300-word History Discussion Essay

  Please view: Spike Lee's documentary (to 1:23:00) "When the Levees Broke" available on YouTube at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=12xj1sHvIWA

  And Read:

- Scott Knowles, “Lessons in the Rubble: The World Trade Center and the History of Disaster Investigations in the United States,” History and Technology(Spring, 2003): 9-28;

- Scott Knowles, “Investigating 3.11: Disaster and the Politics of Expert Inquiry,” available at: http://fukushimaforum.wordpress.com/online-forum-2/online-forum/investigating-3-11/

   And discuss (Both A and B): A) How does Knowles describe the relationship between technology (of nuclear power plants, or skyscrapers) and risk during disasters (man-made or not)?  B) How does his story relate to the notion of risk and disaster in the Katrina Hurricane event in New Orleans?