I had the privilege of taking a group of students from Colgate University to New Orleans as part of an Alternative Winter Break trip the second week of January. This was my first visit to New Orleans and I was very excited partly because I teach about Environmental Justice and I use the tragedy of Katrina to illustrate some of the environmental and social inequalities that still exist within our society today.
I wanted to share some photos with you all. I was actually encouraged by some of the development that is taking place in order to help families move back to New Orleans. There is still a lot of work to be done as indicated by the staff of the St. Bernard Project (the organization that we volunteered with) but there has been a lot of support by volunteers even four years after the storm.
While there are still many empty lots, or abandoned home (pictures 5, 6 and 8), particularly in the lower 9th ward, there are some houses being rebuilt but with added resilience (pictures 3 and 4).
I was able to work on one home for the week I was there - now I am an expert (or so I will like to believe) in sanding and mudding! (Picture 1)
For me, I experienced some cognitive dissonance while working on my home though. For although I was super excited to be helping Rhonda move back into her home, I was saddened by the fact that the home was not built with reduced vulnerability. To top it off her house is located in front of a wetland! (Picture 2)
However to end the week, I was able to help with some reforestation in a wetland which solidified the bigger picture which is to increase wetland cover to provide wind breaks which was part of the initial problem (Picture 7).
All in all, I must say that it was a great experience. If anyone is looking for volunteer work there is still a lot to be done in New Orleans, even though we have so much other natural disaster tragedies to address now!
Majora Carter, a well known environmental justice activist, and host of EcoHeros aired on the Sundance Channel, provides a fresh way of bringing to the forefront the work of what she calls "innovative and inspiring green pioneers". Being an EcoHero herself, she has made significant progress in raising environmental awareness within her home community of the South Bronx and provides a vivid TED talk about the experience at TED 2006.
Dr. April Karen Baptiste, Fulbright Scholar, Ford Foundation Postdoctoral Fellow seeks way to increase environmental responsibility in her home country of Trinidad and Tobago. Her current project involves understanding perceptions, knowledge and adaptation to climate change.
I have to commend Majora for including and highlighting the work that is being done by TED Fellows of Long Beach 2009. It has been an amazing experience to meet and share with her, my work and experiences both within the Caribbean and US context. I am very proud to be considered an EcoHero, together with one of my colleagues, Andriankoto Ratozamana - for this is truly a forum that allows us to be able to spread the word on what we are doing to shape responsibility toward environmental issues.
So I know that it has been a couple of weeks after the TED Experience, but I really needed to take sometime to think about what TED meant to me – what were my expectations, my disappointments, my gains? – before I shared my thoughts.
When I was first asked to be a TED Fellow, I had no clue about the program. My initial thought was that this was a “scam” and that I needed to pay for something, as this opportunity was too good to be true. Much credit must be given to Simone Alexander, Tom’s assistant, who convinced me that this was an experience that I would not regret and that I needed to grasp head-on. So I decided, “why not”? I do not have anything to loose, but I was not sure if there was anything to gain either.
As an academic you do your fair share of conferences: you present your work, answer a few questions, attend the sessions that you think are most interesting or applicable and then you go back to your own world after it is all over. I guess you can say it becomes part of the mundane routine of pursuing your career. So I came to TED somewhat with that image in my mind, not really expecting much. But that image was soon wiped out of my head, never to be seen again.
From the moment I got off the plane, I was greeted by my taxi driver and next to him were two fellow TEDsters who immediately began to engage in conversation, reducing those first inhibitions of being in a new place and not knowing anyone. From there, I think it was just smooth sailing from one thing to the next. For me, meeting the first class of TED Fellows was one of my highlights for the week. I was amazed at the eclectic group of young innovative thinkers, of whom I am to be associated. Each person unique in their own right, sharing their ideas, work and dreams, but listening attentively all the same to my ideas, work and dreams. This is unheard of!
Jumping into the formal TED sessions itself to me can only be described as being mind-blowing! You will expect someone with a Ph.D. to be able to sit and comprehend most of what is being said – well reality check – not true! Even though most of the scientific presentations were above my cerebral limits, I still managed to get the take home point – that is, everyone on the main stage and TEDUniversity had a potent idea to share and that idea was going to change the world for the better!!! And to top that…I was there to share in that moment of the “Great Unveiling”.
So what were my disappointments? That the experience lasted as short as it did. I know that many of the world changers who gather each year for a week at TED, are giving up a large part of their lives and busy schedules to come together to be inspired…but I really wished that instead of 24 hrs in the day for 7 days that there were maybe 48 hrs in the day. More time to get to know your fellow TEDsters, to be able to connect with people that you will not in everyday life be able to meet and have a casual conversation. Oh the joys of wishing!!!
My gains…I was able to meet Majora Carter: a phenomenal environmental justice scholar from the South Bronx, who was able to connect with my work. Imagine my delight when I found out that she was just as excited to meet me as I was to meet her – but that is another story. But I think the biggest gain for me was leaving TED with a new take on my potential and possibilities. Never before would you hear me verbalizing my ideas about how I will like to shape environmental education and awareness in Trinidad and the Caribbean – and to be able to see me excited to openly share these thoughts can be attributed to the openness that was influenced by the week at TED 2009, Long Beach, CA.
TED is truly something that you must experience to understand the depth and breadth. Trying to put it in words as most TEDsters will say is very difficult, but I will say that it has been truly an open forum where “Ideas are Worth Spreading”, but also where learning and life changing are undeniably bound to occur.
