I woke up this morning to the news that the Earth Liberation Front (a loosely organized group of autonomous activists who have been classified as eco-terrorists by the US government) have claimed responsibility for the early morning arson of several homes in Woodinville (a suburb of Seattle.)

Pardon my language here, but the first words I spoke this morning were, "you have to be f'ing kidding me."

How, exactly, does this help the environment? The intent behind your actions don't magically make all those fumes good for the environment and the lungs of people who breathe them in. Your intent doesn't mean that when they rebuild those homes - and make no mistake, they will - they don't have to use more building materials, (thus using TWICE as many materials to build the same house.) Your intent doesn't mean that people are are going to listen to your concerns when you are terrorizing and destroying their property.  It doesn't mean that insurance prices aren't going to rise making building harder for everyone. It doesn't guarantee that those fires won't spread to nearby homes in which people are sleeping, which risks their lives. It doesn't mean that the number of first responders increases so that if a "real" emergency breaks out while you're bombing people's houses there will be enough first responders for all. It doesn't do ANYTHING productive at all.

Here's the deal.  Simple as it gets: When you terrorize people, they don't listen to you. They fight back. Nothing gets accomplished.

Here are some ideas of what you can do with all that energy and zealotry:

1. Host neighborhood meetings and teach people about how they can "green" their existing homes - from light-bulbs to low-flow shower heads to wearing sweaters rather than firing up the furnace.  Need some tips on how to do that? Popular Mechanics offers a good starting point, but there are tons of resources on the web.  (In fact, if you create a good one, send it to us, and I'll post it in your name, we can start turning the tide of waste and violence together.)

2. Support an organization that does research and lobbying in green building. The Green Building Research Center comes to mind.

3. Create a local campaign to help people make tactical changes in their homes. I don't know, find a way to get light bulbs donated and distributed.

4. Send out an email to everyone you know with tips on how to clean their home with environmentally friendly cleaners. You laugh, but this would eliminate tons of chemicals from our environments, and encourage manufacturers to think clean and green. 

5. Shop locally and help your friends understand the environmental impact of shipping food across the planet rather than eating what's local and in season.  

But whatever you do, PLEASE STOP BLOWING THINGS UP. I fail to see how destruction fights destruction. Makes no more sense that using war to fight war. Or, what's the old saying about virginity? IT MAKES NO SENSE.  It is violent, dangerous and environmentally destructive.  You make yourself a heretic and part of the same problem of violence and destruction that you're claiming to fight against.

Blowing things up is easy. Slowly, diligently working for change - that's hard.  But that's the only thing that is going to save the planet.  Please become part of the solution.  

OTHER LINKS:

Green Building 

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