Ecoterrorism refers to the use of violence of a criminal nature against innocent victims or property for environmental-political reasons. Often of a symbolic nature, acts of ecoterrorism are usually committed by individuals who believe that the exploitation of natural resources and despoliation of the environment are becoming so severe that action outside of conventional legal and environmental channels is required.

Using disruptive actions to call attention to an issue is hardly an invention of modern times, and radical environmentalists have taken their cue from the larger arena of sabotage and extreme civil disobedience. Modern radical environmentalists saw themselves inheriting the 1960s mantle of the Weather Underground and the Students for a Democratic Society (SDS) in using "direct actions" to put pressure on corporations, universities, and government agencies to adopt environmentally friendly policies.

Although vandalism and property destruction are clearly illegal, the issue of whether it is morally defensible...