...Governmental Fumble: Hurricane Katrina Things that occur naturally such as tornadoes, earthquakes, and hurricanes are unpreventable and are considered to be natural disasters. However, when man knowingly aids in the destructive power of naturally occurring events to inflect more damage, it is unquestionably a manmade disaster. For many years, both in the past and present, the United States has experienced some of the most devastating natural and artificial catastrophes such as The Dust Bowl of the 1930’s and the September 11 terror attack by the Al-Qaida terror network among others. In the case of Hurricane Katrina, the human factor contributed to both the deadliest and costliest hurricane to impact the city of New Orleans. A city that is known to be the birth place of Jazz and the yearly celebration of Mardi Gras has unfortunately inherited a new chain of thought as the city that went underwater. Hurricane Katrina was the third strongest land hurricane and the sixth-strongest Atlantic hurricane ever recorded. The hurricane is approximated to have affected more than 1.5 million individuals in the states of Mississippi, Louisiana and Alabama, which contributed to the loss of billions of dollars in damages and job losses caused by the hurricane. The city of New Orleans was the most affected because it stood directly in Katrina’s path and although it is impossible to stop a naturally occurring event from occurring, it is not impossible to limit the damage that it inflicts...
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...Concept Paper: New Orleans Post-Katrina December 8, 2013 New Orleans post-Hurricane Katrina Hurricane Katrina, which hit the southeast United States in late August of 2005 was one of the costliest and deadliest hurricanes in United States history. The city of New Orleans was arguably hit the hardest by the hurricane. The objective of this paper is to analyze the link between economic, political, and social conditions in New Orleans prior to Hurricane Katrina and the conditions in New Orleans post-Katrina. Although natural disasters are an inevitability, the human suffering that citizens faced in New Orleans immediately following Katrina were largely avoidable, the result of a lack of adequate evacuation planning and massive governmental negligence. Furthermore, it was no accident which people suffered the most in the aftermath of Katrina. Financial, political, racial, and social disparities in New Orleans long before Katrina dictated who would be most affected after Katrina, both immediately and years after the hurricane. Rebuilding efforts, just like the evacuation, have tended to favor the rich and White and neglect the poor and Black. Pre-Katrina New Orleans was disproportionately Black and poor relative to the rest of the United States. According to 2000 U.S. Census data, Blacks made up 12.3% of the nation’s population while Whites made up 75.1% of the nation’s population (U.S. Census, 2000b). In contrast, the city of New Orleans was 28.1% White and 67.3% Black...
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...have made a major financial, physical and mental impact on the people of the world. When disaster strikes and people are forced out of there neighborhood and homes, people want to know that when something like this happens, there is someone there to have their back; a piece of mind. In 1979, the Federal Emergency Management Agency was formed to help with state and local governments within the United States and the International Association of Emergency Managers was formed to help state, federal and governments ensure that their people have peace of mind. Table of Contents I. Introduction 3 II. Hurricane Katrina 4 III. Natural disasters in the United States 6 IV. Earthquake and tsunami in Japan 8 V. Natural disasters in the world 9 VI. Closing 11 VII. Reference 13 I. INTRODUCTIONS The environment is always changing and the people of the United States should always be aware of what could happen to them if they are not prepared for what Mother Nature do to their surroundings with no notice. There are several types of natural disasters that can maim and destroy communities and people lives. To name a few, they are hurricanes, tornadoes, typhoons, earthquakes, mudslides, flooding wildfires, tsunamis and volcanoes. Hurricanes are usually formed in the southern Atlantic Ocean, Caribbean Sea or Gulf of Mexico. According to the Webster Dictionary, “hurricanes are a violent, tropical, cyclonic storm of the...
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...their aid. Krista Mahr’s article “How Japan Will Reawaken” told of the suffering and anguish the people were feeling, but also depicted how they went out of their way to help one another. Anyone and everyone who was in need of help received it; even people who suffered and lost family or homes from these disasters went out of their way to help others. Cultural conformity and unity are trademarks of the Japanese culture compared to American culture. Mahr’s words told the story of the Japanese people and how, even after the worst natural disaster, they can be caring and think about people within their community and helping others instead of themselves. There was another such disaster that affected the United States, Hurricane Katrina devastated New Orleans and the surrounding area. The response reported in the news was unlike the response in Japan. Reports of racial segregation and class subjugation regarding aid and shelter were prevalent. Racial and economic disunity hindered aid and relief work for many victims during and after Hurricane Katrina. According to Mahr, Japanese culture is not based on individual rights; it is based on the honor of the family and the honor of the group. The education system is uniform...
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...Name____________________ Student ID____________________ ERTH 1060 & GEOG 1060 Natural Disasters Midterm Exam October 2008 Test #01 The test has 55 multiple choice questions. You will have 80 minutes to complete the test. Use the scantron sheet provided to select the best answer for each question. Use a soft pencil, not a pen. Make sure to enter your name and student ID in the circles and spaces provided on this test paper and on the scantron. Submit both the test sheet and your scantron. PLEASE INDICATE THE VERSION OF THIS TEST ON THE SCANTRON SHEET (section column). Completely erase mistakes and other unwanted marks on the scantron sheet. Some questions will have two or more answers that may seem possible, but only one is the best answer. Please read the questions completely, and check your answers. 1. Which seismic waves actually penetrate the inner core? A. Primary waves B. Secondary waves C. Raleigh waves D. Both A and B E. Love waves 2. Based on historical data, only location to have experienced a M5 (moment scale) or greater within 300 km: A. Montreal, QC B. Vancouver, BC C. Sydney, NS D. None of the above have experienced such a large earthquake E. All of the above have experienced an M5 or greater 3. This is not monitored in order to predict volcanic eruptions: A. temperature of steam B. animal reactions C. changes in the shape of the volcano D. earthquake patterns E. CO2 and radon gas 4. Few, if any...
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...Just Water Under The Bush? By: Janice Foster There is a term that old folks often say to refer to something that has taken place in the past that cannot be changed and therefore you just get over it. This is easier said than done especially if you are the living reminder of what cannot be changed. All of us have been affected by George w. Bush and his administration whether it is good or bad, directly or indirectly. There are some of us who have been affected in ways that you can only imagine. Sometimes even though something has taken place in the past it can have an important bearing on how you prepare for your future. For Katrina and 911 victims, the term may not be so easy to apply in their lives. The presidency of George W. Bush began on January 20, 2001, when he was inaugurated as the 43rd President of the United States of America. George W. Bush is the oldest son of former president George H. W. Bush, George W. Bush was elected president in the 2000 general election, and became the second US president whose father had held the same office. Bush did not get into office without some scandal and controversy because On December 8, 2000, the Supreme Court of Florida ordered that the Circuit Court of Leon County tabulate by hand 9,000 ballots in Miami-Dade County. It also ordered the inclusion in the certified vote totals of 215 votes identified in Palm Beach County and 168 votes identified in Miami-Dade County for Vice President Albert Gore, Jr., and Senator Joseph Lieberman...
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...what way(s) has BPC contributed or contradicted this statement?" Since the early 1900s, many legislative steps have been taken to achieve equal civil rights for all American citizens regardless of race, gender, age, or ethnicity. Throughout this time of integration, however, there was much political agitation to achieve this equality. It can be said that, “we as a society successfully eliminated the need for achieving integration through political agitation for civil rights and opted instead for knowing each other through cultural text.” That is to say, nowadays we do not pursue integration through political agitation but rather through discourse and education on various cultures, including black popular culture. There are several ways in which black popular culture has both contributed and contradicted this statement. In regards to its contribution, literature from famous black authors has served to better achieve integration through education of its audience on the black reality. Secondly, high school and university courses such as African Studies classes also illustrate how nowadays integration is achieved through cultural text as opposed to political agitation. Additionally, scholarly writings such as the article “The Multicultural Wars” by Hazel Carby serve to educate the audience on the impact of black popular culture on achieving integration and the needed continuing efforts to achieve full integration. Lastly, black popular culture has also used the channels...
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...our senses. For example, we see visual art by using our eyesight. Another famous form of art, which involves our sense of hearing, is music. Music is vast that it has so many genres and subgenres. One genre, that is quite popular in today’s world, is hip-hop. Most people view hip hop as a movement, but i consider that its more than just a movement. Hip Hop is a median to express yourself. The shared ideology of Hip Hop is that it is a platform to portray art and beliefs through lyricism, abstract art, clothing, etc. Hip Hop is a subcultural movement, which was formed in the 1970s in South Bronx, New York. African Americans mainly started this movement, but now it is diversified. It has various components, such as “DJing”, rapping, graffiti art, and break dancing. Hip Hop gained a lot of popularity for its fashions. Its authorial power and influence highly impacts the fashion world. Many rap artists have successful cloth lines, which are quickly adopted by the followers. Language, in Hip Hop, plays a vital role. Slang terms gained its popularity after it was being used in raps. Some say that rap is the modern day poetry. Rapping also known as “MCing”, is basically a mixture of rhymes and beats to produce a meaning or even a message. Many rappers incorporate historic events or figures in their raps to compare things. Rap Artist Tupac Shakur used to read and write poetry at an early age, and it developed to show through his rap songs. During his last days, he was studying...
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...Ethical Environment of the New Orleans Police Department Melissa Boutte McNeese State University CJUS 630-W Ethics in Criminal Justice Telephone: (337) 888-0633 Email: mboutte@mcneese.edu Instructor: Dr. Wayne Thompson Abstract Society entrusts police officers to protect citizens from harm and to maintain civil order by enforcing laws set before them. The New Orleans Police Department must adhere to a code of conduct which basically means for officers to treat individuals fairly regardless of race, ethnicity, religion, gender, or sexual orientation; to only use the force necessary to uphold the law and/or to protect themselves and/or others from harm; and to act with dignity and integrity when enforcing the law. This has not always been the case with the NOPD. This paper will discuss the scrutiny the NOPD has fallen under over the years and also what actions have been taken to correct the problems that have arisen within the department. It will also discuss the hiring and training process, along with the reprimanding process for individuals who exhibit unethical behavior. Ethical Environment of the New Orleans Police Department The New Orleans Police Department has a long history of corruption and scandal, and although such corruption has been documented dating back to when the department first began, I will only discuss those which have happened from the early 1980s to the present. I will begin with the many scandals over the years, discuss the current...
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...…………………………………………………………... 9.0 Summary …………………………………………………………… ……… … 10 Bibliography ……………………………………………………………. ……… Modular Homes Design Company 1. Introduction and Background The economy of Biloxi, Mississippi (MS) was in much need of stimulation following the devastation caused by the Katrina and Rita hurricanes nearly two years ago. Homelessness, illness, hopelessness, and despair are all remains of the wreckage. There has been rampant unemployment in the region; consumer debt has been on the rise. This has fueled the initiative for relief programs, attempts to bridge the gap of governmentally funded programs and the shortcomings of the locally and state-funded offerings. One federal initiative allows Mississippi Home Corporation to offer below-market mortgage rates. Rebuilding has been slow due to the lack of skilled construction workers. Displacement of workers and limited education/training are major causes for the deficiency. Building permit requirements have been made more stringent. Insurance settlements, or lack thereof, have left many homeowners striving to locate stable housing. Some of these homeowners have turned to government programs such as the Hurricane Katrina Grant Program. Insurance premiums skyrocketed for homeowners and business owners alike. In June 2006, Mississippi’s Governor Haley Barbour set aside $50 million in state-administered federal grants...
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...Climate Change: Global Warming In April 9th of 2010, Marisa Marcavillaca—a farmer and indigenous women’s organizer from Peru— went to The Capitol Hill to tell her powerful story. Her words were quoted by Al Gore in one of his speeches. She said through a translator: “We are very concerned, in my community, [and] in my country, about global climate change. Nature is disrupted. We are seeing the impacts on a daily basis. We are losing our lands, water is disappearing, it rains when it shouldn’t rain, and we have freezing temperatures, when we shouldn’t have freezing temperatures. Also, warmer temperatures in our farming area have spurred plant diseases, and the quality of agricultural seeds has degenerated cutting into local women’s ability to earn a living. Because our yields are down, it is difficult to feed our children.” (Jaime Baily 14). Climate change has become a very contested and debated matter. Some scientists say that the earth is warming; skeptics contend that it is cooling. Glaciologists say that the polar ice on earth is melting, and skeptics say that Antarctic ice is growing. Skeptics-that have also concluded that the earth is warming-point out that the earth has gone through many such warming periods (interglacials or periods of desertification) in between cooling periods and that these are natural cycles. But the long-running debate over whether or not global warming is anthropogenic is arriving to its end. Not only it is caused by man,...
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...New Orleans is a city built in a location that was by any measure a mistake. North American settlers needed a way to import and export goods via the Mississippi River, so a city was created atop swamps. By virtue of its location and its role in the international economy, New Orleans became home to a population that was as heterogeneous as any. Besides the French and, for a time, Spanish colonial powers, other groups included African Americans (both free and slave), people from the Caribbean and Latin America, and Scandinavians and other Europeans. The United States purchased Louisiana from France in 1803 (for $15M), and this more than doubled the size of the young country. The Louisiana Territory included parts of Alberta and Saskatchewan, as well as almost a quarter of the modern-day United States. Naturally, New Orleans became one of the country’s major cities. Its variegated racial realities played a major role in the spiritual and moral lives of Abraham Lincoln and Walt Whitman, both of whom first witnessed the true cruelties of slavery there. In his series of essays that eventually comprised the classic The Cotton Kingdom, Frederick Law Olmsted stated the following about New Orleans in the mid-1850s: I doubt if there is a city in the world, where the resident population has been so divided in its origin, or where there is such a variety in the tastes, habits, manners, and moral codes of the citizens. Although this injures civic enterprise—which the peculiar situation...
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...Exam 2: Introduction to African American Studies Short Answer Questions: Be sure to respond to both parts of the question. (4 points each/100 points total) 1. Name the leader of Black America’s Accommodationist camp during the early twentieth century. Give an example of his “accommodationist” views. Booker T. Washington. Washington felt the best way for Black people in the South to get ahead was to stay with the same skills they had practiced under slavery, namely farming and vocational trades. “In all things that are purely social we can be as separate as the fingers, yet one as the hand in all things essential to mutual progress.” In this line, he indicates that Blacks and Whites can work together with the latter feeling no threat to the system of segregation in the South. 2. Who was considered the leader of Black America’s Radical camp? Give an example of his radical views. W.E.B. Du Bois. He is associated with the concept of “The Talented Tenth,” which is a reference to the top ten percent of Black Americans who Du Bois felt should lead the way in creating opportunities to advance the lives of all Black people. He also felt that Blacks should have the same rights that any White person had. 3. Who were considered the “Talented Tenth”? Name a specific person who fell into this group. A reference to the top ten percent of Black Americans who Du Bois felt should lead the way in creating opportunities to advance the lives of all Black people....
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...Abstract It is very obvious that the government has stepped up to the plate to start what could be a very successful venture. But, at this point continued intervention is needed. It is recognized that there are still technical issues related to functionality and interoperability. The problems appear to be due to sociological, cultural, and financial problems. But, in the end most would agree that the issues are related to managerial more than technological problems. Experience and research implemented by those with failures have identified the most important concerns being,” what constitutes success and what is failure?” Their question is what contributes to making successful or unsuccessful systems? How do these companies use their system failures to enhance learning opportunities for continued company improvement? How should they study this success or failure? The determination was related at workshops directed by the AMIA to enhance opportunities for future successes, with a research agenda and recommendations. The AMIA was convicted to take a leadership role and come up with practical projects that would likely succeed in a health care setting. Introduction In February 2009 Congress appropriated $20 billion for health information technology as a part of the President’s stimulus package. Then the United State joined with other countries to benefit from healthcare technology. Because of the changes made to Medicare and private insurance...
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...STRUCTURE OF THE ATMOSPHERE Troposphere | Closest to the earth and most weather happens here. Temperature drops as you go higher. Wind speeds increase. Most unstable layer. End of the sphere is marked by the tropoPAUSE- an isothermal layer where temp remains constant. | Stratosphere | Steady increase in temperature. Marked by the STRATOPAUSE. Atmosphere is thinner here. | Mesosphere | Temperature decreases to -90. No water vapour or dust to absorb radiation. Very strong winds at 3000 km/hr. MESOPAUSE | Thermosphere | Increase in temperature from the absorption of UV radiation | Greatest amount of energy coming into the atmosphere is from insolation (short wave solar radiation). The amount of this energy from the sun is determined by: *Solar constant- varies slightly & affects longer term climate rather than short term *Distance from the sun- Earth’s orbit around sun can cause variation in distant *Altitude of the sun in the sky- equator receives more energy as rays are head on. At 60 degrees N or S its at an angle so there’s twice the area to heat up & more atmosphere to pass through *Length of the day & night Some radiation is absorbed by ozone, water vapour, co2, ice particles, and dust reduce the amount reaching Earth. & clouds also reflect radiation back! ALBEDO is the ratio between the amount of incoming and reflected radiation. (Usually at 4%) Short wave radiation is converted to heat and heats the surface of earth, while longer...
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