tropical forests may be the reservoirs of land-based biodiversity, but the oceans are the lungs, or air filters, of this planet. The assault on the biological integrity of the seas is being waged on many fronts, by many financial buccaneers. Prominent among these ecological corsairs of the high seas are whalers, drift-netters, and toxic-dumping ships. This final section of Ecodefense offers clear directions for sending these outlaw ships to Davy Jones’ locker. The oceans of the worl... (From: TheAnarchistLibrary.org.)

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Ecodefense: A Field Guide to Monkeywrenching

By Edward Abbey (1993)

Entry 3990

Public

Author : Edward Abbey

Preface Author : David Foreman

Chapters