_________________________________________________________________
This article is available online at this address:
http://chronicle.com/daily/2003/02/2003020501n.htm
- The text of the article is below -
_________________________________________________________________
Finding it hard to keep up with all that's happening in academe?
The Chronicle's e-mailed Daily Report keeps you up-to-date in a
matter of minutes by quickly summarizing current events in higher
education while providing links to complete coverage on our
subscriber-only Web site. The Daily Report and Web access come
with your Chronicle subscription at no extra cost. Order your
subscription now at http://chronicle.com/4free?es
_________________________________________________________________
Wednesday, February 5, 2003
Fresno State Is Criticized for Holding Conference With
Environmentalists Who Have Backed Arson
By PIPER FOGG
California State University at Fresno has come under fire for
planning a conference on "revolutionary environmentalism"
whose participants include people associated with extremist
environmental groups that have been tied to numerous acts of
arson and vandalism, some of them against research facilities
at universities.
Fresno State officials are defending the conference as a tool
to help students and scholars understand a strand of the
environmental movement, but following the criticism, the
university announced that it would close the event to the
public.
The conference, titled "Revolutionary Environmentalism: A
Dialogue Between Activists and Academics," will be held
February 13 and 14.
Confirmed participants include Rodney A. Coronado, a convicted
arsonist and former member of the Animal Liberation Front. Mr.
Coronado spent four years in prison for his role in the
fire-bombing of two animal-research offices at the Michigan
State University in 1992, which caused $200,000 worth of
damage (The Chronicle, March 24, 1995).
Also scheduled to attend the Fresno event are representatives
from the Earth Liberation Front, which encourages the use of
"direct action," including sabotage and arson, for what it
perceives to be threats to the environment, such as
genetically modified crops. The group claimed responsibility,
for example, for starting a fire last year at the construction
site of a $20-million plant-genetics building at the
University of Minnesota-Twin Cities (The Chronicle, January
31, 2002).
The Center for Consumer Freedom, a group that represents food
and beverage companies, criticized Fresno State for "inviting
terrorists" into an academic community. "We are astonished and
appalled that a public university that operates with public
funds welcomes these folks with open arms, and secondly, that
they would hide behind closed doors," said David Martosko,
research director at the center. "There's a real danger to the
community from people who try to put themselves above the law
in a radical nature."
U.S. Rep. Richard W. Pombo, a California Republican and
chairman of the House Resources Committee, has also criticized
the university. A spokesman for the congressman called the
conference "outrageous." "This 'revolutionary
environmentalism' includes sinking ships, burning
universities, tree-spiking. That's a far cry from an
organizing a recycling drive," said the spokesman.
Ellen Gruenbaum, dean of the College of Social Sciences at
Fresno State, said the conference was the result of concern
over the tactics used by revolutionary environmentalists.
"Where is this movement going? How can we prevent additional
violence?" said Ms. Gruenbaum. She said the conference was a
chance to have "dialogue and debate" about the issues. "It's
controversial," she said, "but it's an important thing to try
to deal with."
Bruce S. Thornton, a professor of classics and humanities at
Fresno State, said that if the university wanted true
dialogue, it would have invited people who oppose
"eco-terrorism," as some have called the tactics of extremist
groups, in addition to those who support such tactics. "When
you have such an imbalance, it seems you're not after the
truth," said Mr. Thornton. "It's political advocacy rather
than an intellectual activity."
Mark Somma, a professor of political science who organized the
conference, said that scholars from many fields and
representing many points of view would also attend. "It is a
special conceit of conservatives that there are only two sides
to any debate -- their side and anyone who disagrees with
them," he said. "Environmental conflict has many sides across
the world."
According to a university statement, the department of
political science and public administration, which is
sponsoring the event, invited "selected academic and activist
representatives," including faculty members from Fresno State
and other universities with expertise in policy, ethics,
criminology, science, and other fields.
Ms. Gruenbaum said that the university received a great deal
of negative publicity following what she called "the hostile
characterization of the conference" by the Center for Consumer
Freedom, so administrators decided to turn the conference into
an invitation-only event. Attendance at panels will require
university identification. Normally, such events are open to
the public.
Ms. Gruenbaum also said that campus police officials were
involved in the planning process, but that the university
never felt that the event would pose any kind of danger. "It
was never intended to be a rally," she said, and the
university does not encourage violence in any way. "Our goal
was to have professors and activists talking together," she
said. "It's a commitment to experiential learning for our
students."
_________________________________________________________________
You may visit The Chronicle as follows:
http://chronicle.com
_________________________________________________________________
Copyright 2003 by The Chronicle of Higher Education
|
