After watching part of Professor Svensen's film on the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina and the current systems that are bringing relief, it more than opened by eyes. He talked with many young environmental activists, politicians and leaders who are all wrorking towards the rebuilding and rehabitatation of the lower 9th ward. The solutions were varying and provided both positive and negative impacts as a result of insuring such programs for relief. Especially the young activist that was interviewed seemed to be creating this area of new orleans the in her own vision. She does not reflect upon the communities and the people who once cohabitated there and the social cutlure that existed. These people did not live on stilted homes, they did not have homes that were surrounded by gradens and art made by vegetation. There are many resolutions to the problems of how to rebuild the areas that were most effected. It is hard to establish in what way would have the least effect on the people who once lived there. It is also a challenge to establish how to get the people who abandoned the area to come back and rebuild the 9th ward.
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I found the documentary very interesting as well and started to wonder if the reason there is such a stand still about what to do with the land is because of the highly publicized nature of hurricane Katrina and the economic interests of the elite of the United States. If such an event was to happen in the Global South people would probably not be as concerns about the housing situation or the presents of new schools in the area. Still New Orleans does experience environmental racism which leads me to think that as the activist tours die down that perhaps the government will repossess much of the land for economic profit and corporate privilege (perhaps more tourism sites?) But this is all just my opinion.
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