We’re in a radical ecology movement, says French author

A young and urban movement, often linked to the elites, and deeply opposed to the capitalist model of economic development, perceived as destroying the planet’s resources. This is the profile of radical climate activists, who have recently been carrying out a series of protests in major European museums.

The assessment is by French journalist Marc Lomazzi, specialist on the subject and author of the recent book “Ultra Ecologicus: Les Nouveaux Croisés de l’Écologie” (ultraecological: the new crusaders of ecology), entirely dedicated to the analysis of ecological activism in recent years.

“We are in a radical ecology movement”, he summarizes.

With stints on France Inter radio, Le Parisien newspaper, among other prominent publications, Lomazzi decided to delve into the universe of radical ecological movements after witnessing the impacts of a demonstration by the Extinction Rebellion group, which blocked Châtelet Square, in the heart of Paris. , for five days in October 2019.

“They were people that almost nobody knew in France, but who had already staged protests in England, like a blockade on London Bridge. So I was very surprised, and I wanted to know who this new ecological group was. And I realized that behind Extinction Rebellion, which is perhaps the best-known group, there was a whole series of radical ecologists,” he explains.

For Lomazzi, the broad support for the climate cause in Europe means that a large part of public opinion still has a sympathetic view of environmentalists. A support, however, that would be quite conditioned to the maintenance of the peaceful character of the demonstrations.

Still, more recent demonstrations, such as the series of “attacks” with food on works of art, as well as roadblocks and infrastructure, can have negative effects on the image of these activists.

In an interview with SheetMarc Lomazzi explained the origins of the movement and talked about its main implications.

How the ecology movement was born radical? In France and in many countries, the ecological movement has existed for a long time, it started with the naturalists in the 19th century. Then came the various local nature defense groups, which fought, for example, against the hunting of migratory birds.

In a second moment, there was the appearance of political ecology. In France, with the emergence of the Greens [partido político] in the 1990s. They aimed to promote a policy that somehow defended the environment.

When the left was in power, there were also ecologists in government. Then even with the right they were there too. This was a more pragmatic ecology, which advocates gradually moving towards a greener world that respects nature and the environment.

Now we are in a third phase, which is the climate emergency. Young people born in the 1990s and 2000s have grown up with this idea that global warming and the climate crisis are leading us towards catastrophe.

This is something new, because it is only from this generation that we know the real dimension of the environmental problem. For them, ecologists in government and the idea of ​​ecological transition are not quick enough in the face of what is the climate urgency. So these young people want radical measures of change, especially economic ones, in order to stop the emission of greenhouse gases.

What is the profile of the most radical climate activists? In France, as in much of Europe, it is a movement closely linked to young people and students who live in big cities, much more than in the countryside. Most have university education, many having passed through the “big schools” [faculdades de elite francesa].

This generation that is part of the current and future elites of the nation is closely linked to the ecological movement. The weakness of this type of ecological movement, in fact, is the fact that there is no popular activism. It almost doesn’t exist in popular neighborhoods. It is a movement, as in 1968 in France, which has more elite young people and students.

And how did these young activists act? This mobilization of young people for the climate found a new political outlet through a truly international movement, with Greta Thunberg, in 2018. Fridays for Future, created by her, has become an international movement with arms in several countries, including Brazil.

So radical ecologists want to go much further in economic change. These movements, such as those of Greta Thumberg and the Extinction Rebellion, which are international, as well as others of a more regional nature, fight for an alternative model that stops emitting greenhouse gases.

Now we see groups, like these now, which are the militants who glue their hands to paintings and other works of art. This is a third generation of environmental activism. We are in a radical ecology movement.

What are the main actions of these activists? So far, it’s a movement that preaches nonviolent civil disobedience. Essentially it’s actions like walking and obstructions. Nonviolent civil disobedience was the political philosophy of the civil rights movement of Martin Luther King in the US and Gandhi in India.

The idea is that, thanks to non-violent civil disobedience, they will have the sympathy of public opinion and, thanks to that, governments will also have to move.

Now, however, this idea of ​​nonviolent civil disobedience at the heart of radical ecology is beginning to be challenged. Some say that, even with the various actions of this type carried out since 2018, there have been no major changes. So the radical ecologist movement is now asking itself whether it will be necessary to go even further, with other, more violent forms of political action.

Is there any escalation risk for ecoterrorism? Ecoterrorism is different from ecosabotage. Ecoterrorism has armed and extremely violent groups, in addition to being classified by the secret services as a form of terrorism. It’s the same classification as the Islamic State, for example.

They are movements that threaten the security of States. In the US, there are several movements that have been classified as eco-terrorists, such as the Earth Liberation Front. There have been some radical animal advocacy movements, such as the Animal Liberation Front, that have effectively carried out bombings and attacks.

It is a risk especially in the US, because there is constitutional freedom to express extremely radical opinions, including about governments. In France, this does not exist. Radical ecologists are mainly young students, including elites, and pacifists. In any case, even if they wanted to engage in violent movements, they would not have the means. In France and Europe, the issue of weapons is very different [dos EUA].

What can happen, on the other hand, are specific, increasingly harsh, sabotage actions. Like, for example, sabotage of construction sites, trucks, trains, things like that. But it is difficult to do, because radical environmentalists are already widely monitored.

I think it is possible for a movement to become radicalized through ecosabotage. We are already starting to see these signs.

These activists are dissatisfied with the current economic model. Can it be said, then, that anti-capitalism is at the heart of the actions of radical ecology? Yes, exactly. Radical ecology is today, by definition, anti-capitalist.

These young people want to get out of the capitalist system, because they consider it to be a productivist and extractive system, which consumes natural resources and contributes to global warming. So, for them, it is necessary to get out of this system.

There is a majority path in Europe, which is a revised capitalism, more social and respectful of the environment. This path, which speaks of moving gradually towards a greener world, is hotly contested by radical ecologists. For them, we are heading towards a catastrophe, even with this revised capitalism system.

The aim of recent museum actions is to raise public attention to the climate cause, but can it not end up having the opposite result, creating a negative view of environmentalism? Yes, there is that risk. These actions have already created negative views, but mainly cause misunderstanding. People see activists disrupting the Roland Garros tournament or throwing paint and paint food on artwork, which creates misunderstanding and also a lot of irritation.

Globally, as long as things remain peaceful, the tendency is for public opinion to be favourable. Public opinion in France, as in several countries in Europe, is very sensitive to the environmental cause and has a mostly sympathetic view of climate activists and activists.

Evidently, if they move to violent actions, there will be a divorce from public opinion.

X-ray

Mar Lomazzi, 60

Born in Strasbourg, France, he is a journalist and scholar of the phenomenon of radicalized environmental activism. On the subject, he wrote the book “Ultra Ecologicus: Les Nouveaux Croisés de l’Écologie” (Ultraecologics: the new crusaders of ecology), not yet published in Brazil. He worked in vehicles such as France Inter radio and the newspaper Le Parisien.

_{The Planeta em Transe project is supported by the Open Society Foundations.}