Cultural Ecology

Aristotle
“The well-known contrast between the energetic people of the most progressive parts of the temperate zone and the inert inhabitants of the tropics and even of intermediate regions, such as Persia [modern day Iran], is largely due to climate. . . .the people of the cyclonic regions rank so far above those of the other parts of the world that they are natural leaders.”
- What is he saying? Or eluding to?

Just from hearing the term, what do you think this suggest?

Environmental Determinism

Human behavior is controlled [determined] by the physical environment.

To Aristotle the most ideal climate was that of
Greece.

Today: Climates most suited for progress/productiveness in culture, politics or technology is that of:

Western Europe

USA

Why? What’s so great about those climates?

Can you think of examples where this does not hold true?

Why does Environmental
Determinism not hold true?

People are the decision makers and the modifiers
– not just slaves of environmental forces!

People and their cultures shape environments, constantly altering the landscape and effecting environmental systems.

Just from hearing the term, what do you think that this suggests?

Possibilism

Environment merely serves to limit the range of choices available to a culture.

1.
2.
Choices that a society makes depends on its members’:
Things needed by that society
Technology available

Today , it is possible to do many things that are at odds with the environment – examples?

New Orleans, Louisiana
Guesses as to how this city is an example of
Possibilism?

“City in a Bowl”

Why this locality?

Lake Pontchatrain to the North

Mississippi to the
South

What makes this city unique?

Originally a Spanish city

Ceded to the French in 1763

Louisiana Purchase in 1803

Haitian Revolution in 1804

Current Demographics

As of 2000 – 484,674 people:




67.25% African American
28.05% Caucasian
2.26% Asian
3.06% Latino

What went wrong?
To see the sufferation sicken me
Them suit no fit me
To wine election they trick we
And they don’t do nuttin’ at all.
~Damian Marley, Welcome to Jam-Rock


5 PM: Gov. Blanco & Mayor
Nagin warn residents of the storm. Nagin declares a state of emergency, but stops short of calling a mandatory evacuation.

WHY?

10 PM: NHC predicts that entire
Gulf Coast is in danger.

Sunday August 28

1240 AM: Katrina rated Category 4

What does that mean?

Hurricane PAM

8 AM: Superdome is opened as a shelter of last resort?

Why do they have to do this?


Poverty rate in NOLA:
23.2% (about twice that of the nation – USA Today)
What ended up happening here?

5 PM: First signs of storm  rains on fringe

Monday, August 29

MIDNIGHT: Beachside residents report foot of water in homes.

3 AM: 17 th St. Canal begins to breach


What does that mean?
Army Corps of Engineers

814 AM: Industrial Canal breaches – flooding Lower 9 th Ward (6-8 ft. of flooding)

Why is this ward important?

645 PM: Coast Guard begins rescues with only 7 helicopters

8PM: Gov. Blanco pleads for help from
Pres. Bush


Tuesday, August 30
By end of day: 20,000 in Superdome

6 AM: Area surrounding Superdome has 3 ft. of water.

10 AM: Sandbags being used to aid breaches

1053 AM: Nagin declares mandatory evacuation.

407 PM: House Speaker tells Pres
Bush:
“the People of Mississippi are flat on their backs. They are going to need your help.”

Wednesday, August 31

78,000 of NOLA residents are living in shelters

Superdome = 26,000

9 AM: Gov. Blanco continues to call Pres.

11 AM: Superdome is closed, people go to Convention Center

NOON: Water finally stops rising

3 PM: Pres. Bush meets for only one hour in D.C. to discuss disaster

Thursday, September 1

4,000 People stranded on I-
10: many are elderly and
without Rx.

Convention Center = 15-
20,000

2 AM: 1 st Evacuees to
Houston arrive

2 PM: Mayor Nagin delivers ultimatum to rest of the country on CNN

Mayor Nagin on CNN
“I need reinforcements. I need troops man. I need five hundred buses, man. This is a national disaster. I’ve talked directly with the President.
I’ve talked to the head of Homeland Security.
I’ve talked to everybody under the sun.”

Friday, September 2

National Guard troops =
19,500; 6500 in NOLA

455 AM: Gould CNN correspondent calls it a
“genocide” and says: “Okay, so we got to sit by and watch 4 or
5 more elderly sick people die or some—another baby die, or whatever, while they’re making up their minds to come in.”

230 PM: Pres. Bush makes it to
NOLA

Saturday, September 3

Katrina has impacted 90,000 sq. mi. – size of Great
Britain

215 AM: Evacuation of
Superdome almost complete

NOON: Buses arrive to
Convention Center

547 PM : Superdome is empty.

What is it or what was it supposed to do?

Ethel Freeman

Although Possibilism allows for humans to virtually build anything anywhere, is it really worthwhile for the city of New Orleans to rebuild the levees/city after the wreckage of Hurricane Katrina – why or why not?

Lil Wayne &
Hollygrove, NOLA

Interview with Tony Zumbado –
CNN correspondent