Contemporary American consumption Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Contemporary American consumption - Essay Example Hurricane Katrina was a widely publicized natural disaster greater than any our country has ever seen before. The devastation has been unimaginable, but is it possible that we are to blame for the destruction of New Orleans and the surrounding areas that were destroyed by the storm? Built on land that sits below sea level, it is a miracle that New Orleans survived as long as it did without such a disaster taking place (Quindlen). Unfortunately, the American people believe so strongly that nothing like this could happen that the government, knowing we were going to have a â€Å"monstrous† hurricane season, took no efforts to prepare relief efforts if a storm like Katrina did strike (Quindlen). New Orleans is not the only place that is at risk of disaster by Mother Nature. Americans have taken it upon themselves to build thing where they were never intended to be, over canyons, along the water, and on top of wetlands (such as New Orleans). The levy in New Orleans failed for one reason; it was never intended by nature to be there in the first place. The simple fact that a levy needed to be built in the first place should have acted as a warning sign. It was a man made structure placed there as a form of protection for a city they know was built in a dangerous place. Disasters such as Katrina are going to continue to happen again and again unless the American people make some serious change to the ways they are developing our country (Quindlen). In order to prevent further disaster it is Quindlen’s suggestion that we take notice of the damage our country is sustaining from natural disasters and makes a change to the way we are treating our land and out country. She is absolutely right. Americans have used newly developed technology to replace Mother Nature and turn our country into the version that we want it to be,