German far-right extremists tap into green movement for support

Connolly, K. (2012). German far-right extremists tap into green movement for support. The Guardian. Retrieved from http://www.theguardian.com/world/2012/apr/28/germany-far-right-green-movement

In this article posted by The Guardian the author, Kate Connolly, discusses the connection between the identity of German right-wing extremist and eco-friendliness. There are certain things associated with each identity. When people think of the right-wing extremist they have a very negative impression, they think of Nazis and Hitler and the Holocaust. However, when people usually think of eco-friendliness they think of “…cuddly, left-leaning greens…” This article debunks the idea that one has to be one or the other. Why can’t German right-wing extremists be ecofriendly as well? The Nazi party was known to be a supporter of animals rights and conservation of the environment but they also murdered millions of people. These “far right eco-warriors” have primarily settles in the north of Germany and produce German honey, wheat breads, fruit, vegetables and wool sweaters which they all sell for a profit. Many people are not okay with this area of business and do not want to buy anything from this group that will contribute to supporting them. Many people do not support their ideologies but there is nothing that can be done to exclude the group from being certified as organic farmers. This is causing conflict between people in Germany who want to support conservation and eco-friendly products but do not want to support this group of people selling them. This article is a good representation of the relationship between identity and the environment. One’s identity influences the way they think about the environment greatly and that is why it is important, when creating and implementing practices for managing the environment, that the identities of the local people are considered. Otherwise, the practices may not be successful. One cannot use the same practices that were used with another group because the identities within the groups are most likely different.