So, this post about extinction rebellion led to a conversation about how eco-fascists can infiltrate climate movements that claim to ‘welcome everyone’. So I thought I’d also make it a separate post about ecofascism.
Ecofascism comes in roughly two flavors: identitarian and openly racist.
Identitarian fascism generally calls itself ‘nationalism’, or ‘localism’ or ‘protecting our culture’ just identitarian. When dealing with the climate, it often connects ‘the people’ to ‘the land’ and claims that only those that have lived on a piece of land for generations can properly care for it. So it will claim that immigrants pollute more, etc. It draws parallels between nature and society, claiming that anything ‘foreign’, be it a plant or a person, upsets the harmony of nature/society and so the best way to protect both is to keep foreigners out. A very prominent defender of this idea is Marine Le Pen from the french far-right Front National.
Now, those are the ecofascists that run for elections. On the more extreme violent side of this same ideology you’ll find the openly racist, who sometimes call themselves fascists or strategically hide that word, depending on their audience. When dealing with the climate, these fascists will claim that the earth’s population should be very much reduced to restore the balance between humans and nature.
They’re often primitivist, romanticizing a world without technology, where manly men chop wood in the forest while obedient women have white babies etc. You get the idea. They often infiltrate deep ecology spaces and conversations. They’re also often involved in paganism… but like… a very conservative gendernormative all-white interpretation of it. Generally focused on nordic/viking traditions. They’ll use the words ‘nordic tradition’ and ‘boreal culture’ as code for white/’ayran’. When they’re being less subtle, they’ll use the term völkisch and the term ‘blood and soil’ (your race ties you to the land, everyone should live in the same place forever, foreigners should die, etc.)
Once you’ve accepted their view of depopulation and are hooked by their romantic images of man in harmony with nature, they’ll reveal that of course this means that only the best white genes should be allowed to survive the great dying of climate change. A common claim is that the ‘ship’ of humanity is sinking and there is only one lifeboat, so the best people should get on it and they should, in the words of eco-fascist Pentti Linkola: take the ship’s axe and sever the extra hands that cling to the sides.“
Which is what they’ve of course wanted all along: genocide. Even if they genuinely believe their own eco-fascism, the main thing they were always warming you up for is genocide. To them, the fact that climate change is mostly killing people of color is exactly what should be happening and if it doesn’t all happen naturally, it should be carried out by mass murder. And ecofascists are already putting these plans into action: The Christchurch and El Paso schooters were both ecofascists who believed this.
Recognize ecofascism within a movement:
The idea that those born in a place are more motivated to care for it than those that moved there
An obsession with people as being ‘rooted’ in a place where they have lived for generations
Anti-import and export as a way to cut carbon emission (but really they just don’t want anything to cross borders)
If you mention meat eating, they’ll probably change the topic to Muslim traditions of halal meat.
Paganism, but like… a very conservative all-white interpretation of it.
Primitivism + gender norms.
A love of things 'nordic’ or 'boreal’
The term 'blood and soil’
The idea of white people being replaced by immigration
Don’t be fooled if you have some things in common. Some ecofascists are vegans, some ecofascists are squatters, some ecofascists live zero-waste lives, some love organic gardens and DIY green energy projects. They’re still fascists whose ultimate goal is genocide.
Make your climate activism loudly anti-fascist.
Make your climate activism loudly anti-racist.
Prioritize the voices of indigenous people and people of color from the regions hardest hit by climate change, which are directly experiencing the impact of climate change in ways that white people couldn’t imagine. If you want to have a climate movement that isn’t shit, you should be doing this anyway, but the fact that it’ll also make your movement less attractive to fascists is a nice bonus.
Address fascist talking points for what they are. Talk to those that don’t know what they’re reproducing and kick out those that continue to sympathize with fascism.
Don’t participate in calls to ban ritual slaughter of animals. This is just another way in which fascists push their bigotry into climate activism. Recognize that the meat industry is violent at every stage and don’t single out religious minorities. Be suspicious of people in your movement who support this.
Resist the normalization of the ‘overpopulation’ narrative. Make sure everyone knows that the richest 10% are responsible for 49% of CO2 emission while the poorest 50% are responsible for 10%.
If you see someone romanticizing a future in which most of the world population is dead, don’t give that an inch of space. Make it very very clear that the 'population control’ narrative lays the foundations for genocide. Destroy those foundations wherever you find them.
If you’re involved in paganism, make your paganism loudly anti-fascist. Know which symbols and practices are most popular among fascists and be ready to kick out fascists in your communities.
https://theanarchistlibrary.org/library/david-orten-ecofascism-what-is-it
https://theanarchistlibrary.org/library/janet-biehl-and-peter-staudenmaier-ecofascism-lessons-from-the-german-experience
https://theanarchistlibrary.org/library/anonymous-introduction-to-the-apocalypse
Recent news on ecofascism:
https://insurrectionnewsworldwide.com/2018/01/29/italy-beware-of-the-intruder-the-italian-eco-animal-fascists/
https://www.newstatesman.com/science-tech/social-media/2018/09/eco-fascism-ideology-marrying-environmentalism-and-white-supremacy
https://www.theguardian.com/world/commentisfree/2019/mar/20/eco-fascism-is-undergoing-a-revival-in-the-fetid-culture-of-the-extreme-right
https://theintercept.com/2019/08/05/el-paso-shooting-eco-fascism-migration/
https://www.treehugger.com/corporate-responsibility/the-dark-threat-of-ecofascism.html
Resisting fascism paganism:
https://www.heathensagainst.org/
https://www.facebook.com/HeathensUnited/
https://www.theatlantic.com/international/archive/2017/11/asatru-heathenry-racism/543864/
