New Hero: Biologist Matt Aresco

CNN did a condescending story about the turtles being saved in Tallahassee a little while back; the newscaster (Abbie Boudreau, I think) who delivered the story was obnoxious, unsympathetic, & completely failed to present the benefits of the project in anything resembling objectivity. Yes, she pissed me off.

But today The Washington Post did a much better job covering the story & the project.

The one question no one has asked: why did we need the road to be right there? Couldn’t we have gone around the lake altogether? Or over it? We are such arrogant bastards, assuming that what we need is the most important thing. Turtles do not interfere in our lives, but our lives end turtles’ lives on a regular basis. I saw a turtle that had been run over on a lake road near Appleton last week, and honestly there is nothing sadder: it’s not like the turtle’s got a fighting change, being the slow, lovely critters they are.

Does anyone else ever look at all the cars on the 8-lane highways we have these days and just wonder, where the hell do we think we’re going? Because we don’t seem to be getting anywhere much. One stretch of road is much like the next; one town is much the same as the next. I feel a little better knowing I use mass transit here in NYC and walk to work in Appleton, but how do you animal lovers otherwise justify driving around in your cars knowing that what you’re doing contributes to x number of violent animal deaths a year? Maybe I’m getting old, but I just can’t handle it.

You can assuage your guilt by donating to the Lake Jackson Ecopassage Project. This guy, Matt Aresco, has his priorities in order.