Eco-Warriors, Nihilistic Terrorists and the Environment

Eco-Warriors, Nihilistic Terrorists and the Environment. By Lawrence Likar. Praeger,www.abc-clio.com; 274 pages; $49.95.

This work is divided into three parts, one concerning the environment, one about ecoterrorism, and one about nihilistic terrorists. While this reviewer takes issue with the way the author accepts the current climate-change discussion as the underlying cause for the eco-terrorism we face today, the section about nihilistic terrorism is far more interesting and seems to be better researched. The theories can be adapted to many scenarios, although it might be a bit of a stretch to say that Somali pirates base theirbehavior on the philosophy of Nietsche and Heidegger.

In the chapter on security planning for environmentally linked terrorism, there are many novel, although unproven, ideas that can be quite refreshing to ponder. For example, the problems foreign companies face in the Democratic Republic of the Congo and Nigeria are probably not problems linked to terrorism in any form but to criminal gangs and fighting warlords.

All in all, this book has some merits. It gives a comprehensive view of the current status of terrorism and presents some stimulating thoughts and ideas.

Reviewer: Olle Fjordgren, CPP, is CEO and a security advisor at GRANIT Säkerhet where he consults with European individuals, corporations, and authorities on security measures.