The Elves strike again
WOODINVILLE, Wash. (AP) — Fires gutted four multimillion-dollar model homes in a Seattle suburb on Monday, and authorities found a sign purportedly left by eco-terrorists that mocks claims that the homes were environmentally friendly.
“Built Green? Nope black!” said the spray-painted sign that bore the initials of the radical environmental group Earth Liberation Front.
Explosive devices were found in the homes, and crews were able to remove them, said Fire Chief Rick Eastman of Snohomish County District 7. The FBI was investigating the fires as a potential domestic terrorism act, said FBI spokesman Rich Kolko in Washington, D.C.
The fires started at the “Street of Dreams,” a strip of unoccupied, furnished luxury model homes where developers show off the latest in high-end housing, interior design and landscaping. The homes are later sold.
No injuries were reported in the fires, which began before dawn in the wooded subdivision and were still smoldering by midmorning.
The homes are in a development near the headwaters of Bear Creek, which is home to endangered chinook salmon. Opponents of the development had questioned whether the luxury homes could pollute the creek and an aquifer that is a drinking water source, and whether enough was done to protect nearby wetlands.
The sign, a sheet with red scraggly letters, said “McMansions in RCDs r not green,” a reference to rural cluster developments.
One of the people involved in the project said the homes used “green” techniques such as water-pervious sidewalks, super-insulated walls and windows and products made with recycled materials, such carpet pads. Advertising for last summer’s Street of Dreams show focused on the environmentally friendly aspects of the homes, which were smaller than some of the huge houses featured in years past.
Say what you want about the tactics, but I agree with the message. As long as we are made to believe houses like this are “good” for the environment, the millionaires who buy them can continue to justify their irresponsible lifestyle. Why is there not a bigger movement to retro-fit old houses or older cars with more efficient amenities. Why does it seem that “buying green” automatically means buying new? This all stinks of environmental inequality. The tiny fraction of people in this country who can afford mansions like this can now also claim moral superiority because their houses are “Green.”
Explore posts in the same categories: green scare, who's fighting back
March 3rd, 2008 at 1:03 pm
I will, indeed, say what I want about the tactics: they’re fucking stupid. Those homes are fully insured, and they’ll be rebuilt. What does that mean? Even more materials will be used. What was used, it turns out, was wasted. Not very “green,” eh? And how much precious water had to be used to put out the fires? Try telling people in Georgia and Tennessee that it wasn’t that much. And how much fossil fuel had to be burned by the fire engines responding to the blaze? Golly gee! We ELFs didn’t think about all that, did we? We were too busy trying to prove to people who will never take us seriously that we’re morally superior and are justified in endangering others’ lives in the name of our inerrantist ideology.
March 3rd, 2008 at 1:07 pm
Unfortunately, I’m afraid that the tactics completely counteract the message.
I know this group never claimed to be non-violent but this is most definitely a violent act. One which will further polarize people and distract from the message. People could have been potentially harmed by this. That aside, this act was probably worse for the environment than those houses ever were. Spewing soot and toxic materials into the atmosphere, forcing whatever firefighting chemicals were used to be washed away down a sewer and in the end the models will be rebuilt forcing twice as many materials to be used.
Personally, I don’t even want to give a “nod” to these people that their message is right. There’s certainly more productive and healthy ways to convey a green message to people. This undermined the environment and the cause.
March 3rd, 2008 at 1:47 pm
It’s called direct action - will the houses be collected on because they were insured? absolutely. rebuilt? probably. But the point is to make a statement. There are 1000s of houses being built like this. These 3 made it into the news. It’s easy to criticize ELF from the comfort of your desk, but what are you doing?
March 3rd, 2008 at 2:13 pm
What am I doing? Me? None of your business, really. Well, OK. I do what I can to pursue a lifestyle that doesn’t harm the planet, even though I’m fully aware that the mere existence of human beings, with their over-ballyhooed powers of abstraction, is instrinsically inimical to the interests of Earth. That’s all I can do. That’s all anyone can do. But that’s not good enough ELF (or whatever other clever-acronym-based assemblage of assholes was responsible for this crime). No. They want us to go the Israel/Palestine route and trade an eye for an eye.
March 3rd, 2008 at 4:13 pm
So you sit around and passively try and not harm the environment. Congratulations. You win? You can do a lot more but you chose not to and are too cowardly to admit it. You’re quite content sitting at home in front of your computer typing in luxury. Maybe you don’t have a great life, maybe you do - but the fact is you are passive and apathetic to the hierarchical nature of economic forces.
And it’s not so much an eye for an eye as a couple of luxury houses for complete devastation of the earth’s biosphere.
March 3rd, 2008 at 4:14 pm
Thanks for the great discussion here. I think there are a lot of viewpoints here that represent the broader public’s take on this issue. It really boils down to the ‘ol “one person’s terrorist is another person’s freedom fighter” debate.
I will say that every ELF member (that I’ve seen/heard) does not fit the stereotypes the public likes to place on them. Their not crazy asshole terrorists. Most of them are very kind, loving people who are clearly acting from a position of desperation.
The environmental movement has been an overwhelming failure. This April will mark the 38th Earth Day and we’re closer to collapse now than we have ever been before. What ever environmentalists are doing legally is clearly not working.
I wanted to point one thing out. Smankolio, you said “… even though I’m fully aware that the mere existence of human beings, with their over-ballyhooed powers of abstraction, is instrinsically inimical to the interests of Earth.” You are implicitly saying here that humans are naturally power-hungary, aggressive and controling. Thousands of years of existance through countless non-violent, low impact cultures tells us that the opposite is true–that the attitudes that shape this “over-ballyhooed powers of abstraction” is a cultural thing, a social thing. It is being taught and reinforced in our culture. Whenever a concept is being taught, that means it is being learned. And this means it can also be unlearned.
March 3rd, 2008 at 7:15 pm
Kyle:
Your point is well taken, but I disagree. I don’t believe aggression and control are learned behaviors any more than love and cooperation are. Humans are a volatile admixture of all these things. The planet is the mess that it is because of humans and their innate tendencies and their inability or unwillingness to think critically and long-term. As for the environmental movement being an “overwhelming failure,” well, what would constitute success at this point? If billions of people don’t get it, we burn down overpriced faux mansions and they’ll all say, “Oh, I see! Time for me to change the way I live? Thank you, ELF!” Changing something as basic as how society runs doesn’t happen in a few generations. It’s a slow, painful process that requires dedication and patience. The planet didn’t get this way overnight and won’t be saved overnight. Lawlessness is mindless, childish, and, worst of all, ultimately counterproductive. Tantrums like ELF’s recent arson spree are born of the same self-righteous jizz that gives us a religion that makes its point by flying jetliners into office buildings.
Steve, unlike Kyle, you get personal, so I will, too. 1.) I don’t sit around; I stand at my computer (really); 2.) luxury? you don’t know pus about where I live . . . but it is excruciatingly luxurious (by my standards, and you don’t know pus about them either); 3.) I’m not trying to “win” shit; I’m trying to do what seems right; 4.) if I’m a coward for believing that the only way I can encourage positive, lasting change in others is by peaceful example, then call me “Noel”; 5.) yes, I do have a great life, and I hope you do, too; 6.) I work in the motherfucking kishkes of “economic forces”; I’m a commodity-futures trader; hierarchically speaking, I don’t know where the hell I am, but it’s miles above the “fact” that you probably don’t know anything beyond some liberal-arts-degree-requirement course about economics, how it rules your life, and how it can be exploited for both bad and good.
March 3rd, 2008 at 8:27 pm
these people are funded by the HSUS and PETA. why doesnt that point ever get brought up. war on terror should be here at home even stronger than abroad. we have non profit tax exempt orgs donating to terrorist and we are allowing it. PETA donated 45K to defend an elf member for firebombing a building. were is the investigation of these home land terrorist and their sponsors?
March 3rd, 2008 at 8:53 pm
Steve,
Of course its not eye for an eye to you..it wasnt your house. If you’re so understanding…i’d like to see what happens if somebody burns down your house because they dont agree with you. I’m willing to bet your outlook would be different.
March 4th, 2008 at 5:23 am
What irritates me about the fires set upon these mega-mansions, is the use of violence that is morally wrong in many ways, especially in this particular case, where the results will have the opposite intended effect.
The greed that leads to “mcmansions” is already hurting the builders and developers in the worst way; financially. Homes in this price range are sitting empty all over this country as the mortgage crisis continues. People bought these houses on mortgages that made the first few years affordable, then the reality of a higher payment has hit and the owners abandon them. Their credit now ruined, they are not buying “new” homes. And the recent news tells us that those who can purchase a new home at this time are waiting to see just how far prices will fall.
So, “new” home are not being purchased and sit empty. For many builders, these houses will sit empty for a long, long time. Yet the builders still have their builder loans to pay. Unable to sell the homes, they are finding themselves in foreclosure on their unsold property. Many are filing for bankruptcy. This is happening everywhere. It’s in the news. It is obvious in my area of Washington State. Builders who just a few months ago were building million dollar mansions, are losing their own to foreclosure. Justice is being served; that is until a group of people promoting “green” chose charred instead.
By setting fire to these buildings, by risking the lives of firefighters, the environment and animals living nearby if the fires would have spread, the “ELF” members gave the advantage back to the builders. Now, they can claim insurance money to pay off these homes without going through foreclosure. Wow, the builder’s can continue to claim another piece of land, rip out the trees and build yet a few more houses that the majority of American’s can’t afford. So, shame on these “ELF” people. Instead of allowing the law of the land and economics have its way, you just handed a bunch a builders their ticket to new development.
March 4th, 2008 at 8:56 am
As a journalist (1974 BS in Communications, U. of Illinois), I cringe at use of the word “ecoterrorist.” Arson is a serious crime, but it is not terrorism! What I say to fellow journalists: Please, do the right thing and use the term “eco-arsonists,” if you must. But reserve the word “terrorists” for those who deserve that label, who want to kill and terrorize as many people as they can. Don’t trivialize or water down the word “terrorists” by using it the way it was used in this story.
March 4th, 2008 at 10:41 am
smankolio, It’s obvious we’re not going to agree on the nature v nurture question in terms of aggression and violence. If you want to hear more of my thoughts on that, email me: kyle@undertheconcrete.org….I do have a lot to say about it, but don’t want to crowd the comments.
Sara, I couldn’t agree more, but there are reasons why the word Terrorist is used. It results in longer prison sentences and limits dissent. If you want to read more about this, check out this blog: http://www.greenisthenewred.com/blog/