We are killing ourselves

Jun 02, 2011 Editorial

Two weeks ago someone saw a marine turtle, an Olive Ridley, aback of Stabroek Market. The reptile appeared to have been injured and just floated around instead of doing what turtles do naturally—dive after taking a gulp of air.
Over the years Guyana began a campaign to save the turtles and this campaign seems to have firmly taken root because Guyanese, some of them ordinary vendors, prevented whoever might have ideas of cooking the reptile, from even removing it from the area where it had been placed after being rescued.
It later transpired that the fishermen who had extracted it from the water, tried repeatedly to get it back into the river and out to the ocean but the animal refused to take its freedom. It kept drifting back to the stelling area. People concluded that something was terribly wrong so they sought the conservation experts.
Initially, on first inspection, the view was that the turtle had something in its throat but medical examination later proved that this was not the case. The turtle underwent further medical examination with help from turtle experts all over the world and the conclusion is that it fed on polluted stuff that has led to intestinal disorders. The turtle is bloated and therefore cannot dive.
Two days ago the experts reported that the reptile will die. They said that the Olive Ridley that was plucked from the Demerara River aback of Stabroek Market is just one of the many marine animals that have become affected by pollution in the oceans.
We cannot say that Guyana polluted the area in which the turtle fed because these reptiles have been known to travel long distances. This means that the reptiles could have encountered the polluted material in any part of the ocean. Mankind is killing everything around him. He is not only polluting the oceans, he is also polluting the atmosphere.
When President Bharrat Jagdeo talked about global warming and its impact on human existence there were those who believed that he was creating a condition to gain fame and to attract money. Last week, the British newspaper, the Guardian, reported that climate change is more than a reality; that carbon emissions are at their worst.
The message has gone out but whether anyone has taken notice is another matter. The major industrial countries are continuing the pursuit of the development unimpeded and with regard for only their successes. The rest of the world must worry about the fallout.
China, for example, is ploughing full speed ahead with its construction and other developmental programmes, its factories churning out material in unprecedented quantities. It is making enough money to spread a lot around the Caribbean, Guyana included. During the Olympics it hosted in 2008 it became necessary for that country to cut back on production to reduce the pollution that hung over Beijing.
Australia is no different. It is continuing its carbon emissions in an unrestrained manner so pollution is rampant. Whatever occurs on land invariably enter the waterways. We dump tons of sewage, garbage and any unwanted material into the seas and oceans. We disregard the marine life that is somehow linked to our very survival.
The experts say that whenever the turtle population blooms fish are in abundance. This latest threat to the turtle offers an ominous sign. Fish not only forms the bulk of global diet, it also provides employment for millions.
Just this week other marine experts noticed some strange signs in the fish population. In Guyana, two years we started to report on a declining fish harvest and we actually limited the number of boats that could enter the fishing grounds at any one time. We never focused on the turtles.
There is more to this ailing Olive Ridley sea turtle. It has been affected by a polluted ocean. In like manner Guyanese are being polluted. They are feeding from polluted marine animals. We may see some strange ailments surfacing and we are going to look in every direction except at the manner in which we pollute the environment.
It may be true that we may not be the major polluters but then again in our own way we are not taking care of what we do with our waste. The Olive Ridley at this time cannot eat. The experts say that she is slowly starving to death. She may very well be signaling our own fate.

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