ATWA (an

acronym An acronym is a word or name formed from the initial components of a longer name or phrase. Acronyms are usually formed from the initial letters of words, as in ''NATO'' (''North Atlantic Treaty Organization''), but sometimes use syllables, as ...

for Air, Trees, Water, Animals and All The Way Alive) is the ecological belief system propounded by

Charles Manson Charles Milles Manson (; November 12, 1934November 19, 2017) was an American criminal and musician who led the Manson Family, a cult based in California, in the late 1960s. Some of the members committed a series of nine murders at four loca ...

, who was later convicted of conspiracy to commit murder as the leader of the communal Manson Family. ATWA names the interrelated life-support systems of the

Earth Earth is the third planet from the Sun and the only astronomical object known to harbor life. While large volumes of water can be found throughout the Solar System, only Earth sustains liquid surface water. About 71% of Earth's surfa ...

. Manson and his associates, most notably

Lynette Fromme Lynette Alice "Squeaky" Fromme (born October 22, 1948) is an American criminal who was a member of the Manson family, a cult led by Charles Manson. Though not involved in the Tate–LaBianca murders for which the Manson family is best known, ...

and

Sandra Good Sandra Collins Good (born February 20, 1944) is a long-time member of the Manson Family and a close friend of Lynette "Squeaky" Fromme. Good's Manson Family nickname is "Blue", which was given to her by Charles Manson to represent clean air and w ...

, use the term to name the forces of life which they believe hold the balance of the Earth.

Origins

Manson was paroled in 1967 and found a welcoming environment in the burgeoning counterculture. Together with a small retinue of disaffected young people, he took flight from what he characterized as the "madness of the cities" and established a communal colony at the

Spahn Ranch Spahn Ranch, also known as the Spahn Movie Ranch, was a 55-acre (22.3 ha) movie ranch in Los Angeles, California. For a period it was used as a ranch, dairy farm and later movie set during the era of westerns. After a decline in use for filming b ...

in the Santa Susana mountains outside of Los Angeles, California. The group began to make survivalist forays into Death Valley in order to scout out more remote areas of the desert. In September 1969 some members attempted to thwart nearby road developments by deliberately setting an expensive piece of earth-moving equipment on fire. This early act of

eco-terrorism Eco-terrorism is an act of violence which is committed in support of environmental causes, against people or property. The United States Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) defines eco-terrorism as "...the use or threatened use of violence o ...

occurred a number of years before the concept was popularized by

Edward Abbey Edward Paul Abbey (January 29, 1927 – March 14, 1989) was an American author, essayist, and environmental activist noted for his advocacy of environmental issues and criticism of public land policies. His best-known works include ''Desert Solit ...

Dave Foreman William David Foreman (October 18, 1946 – September 19, 2022) was an American environmentalist and author, he was a co-founder of Earth First! and a prominent member of the radical environmentalism movement. Early life and education William ...

, and other environmentalists.

Lynette Fromme and Sandra Good

In the years following Manson's conviction and imprisonment for conspiracy to commit the murders of seven people, Lynette Fromme and Sandra Good became increasingly active in their efforts to raise awareness of the present system's failure to properly steward the Earth. In 1975,

was found guilty of the attempted assassination of then-president Gerald Ford. While questioned in custody she was asked why she had pointed the gun; she stated, "I stood up and waved a gun (at Ford) for a reason, I was so relieved not to have to shoot it, but, in truth, I came to get life. Not just my life but clean air, healthy water and respect for creatures and creation." In August 2009, Fromme was released from federal prison after serving 34 years.

was imprisoned for 10 years for conspiracy to send threatening letters to corporate executives unless their corporations ceased polluting the environment. After her release in 1985, Good led a campaign against International Paper Co., which she said was harming

Lake Champlain , native_name_lang = , image = Champlainmap.svg , caption = Lake Champlain-River Richelieu watershed , image_bathymetry = , caption_bathymetry = , location = New York/Vermont in the United States; and Quebec in Canada , coords = , type = , ...

In popular culture

In the movie ''

Manson Family Vacation ''Manson Family Vacation'' is a 2015 American comedy film written and directed by J. Davis. The film stars Jay Duplass, Linas Phillips, Leonora Pitts, Adam Chernick and Tobin Bell. The film was released on October 6, 2015, by The Orchard. Cast ...

'' (2015), the character Conrad wants to be a member of an environmental organization based on the ATWA philosophy. Metal band

System of a Down System of a Down (also known as SoaD or simply System) is an Armenian-American heavy metal band formed in Glendale, California, in 1994. Since 1997, the band has consisted of Serj Tankian (lead vocals, keyboards); Daron Malakian (guitar, voc ...

have a song named "ATWA" on their 2001 album ''

Toxicity Toxicity is the degree to which a chemical substance or a particular mixture of substances can damage an organism. Toxicity can refer to the effect on a whole organism, such as an animal, bacterium, or plant, as well as the effect on a subst ...

''.

References

External links

Official websiteOfficial blog
*''Encyclopedia of Religion and Nature'' edited by Bron R. Taylor (Continuum, 2005, ) *''Charles Manson - Love Letters to a Secret Disciple'' by Sy Wyzinski (Moonmad Press, 1976, ) *''

Charles Manson Superstar ''Charles Manson Superstar'' is a documentary film about Charles Manson, directed by Nikolas Schreck in 1989. Most of the documentary (the entire interview) was filmed inside San Quentin Prison. Nikolas and Zeena Schreck narrated the segments whil ...

'' documentary directed by Nikolas Schreck (Music Video Distribu, DVD Release Date: 2002) *''Desert Shadows: A True Story of the Charles Manson Family in Death Valley'' by Bob Murphy (Sagebrush Press, 1999, ) {{Manson Family Manson Family Environmental philosophy