The social and operational intersections of environmental extremism in North America and Europe

The radical environmental and animal rights movement (REARM) have been responsible for thousands acts of terrorism and extremist activities in the name of the environment and animal rights since 1980s. The perceived escalation of "direct actions" in recent years has led the law enforcement communities in the United States and the United Kingdom to focus investigatory efforts on the groups and individuals perpetrating these actions, resulting in several high profile arrests and prosecutions. While previous studies of environmental extremism have focused solely on single regions or countries such as North America, Europe, and/or United States, this dissertation aims to provide a comparative analysis of both regions, Europe and North America. Using a comprehensive dataset from 1982 and 2007 compiled by the Institute for the Study of Violent Groups, this dissertation analyzes similarities and differences of the animal liberation movement and environment groups with regard to their tactics, targets, and procedures (TTP) using VAR time series analysis and Chi-Square technique. One thing can be said based on this study; eco terrorism is on the rise and the frustration is mounting among members of the REARM. This study also established that animal rights groups in the U.K. influence the groups in the U.S.;Key words. Eco-terrorism, Time Series, Animal Rights, Granger Causality.