By Bridget Gibbs (she/they)

(Master Environmental Management, UQ)

CW: COVID-19, white supremacy, genocide, murder, racism.

PART ONE: Playing the Ecofascism Card

In the midst of a global crisis, the best and brightest aspects of humanity may not always shine through. You may have seen an abundance of happy animal and environmental news stories lately, many of which have been faked (sorry to inform you that dolphins have not in fact, returned to Venice) (Daly 2020). You may have even seen the term ‘ecofascism’ floating about on the internet in recent days. While the prefix ‘eco’ is usually associated with good intentions, it is important to be aware of the ecofascism movement’s alt-right associations.

Over the past month, I have seen and heard a number of comments related to some “positive impacts” observed within ecosystems around the world. These comments all imply a link (directly or indirectly) between environmental benefits and our current crisis (COVID-19/ ‘The Rona’ as I call it). Some examples are: “maybe it is a good thing that people are dying, because the Earth’s population is already large and still growing”; “it is a good thing that there have been fewer air pollution-related deaths in China”; “humans are a virus and now the Earth has time to heal itself”; “less human activity has allowed swans and dolphins to return to Venice’s canals”; and “isn’t it amazing we have lower levels of greenhouse gases (GHGs) being emitted into the atmosphere?”. We might also include here Trump’s reference to the so-called “Chinese virus”. Many of these comments are appalling, and some people (mainly Twitter folks) would argue that these statements are ecofascist in nature, which is not necessarily the case.

Ecofascism is a strange and complex term that can describe “an authoritarian right-wing response to an ecological crisis” (Miller McDonald 2020). It has also been used to describe a subculture of “angry young men obsessed with brazen displays of masculinity, Viking aesthetics, misogynistic family values, racial purity and a rejection of technology” (Bennett 2019). Others suggest that “eco-fascists believe that living in the original regions a race is meant to have originated in, and shunning multiculturalism, is the only way to save the planet they prioritise above all else” (Manavis 2018). A small, and more extreme, portion of the group believe that culling “specific races within a population is the only way to ensure that the planet survives” (Manavis 2018). In an archived Reddit discussion thread, one user wrote: “I believe that both the state and the state’s citizens have the right to use all means necessary to save the environment, including murder and sabotage,” and: “murder is okay in this case, as combating climate change is sure to save more lives than it could ever hypothetically destroy” (Manavis 2018).

Sound familiar? The way I see it, ecofascism is a cover-up term used to describe a small cluster of far-right white nationalists, who have a confused sense of environmentalism and eco-friendliness. It seems to be that ecofascist remarks are ones that specifically reference one, or more, races being deprived for the benefit of another race (white people, basically), and this occurs through benefitting the environment (such as reducing overpopulation, and therefore reducing the ecosystem services and outputs that the Earth must provide). These ideas are clearly irrational, racist, and generally awful to think about, and this is ecofascism to me. For a more complete rundown of what ecofascism is and is not, read Samuel Miller McDonald’s 2020 piece here.

In all of the comments that I have overhead, and seen, in the last month, humans are referred to in a general and collective sense, and no specific remarks are made about one group of people benefitting over another. So, perhaps we can let them off the ‘ecofascism hook’ for now, but these comments are still problematic for a number of reasons (see Part Two – coming soon!).

So, why does ecofascism appeal to young white men? And is it a men-only space? One thing that I cannot get off my mind is the masculine impression that comes through as a major theme in the ecofascism discourse. Perhaps femininity is viewed as a negative trait to have in a group that seems to value power and strength – traits that are typically associated with men. It is interesting, though, that a dominantly masculine sub-culture would use the “eco” prefix to describe themselves, when environmental themes are so often associated with women and with femininity. Terms like Mother Nature/ Mother Earth, and the notion that women have some sort of special or ‘natural’ connection to the Earth come to mind. As Jennifer Bernstein writes, “Women, by contrast, are cast as caretakers and nurturers, of their families, their communities, and by extension, the earth. The role is passive and reactive. Women don’t seek out nature; environmental degradation finds them” (2017). Perhaps the young men of the ecofascism movement are more concerned with playing out the more traditional ‘male’ role of protectors, guardians, and environmental decision-makers. So, are women wanting to be a part of ecofascism? For now, this remains unclear, but I would hazard a guess that very few women would feel that they had a place within a group so focused on masculinity, supremacy, and hate.

How people feel and respond to this type of behaviour, when they see it, varies. Much of the Western region of the world, not being aware of the consequences, see it as a good thing – how do we avoid becoming part of the problem? Stay tuned for Part Two – but in the meantime, here are some links/reads to continue learning!

Bennett, T. (2019) Understanding the Alt-Right’s Growing Fascination with ‘Eco-Fascism’, Vice.

Bernstein, J. (2017) ‘On Mother Earth and Earth Mothers: Why Environmentalism Has a Gender Problem’, Breakthrough Journal no. 7, The Breakthrough Institute.

Bodkin-Andrews, G & Carlson, B. (2016) The legacy of racism and Indigenous Australian identity within education, Race Ethnicity and Education, 19:4, pp. 784-807.

Cook, N., Grillos, T. & Andersson, K. (2019) Gender quotas increase the equality and effectiveness of climate policy interventions. Nature Climate Change, 9, 330-334.

Daly, N. (2020) ‘Fake animal news abounds on social media as coronavirus upends life’, National Geographic.

Lennard, N. (2019) ‘The El Paso Shooter Embraced Eco-Fascism. We Can’t Let the Far Right Co-Opt the Environmental Struggle’, The Intercept.

Manavis, S. (2018) ‘Eco-fascism: The ideology marrying environmentalism and white supremacy thriving online’, New Statesman America.

United Nations Development Fund. (2020) ‘As pandemic rages, women and girls face intensified risks’, UNFPA.

Zimmerman, M.E. (2004) Ecofascism: An Enduring Temptation, In Michael E. Zimmerman et al. (ed.) Environmental Philosophy: From Animal Rights to Radical Ecology, 4.