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Pennsylvania Floods and the People who get Flooded
Andrew Jones comments:
When I decided to investigate the reasons
why people choose to locate their homes in flood hazard
areas, I was not prepared for the multitude and complexity
of the issues involved in this pressing dilemma. Cultural
ties, societal customs, political aims, geographic location,
and basic human emotions are all factors that have added
fuel to the fire of this seemingly unending conflict
between man and nature over the years.
The documentary video that emerged
from my research and videomaking efforts proved to be
more a discussion of the difficult questions surrounding
the flood hazard in Pennsylvania than a discrete answer
to an oftentimes unwieldy research question. More than
a simple documentation of events, I hope the video accurately
portrays the many sides of this issue and most importantly,
the human faces and emotions indelibly tied to flood
tragedies.
I recently returned from a job in California working
as a wildland firefighter with the United States Forest
Service. The questions raised in my documentary are
as pertinent to the forest and grasslands of the American
West as they are to the watersheds of eastern Pennsylvania.
Those who choose to move into forest lands face natural
risks from wildfires the same as people who choose to
locate their homes next to naturally flooding streams
and rivers. I feel that the ways in which we as a culture
choose to view and act upon our relationship with the
natural world in the years to come will be a significant
factor in the success of our efforts toward societal
sustainability.
Andrew graduated in May 2002 with
a degree in Film/Video and Geography (
Department of Geography).
After interning with the National Geographic Society
last summer and working with the U.S. Forest Service
this summer, he is planning on serving with the Peace
Corps in Kazakhstan as an environmental education volunteer.
Please feel free to contact Andrew
with any questions or comments concerning the video,
“Rising Waters” at becomingandy@yahoo.com.
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