Ecoporn, Irrationalities and Radical Environmentalism

Abstract

This study explores the ‘irrationalities’ of deep ecology activism in the context of radical environmentalism by using the empirical example of ecoporn. Fuck For Forest is an environmental Non-Governmental Organisation which undertakes fund-raising for re-forestation and forest protection by means of pornography. Following twelve months of ethnographic fieldwork, this study presents first research results on a radical environmental project which does not promote democratic and established procedures for protecting Nature but, instead, promotes the naked human body and human sexuality. Similar to other deep ecologist projects, Fuck For Forest aims at socio-ecological change by non-violent means. But, distinct from most deep ecologist projects, Fuck For Forest focuses on sexuality as a universal force of life and promotes Nature protection in connection with human body liberation from contemporary forms of sexual and body commercialism. While critics of deep ecology blame the mismatch between aims and means in radical environmentalism in general, and in deep ecology in particular, this study shows how deviations from conventional forms of protest produce unforeseen political pathways for attaining environmental protection.