Lost Turtles of Costa Rica

The turtle egg harvest is an important part of a long-term environmental project developed and managed by the Costa Rican government. The photographs show an egg harvest by villagers at Ostional beach, a remote community near Punta Gurones on Costa Rica's Pacific coast. In 1983, the Costa Rican government created the Ostional Wildlife Refuge in the area and later initiated the Egg Harvest Project (EHP). The EHP allowed villagers to continue their traditional practice of harvesting eggs while furthering the long term goal of assisting in the conservation and recovery of the Olive Ridley turtle species. The harvests are strictly controlled, with villagers only allowed to take eggs within the first day and a half of each egg laying event, known as an "arribada". An article about the Olive Ridley turtle published on the Ocean Actions website

I am a truly conflicted person. Half of me is FULL of love and light for all of you. I truly love everyone. Yes, I would give my life for a stranger in a pinch...even an animal. The other half of me is very dark. This half wants to kill you and every man, woman and child on this planet. Including my own self and family. ALL, except those who still let nature ("the Gods") rule their path. Those who have come to understand the balance of things and do not work to upset that balance. The only ones worthy to live on this sacred planet of ours. Sometimes I truly wish for someone to take me down before I become something that I don't want to be. I hate my species but I still want to help people. Some days are rough.

I cannot stand the lack of accountability that exists within us all. So many of us refuse to comprehend how things work and what the costs are to having a society such as ours. Who suffers on the bottom and who floats on the top. A society such as ours cannot last long. And it won't. In about 100-120 years, assuming all known reserves become accessible to us, are addiction to the black drug will be over. So many people have said "So what? I'll be dead by then." This response tugs at my core temper and evil, negative thoughts rise up. As soon as I hear that response I say to these people in my head, 'You greedy, spoiled, unaccountable bastard!' That is the main response I would get. How can people not care about what their future generations will face? I will NEVER have a family. I am not fit for it and I know it. However, I think of little else, in regards to my species, what the next generation will have to face. We are a soft lot now that probably makes our ancestors turn over in their graves. We are wedded to a destructive lifestyle that cannot end well. Seriously, all you optimists can say what you will but the majority of humans are a selfish lot. Selfishness is greed, is strafe, is jealousy, is war, is destruction and death. Lovely. I think the whole point of being here is to be selfless. I fail at this quite a bit. Service to others. Imagine that if you will.

Now I believe that the universe knows nothing of justice or fairness and it understands none of our emotions or feelings. The universe is all about survival of the fittest. Thus, so are we. Though we have technology which displaces us a bit. It lets us grow soft. Understand the only reason 99% of you reading this exist is because of oil. No oil, means a lot less available food, no technology and way, way less population. When the oil stops the population will drop and mass suffering will occur. Survival of the fittest is something that should always be employed. Yes, I think hunting is perfectly natural. Yes, one species uses another to survive. I think this must be a universal phenomenon. Even all the despicable acts humanity has created I believe are still natural based. Even war. Though technology warps it. In that I think lies are problem. We have it too easy. Not enough of us die off fast enough and the more people that come into being on this planet the further we sink in our own shit. The greater our numbers the easier it is to control us. Who is controlling us is not relevant for this discussion here but whoever is knows this fact, and uses it to rule us by getting us to spy on each other. And hate one another. At times it almost seems like grand architects are trying to make this world as negative as possible. I think I may know why but the reason is pretty far out there and not for this discussion.

My cousin sent me this email and I let myself become enraged immediately. Like I always do. I wanted to camp out on that beach with a .50CAL emplacement and cut down anyone walking on it. I thought, 'great another bunch of greedy assholes using nature in a negative fashion for gains.' After some time my logical side revealed itself with the notion to search this out properly. I always do things in this order and I can never seem to correct this behavior. I do believe that this article is written with merit and intelligence and accuracy. When originally looking at the email photos a thought occurred to me, 'gee these people sure don't care about cameras. Maybe the photographer had a real long zoom and was incognito?' None the less it boils down to the same. People meddling with the order of nature. In this case seemingly out of necessity because people have meddled too much to stop now. We can never stop now because if we did we would cause more damage with neglect. We can never ever recover what we have squandered and our half hearted attempts are a stop gap at best.

I don't like what I see in those pictures and I don't have enough of an education in this specific matter to really have an opinion whether it is proper or not considering the circumstances. If it truly helps that species prosper then so be it. However, consider this if you will. Aside from us unbalancing things, nature constantly strives to preserve and reorganize its order of things. Would it not be so that nature would take care of this scenario as well in whatever way it sees fit. I would like to add that we are in no way capable or deserving to judge nature's decisions. Just because it hurts are sensibility or even our feelings does not make nature wrong. Nature can never be wrong. Only its subjects that no longer rest in its bosom. Us. However, the only way to let nature restore the order for these turtles is to do just that. LET IT. The people of Costa Rica would have to vacate. This we know will never happen.

I always make myself look stupid with my mouth and initial actions. This rant proves that. A South Park episode taught me something once. Japanese were killing dolphins and whales and the character Stan got them to switch to cow and chicken. This made me realize the extent of our actions in first world countries. It made me conclude in my own sense of judgment that if you are going to ostracize people in some other country for their treatment of other species, endangered or not, then you bloody well better have a hold on what goes on in your own country. I have never worked for a slaughter house and never will but I can tell you the horrors those animals go through every minute reminds me of old footage of Hitler's camps. What I find worse is the animals being slaughtered don't know what is going on and have no understanding at all. From birth they were in bondage! Think I am wrong? Go to your local pork or beef slaughter house for a tour. IN ANY FIRST WORLD COUNTRY!!! It is to this and other offenses to nature that will always create intense hatred in my heart for every last one of you (us).

I am part of a species that knows no compassion (except to themselves, though fleeting), knows no restraint for the sake of nature, knows no limit to the vileness that can be achieved through negativity. A species that has no accountability for their actions. If you say I am wrong I say you are a brainwashed, misguided fool. Do you buy things you don't need? I do. Do you shop at stores like Wal-Mart that epitomize greed and control over others and actually hurt your community? I do not. Do you painstakingly make sure all your waste goes to the appropriate facility? I do, but there is much room for improvement.

I love my planet. I love my country. I love my family and yes believe it or not I love you too. The older I get the more conflicted I get and both emotions grow at each extreme. I am of the opinion that we are undeserving of what we have here. Yes I am generalizing a lot here. I know there are some super decent people out there, but they are greatly outweighed by the mass of sheep. To the extent that they may as well not even exist. We started a ball rolling we cannot control and will never be able to stop. Only nature can do this and only after we are gone. Here's hoping the next civilization will actually practice restraint and compassion and accountability and peace.

May we all perish while this planet still has life left to give.

Two_Face