Suggested citation: Donny, Josh, Sasha, Sophia, and Star, eds., Earth First! 27, no. 6 (1 September 2007). Republished by the Environment & Society Portal, Multimedia Library. http://www.environmentandsociety.org/node/7246 All rights reserved. The user may download, preserve and print this material only for private, research or nonprofit educational purposes. The user may not alter, transform, or build upon this material. The Rachel Carson Center's Environment & Society Portal makes archival materials openly accessible for purposes of research and education. Views expressed in these materials do not necessarily reflect the views or positions of the Rachel Carson Center or its partners. • trs Mahon September-October 2007 $4.50 US I $7.00 Canada DEFENDING THE WILD in the Land of Fire and Ice glacial rivers and geothermal poten­ remaining wilderness and oppose Reclailning Reykjavik BY ]AAP KRATER tial of Europe's largest wilderness aluminum corporations. The resistance against heavy in­ This year, Iceland saw its third would be harnessed for aluminum Icelanders were joined by activists dustry and large dams in Iceland Summer of direct action against production (see EF!J May-June 2006). from Africa, South and North Amer­ has heated up-and not just because heavy industry and large dams. ln a Activists from around the world have ica, and Europe for an international of global warming. Activists set up much-disputed master plan, all the gathered to protect Europe's Largest conference entitled, "Global Conse­ camp about 10 miles north of Reyk­ quences of Heavy Industry and Large javik, Iceland's capital, and built a Dams." Organized by Saving Iceland, dam in front of the prime minister's the conference looked at the effects office. Reverend Billy, of the Church of large dams on ecosystems, climate of Stop Shopping, held a sermon in and communities. It also focused on Reykjavik's largest mall, connecting the role of aluminum in the arms heavy industry to consumerism. A industry and on the green-wash­ public meeting was held in Reykja­ ing strategies of Large corporations. vik with the people of Thorlakshofn Activists recognized the remarkable (the site for two planned aluminum similarities in manipulative and eco­ smelters) and activists from anti­ logically destructive corporate strate­ heavy-industry struggles in South gies between their different countries Africa and Trinidad. and continents. The next activist On July 14, Bastille Day, about 100 conference will be in Trinidad and people danced all over Reykjavik's Tobago, where local communities ring road in a carnival against heavy oppose an Alcoa aluminum smelter industry. Iceland's first Reclaim the (see EF!J January-February 2007). Streets action began cheerfully as a Other campaigns that were presented clown army danced to music into included Brazil's Movement of Dam­ the city center. This Rave Against the Affected People and India's Save the Machine was organized by Saving Narmada Movement. continued on page 6 What Goes Around Comes Around . Day of Action Against 1·69 After the 2007 EF! Rendezvous BY FotLOw AND LmLE Mrss MARKER and promising to return. Michael]. Baker is a plan­ redecorated the office's signs and continued to ning firm that specializes in pushing controversial protest outside. On July 9, following this year's Round River Ren­ infrastructure projects and has enthusiastically After this, Earth First!ers marched festively dezvous,-the Oakland City and Petersburg Indiana signed on to help build 1-69. around downtown Bloomington with whistles Department of Transportation (INDOT) planning Another affinity group hung a banner from a and chalk, leaving it covered with anti-road mes­ offices for the construction of Interstate-69's Sec­ busy intersection that read, "For our farms, for our sages, and made a stop at the Section 5 Michael J. tions 1 and 2 were mysteriously evicted (see EF!J families, for our future: Resist 1-69!" At the same Baker office to shut it down for the second time May-june 2007). Concurrently, two other that day. The group left the entire front of planning offices in Bloomington, Indiana the building covered with chalked mes­ were occupied by affinity groups who dis­ sages, continuing on before the police were rupted and delayed business-as-usual for the able to prepare a response. After marching corporate plotters, evicting them for th e for a little while longer, the group dispersed day. Activists also performed two simulta­ with no arrests. neous banner drops in Bloomington, one Meanwhile, in southern Indiana, where from atop iln 1-69 office rooftop and the evictions have already begun, planning other over a busy intersection. offices for I-69 Sections 1 and 2 received These aCtions were taken only days after surprise visits from "Hayduke's Mov­ INDOT began its own series of aggressive ing Company." While the office workers evictions. Half a dozen families along the watched helplessly, the movers quickly southern portion of Indiana's planned 1- and effidently emptied the offices of maps, 69 segment have been forced from their office supplies and other items, leaving it homes using intimidation and trickery, and all on the curb. Prior to the police's arrival, they have only been meagerly compensated the moving teams were able to hop in their for· the loss of their houses. Unless I-69 is vehicles and leave, with no one arrested or stopped, another 450 families will face a identified. similar process of dispossession. This is only Dating back to its inception as a conduit the beginning of the latest wave of destruc­ for international trade, the specter of 1-69 tion brought forth by the state's obsession has loomed over southern Indiana, the first with laying pavement and expanding commerce. time, another group climbed the Section 4 office battleground in this catastrophic project's growth But this is only the beginning of the ne.xt chapter in Bloomington and hung a banner reading "Stop (and where it will certainly find its eventual de­ of resistance. I-69" from the roof, shutting down the office for mise). From the local to the federal level, the state Early in the afternoon, a small group of masked the day. UnfortunateJy, following the banner drop, has made dear that T-69 is a vital organ in the individuals en tered the downtown Bloomington workers at the office locked the doors, preventing growing beast of global capital. It is dedicated to INDOT office of I-69's Section s, yelling, "Evict Mi­ a march of about SO people from entering. Mak­ building this monster. Despite vast public outcry chael J. Baker!" before running out of the office ing the best of the situation, the demonstrators continued on page 8 • The Radical Environmental Journal Mai)on September-October 2007- 24 BURNING IN THE NIGHT FEATURES REVrEW OF EART/i LIBF.RAJ"/ON FRONT: 1997-2002 Mabon 1 Wrw IN T1JE LAND OF FrRE AND IcE 25 AWAKENING FROM THE N IGHTMARE OF Zoos TAKES ACTION REVIEW OF THOUGfrr TO EXIST IN THE. W1w September I, 2007 1 WHAT G oES ARoUND CoMES AROUND 25 PHOENIX FROM THE FLAMES DAY OF AcrtoN AGAINST 1-69 THE F IRSr EPtsn.E fRoM S,\DIE AND ExJu 3 BRAZIL's LANDLESS WORKERS' MoVEMENT 26 SYMBOLIC STRUGGLE OR MEANINGFUL CHANGE? Vol. 27, No.6 7 ANn-NucLEAR ACTIVIST MURDERED IN SIBERIA 27 AN INsiDE LooK AT W oMEN's PRISONS 8 DISCUSSIONS AND DIVING WITH W INGNlJTS 29 MIFFED BY MlFFY Earth First! is published by an edito­ 2007 EF! RENDEZVOUS REVIEW rial collective from within the Earth 9 T RANS' AND WJ.MMIN'S ACTION CAMP 2007 REVIEW First! movement. Entire contents are 9 ANSWERfNG THE CALL OF THE WILD EARTH topy;righted 2007. Please contact us 2007 WILD EARTH GA11iERING REVIEW for permission to reprint articles. Art, photographs and poetry are copy­ 10 RisiNG TmE TouR REPORTBACK righted ~Y 11individual artists and per­ 10 RISING TIDE VtSITS PINE RIDGE mgslon for, 1_1Se must be received from 11 THE W EAK P OINTS OF C ATERPILLAR them ~rectly. A GUIDE TO H F.AVY MAOIIN£RY Earth F![st{ is a forum for the no-com­ 13 THE JouRNAL's ANn-OPPRESSION Pouc v promise enmroll,Q'l,ental movement. 14 EF! DEFEATS NATO IN THE NETHERLANDS Responsloili~ re~ts with the individual authors and conest?ondents. The con­ 14 FoREST D EFENSE JN O AXACA tents do not necessarUy represent the 16 TuE ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACTS of THE G8 PROTESTS viewpoint of this -qlagaz,ine, the Earth 16 Asll.EvtLLE CYCLISTS PROTEST TilE G8 First! movement, local Earth First! 17 GAZING AFTER THE G8 groups or individu~l Earth First!ers. A VTEW FROM THE BLACK BLOC We welcome submissions of articles, 19 AssEMBLY OF F IRST NATIONS DAY OF ACTION SECTIONS letters, poetry and art that put the RF.Ct.AIMING LA:No RIGiffS IN CANADA 2 ED ITO RIA Earth first, aid in healthy debate shap­ ing the growth of the movement and 20 EF! WEEKLY WORLD NEWS 4 DEAR SFB: LEITERS TO THE EDITORS GET THE REAL ScooP advance the creation of a world free of 7 BARE BoNES speciesism, classism, racism, sexism, 21 GLOBAL WARMING WrLL RELEASE THE BLOB 12 fRONTLINES violence, exploitation and oppression. 22 PEAK DENIAL 15 ARMED WITH VISIONS Submission deadlines are the first UsJNC FORFS rs f O R BtOFUEL 18 UPDATES of every odd-numbered month in the 23 THE RETURN Of NATURE 21 WVIRONMEWAL NEWS OF THE WEIRD calendar year. Articles should be typed REVIEW OF A WORW Wn·HOUT Us or clearly printed. We encourage sub­ 28 PRISONERS IN THE STRUGGLE 24 A B EACON fN T8E DARKNESS: T HE ANIMAL missions via email.