EcoWars a Matter of Values
11/5/98
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Title: EcoWars a Matter of Values
Source: CNN
Status: Copyrighted, contact source to reprint
Date: 11/5/98
Byline: Don Knapp
HUMBOLDT COUNTY, California (CNN) -- The environment has become a battle
ground in a war of values. Some recent clashes indicate the battle is
escalating.
A group calling itself the Earth Liberation Front claimed responsibility
for a series of arson fires last month that caused $12 million damage to a
Vail, Colorado, ski resort. The group said they acted to protect the
habitat of the Canada Lynx. and other recent clashes over the environment
seem to be driving opponents farther apart, polarizing communities on
whose ground the battles are being waged.
In Washington state, Makah Indians confronted anti-whaling protesters.
Tensions escalated when the protesters came ashore brief onto Indian land.
There was a scuffle: One protester ended up in the water, and four others
were arrested on trespassing charges.
Near Eureka, California, another fight took place in the decades-old war
over logging old-growth redwoods. Activists show a video of a
confrontation between protesters and loggers; they say it shows loggers
making threats. And later, one activist was killed by a falling tree.
The incident is under investigation.
Tension simmers in communities where people feel forced to choose between
environmental protection and a host of other values ranging from job
growth to cultural traditions.
At the Saturday farmer's market in Arcata, California, an environmentalist
and a log truck driver share their feelings.
"I believe there are people out there who want to scare these freaky
people out of the woods, and no matter how much violence is used, or other
tactics, they aren't leaving," says an anti-logging activist.
The logger replies, "See what they're talking about? They're not going to
give up."
A half-hour away, a group of anti-logging activists set up a base camp at
a public park to support their continuing protests. The presence of the
environmentalists is evidence of their commitment.
Josh Brown, a member of Earth First, says the environmental movement is
full of dedicated people. "I've seen people drop out of school, quit their
jobs, put their families on hold to come here, put their bodies on the
line to protect the ancient redwoods. And it's a calling."
Feelings run deep on all sides of this debate. The opponents here say
they've given all they intend to give ... an attitude that makes
polarization more likely than compromise.