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The Earth Liberation Front (ELF), also known as "Elves" or "The Elves", is the collective name for autonomous individuals or covert cells who, according to the ELF Press Office, use "economic sabotage and guerrilla warfare to stop the exploitation and destruction of the environment". The ELF was founded in Brighton in the United Kingdom in 1992〔Best & Nocella 2006 p. 49.〕 and spread to the rest of Europe by 1994. It is now an international movement with actions reported in 17 countries〔Best & Nocella 2006 p. 19, 52 & 53.〕〔(Diary of Earth Liberation Actions 2006-2008 ), ''Earth Liberation Front Press Office'', 2006-2008.〕〔 and is widely regarded as descending from Animal Liberation Front because of the relationship and cooperation between the two movements.〔 Using the same leaderless resistance model, as well as similar guidelines to the ALF,〔 sympathizers say that it is an eco-defense group dedicated to taking the profit motive out of environmental destruction by causing economic damage to businesses through the use of property damage.〔(Article:405 ), ''Arkangel〕 The ELF was classified as the top "domestic terror" threat in the United States by the Federal Bureau of Investigation in March 2001,〔〔 and its members were categorized as "eco-terrorists". On the lack of deaths from ELF attacks, the FBI's deputy assistant director for counterterrorism has said, "I think we're lucky. Once you set one of these fires they can go way out of control." 〔(FBI, ATF address domestic terrorism ), ''CNN'', May 19, 2005.〕 The name came to public prominence when they were featured on the television show ''60 Minutes'' in 2005.〔(Burning Rage: Reports On Extremists Now Deemed Biggest Domestic Terror Threat ), CBS, November 10, 2005.〕 The group was further highlighted in the 2011 Academy Award nominated documentary, If a Tree Falls: A Story of the Earth Liberation Front.〔()〕 ==Structure and aims== ELF "monkeywrenching" is carried out against facilities and companies involved in logging, genetic engineering, GMO crops, deforestation, sport utility vehicle (SUV) sales, urban sprawl, rural cluster and developments with larger homes, energy production and distribution, and a wide variety of other activities, all charged by the ELF with exploiting the Earth, its environment and inhabitants.〔(Profile: Earth Liberation Front ), ''MIPT Terrorism Knowledge Base''.〕〔Best & Nocella 2006 p. 54.〕 The Earth Liberation Front has no formal leadership, hierarchy, membership or official spokesperson and is entirely decentralized; instead consisting of individuals or cells who choose the term as a banner to use. Individuals are commonly known to work in affinity groups, known as cells, and are usually self-funded.〔〔 Techniques involve destruction of property, by either using tools to disable or the use of arson to destroy what activists believe is being used to injure animals, people or the environment. These actions are sometimes called ''ecotage'' and there are marked differences between their actions in the United States and the United Kingdom. With many different reasons why ELF activists carry out economic sabotage, a communique to the press claiming the responsibility for an arson against urban sprawl in December 2000, described the reason a cell took an action. As Elves usually do, they claimed that burning down the house was non-violent, because it was searched for any living creatures; an issue which is much debated within the environmental movement.〔Best & Nocella 2006 p. 410〕 Some of the most common and notable attacks are against the development of multimillion-dollar houses, a frequent target in the ELF campaign. In a communique to the press from the group's "above-ground spokesperson", Craig Rosebraugh, that was later published in ''The Environmental Magazine'', the group said in November 2000: 抄文引用元・出典: フリー百科事典『 ウィキペディア（Wikipedia）』 ■ウィキペディアで「Earth Liberation Front」の詳細全文を読む スポンサード リンク
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