ELF gone bad

Who doesn’t love tree huggers? Okay, obviously I’m kidding. A lot of people are less than supportive of them. Stereotypically, society views this group as a hemp-wearing, picket-sign-carrying, overly socially-conscious nuisance. But as the environment rises to the forefront of global concern, being “green” has become a buzzword that companies and individuals pride themselves in using and is rarely intended to convey any sort of stigma.\nAs people take more of an interest in environmental sustainability, why are eco-terrorist groups like the Earth Liberation Front working to alienate mainstream society from their cause? \nA few weeks ago, in the latest case of ELF counter productivity, arsonists set fire to the “Street of Dreams” development in Washington, leaving a sign with the group’s acronym “ELF” on it that dubbed the houses “McMansions.”\nGreat. Seriously, the environmental movement does not need to be associated with craziness in any context beyond the traditional, semi-endearing view of activists as “crazy hippies.”\nThe group’s name doesn’t help either. When I hear the word “elf,” I think of pointy shoes, the North Pole and occasionally Will Ferrell. If there’s any hope of ELF ever being taken seriously, the group should probably think about finding a name with a less bizarre acronym.\nThe worst part is these so-called “McMansions” were marketed as “built green,” having been constructed according to the concept of rural cluster development, which has been said to control sprawl by limiting development density. Of course, this claim is somewhat ridiculous, considering the woodland habitat it destroyed, but when you take into account that most developers don’t even make an effort to consider overall environmental impacts, ELF might have lost a possible ally. \nWhether or not the manner in which these homes were being constructed was low-impact or not, setting fire to the development was definitely not the best course of action. In doing so, ELF has shown developers that there’s just no pleasing environmental advocates and that taking the smallest measures to limit ecosystem damage will never be enough, and thus isn’t worth the effort. Even if this incident doesn’t dissuade the majority of developers to consider going green, every single developer, including this one, who purports to have adopted green building principles has the potential to create market pressure for others to do the same in order to remain competitive. Besides, in one of the greatest ironies of the situation, the amount of carbon dioxide and toxins released into the atmosphere from the fires clearly could not have helped the plight of the local environment, either.\nIt’s time for ELF to step back and take a look at how its actions are actually harming the cause it claims to be fighting for. Favorable public perception can move mountains as far as ensuring the success of grassroots movements, and people generally don’t look favorably on militant pyromaniacs, no matter how worthy their cause may be. Either ELF needs to change its tactics, or it needs to go back to the North Pole and leave civil society alone.