This essay is set out to answer the question, “how has New Orleans changed in its relationship to the environment since hurricane Katrina?” I decided to answer this question by examining the new construction in the lower Ninth Ward of “green” homes by non-profit groups; Global Green and Make It Right in particular. The houses are symbols for a cultural shift that is being brought into the neighborhood which is being used as an example by these non-profit groups to show the capacity of this type of low income urban community to accept green concepts into their ways of life. I describe both non-profits and their methods to not only rebuild to Ninth Ward with sustainable architecture, but imbue the community with the ability to live sustainable lifestyles autonomously. The houses are in a way so radical in comparison to the classic style of New Orleans lower income housing that they blur they allow for residents to forget what they may have initially found foreign, like the use of solar energy which looks a lot more mundane when it is on top of a house that can float on water. The aforementioned floating water house also provides as an example of another theme running through the architecture of the houses which is living with the land instead of simply on top of it. The houses promote a concept of the land as something that is a part of the community, a part of the house itself. The addition of such surreal functionality to these houses makes them look quite bizarre and radical but in a similar situation in Kansas where a city was being rebuilt green without any radical architecture, the effort to create a sustainable culture was hindered because the architecture failed to match the radicalism of the ideas it was built with. The houses in the lower 9 are indicative of a cultural shift taking place by creating a consciousness for sustainability and land ethic.

Louisiana Coastal Erosion

For my final project I studied the wetlands and the effect their disappearance has on the locals of Plaquemines Parish. I collected personal information from different members of the community such as interviews, stories, and pictures and used it to build a website. If anyone is interested in checking it out go to http://lacoastalwetlands.weebly.com/index.html.

Music and Environmental Studies

For my final project, I looked at the connection between music and Environmental Studies, asked if music /the music industry can contribute to a raising awareness of environmental issues. I analyzed the lyrics and music of two songs, and researched the Live Earth concerts 2007. I finally created a website with my results:

www.musicandenvironment.weebly.com


Good Luck with your other papers, projects, and exams, and have a beautiful summer.

Thank you all for a great class!