Sunday, December 16, 2012


Last Blog: Lower Ninth Ward

Hi everyone I am Mahanaj Sultana. Today I am going to describe the after Katrina situation of lower 9th stand which is based on you tube video under “Hurricane Katrina: The Drive: New Orleans Lower 9th Ward” title and this video is prepare by tom Ryan and mitt wisdom. As we all know that After Hurricanes Katrina, the majority parts of New Orleans faced lots of damage, but the city's Lower Ninth Ward was hit hard. There is no word to explain the cost of this devastation. Director of this video said the only way to truly understand their actual situation people have to be there, not only that according to this video they mention “Blocks after blocks miles after miles in lower nine wards the devastation never appears to end”.  According to their statistic lower 9th stand population is 14,008 among them 98.3% people are African American,60 death bodies were found,  just 59% of them owned a house and majority of them are poor .

 

On that situation where government should stand with them but basically government do nothing. People feel ignorance from government side. Majority of them couldn’t leave the city when hurricane Katrina was about to hit because of lack of money, lack of transportation system and due to government awareness. For an example some of lower 9th stand people were not informed that Katrina was going to hit and the government announced an compulsory departure just a day before.  Among the Lower nine stand people many of them didn’t have personal vehicles neither government provide any transportation system which is helps them to move out from this place. Some of lower 9th stand resident just didn’t want to leave their houses in this case government fail to create awareness among them. As we all know that they are poor so they can aspect more attention from government but reality is different. As a result they faced most dangerous natural devastation. According to you tube video a women stated that “Katrina do not do all of these, government helping other countries people but they do nothing to help the people of USA”. This statement shows that how much spreads disappoint a New Orleans people due to act of government. But New Orleans are lucky in one case because had some really kind and brave neighbours. They are some people who stayed there to help other. Among them Pryor and Knight were two resident who worked together and helped people. So it proves that if we can work together we can reduce our losses. Lower 9th stand people still suffering various problems so I believe that if we can start working together then again we can make a better place for them. 

Monday, December 3, 2012



Blog # Group Work

 Dennis
 Rashad
 Mahanaj
                                              Coral Reefs and  Rising Co2 

  A coral reefs life is dependent on its level of saturation in algae. This algae gives it the very diverse and rich coloring so needless to say its very important to the reefs. As the ocean absorbs more and more Co2,the water temperature rises. this in turn causes coral reefs to excrete  algae which in turn make the corals themselves appear white. This lowers the saturation levels in the coral reef, and causes 'bleaching'. The saturation levels are determines by a complex formula scientist developed. It involves multiplying the calcium and carbonate ion concentrations and dividing it by stoichiometric solubility. While this is all informative and enlightening, how do we know for a fact that these figures and formulas are even real? Who's to say these terms hold any relativity to coral reefs saturation or the expulsion of algae. What if there's a another reason why the algae is being released other then the heating of sea water, which isn't affected by Co2. Even Elizabeth Kolbert mentions that "no one is quite sure" (390).

Friday, November 30, 2012


BLOG # 6

Climate Reparation for Zeitoun’s Detention

Hey I am Mahanaj Sultana. In this blog I am responding to an assignment in my ENG 101 class, do I feel that America Government owes Zeitoun for incarceration? Yes, I feel US Government should compensate to Zeitoun for considering as Al Qaeda in prison though he was not a terrorist during Katrina. Reparation is actually a proposal of compensation should be provided to victims by who creates the crisis. As we everyone knows from the history Jews received compensation for their losses during the Jewish Holocaust. Moreover, Blacks did not get reparations for slavery because many legal experts point to the fact that slavery was not illegal in the USA. Blacks and Jews were deprived their rights as a group of people but Zeitoun was detention because of his religion. During Katrina 2005, Zeitoun was captive illegally and soldier mentioned him as “Al Qaeda” during in Katrina (Eggers 212).That’s why Zeitoun asked by self, “When a crime is committed by a Christen, do they mention his religion (Eggers 37)? He actually did not evacuate himself and he devoted himself to save impoverished people lives when US Government disappeared during Katrina to navigate the abandon people in New Orleans  But being a Muslim, Zeitoun was accused of being a part of Al Qaeda by National Guardsmen and was arrested. Though they did not have any justified prove that he was a terrorist. It concludes that they judge somebody just by appearance. At that time, Government did not approve the NDAA which can arrest anyone to suspect as terrorist so  Zeitoun detention was really illegal. In climate debt argument, Lidy Napcil said, “We should be begging for but something that is owed to us, because we are dealing with a crisis not of our making” (klein 240).This statement gives a clear notification that who make a crisis , they should be give reparations for victim's damages.we can conclude that , why  Zeitoun faces the difficulties when he is not Al Qaeda. He is a general Muslim person who just wants to help his Neighbors who were not Muslim. If we see the history then we can see that Al-Qaeda acts served only the US foreign policy. Hillary Clinton said “the people who are fighting today against Al-Qaeda, we were funded them 20 years before” (Hillary Clinton). The roots Al Qaeda was started in 1979 at Afghanistan by a particular group of Muslim people who fought with the Soviet Union because US government created and funded Al-Qaeda in order to fight the Soviet Union to getting the power of control Asia. Al Qaeda is multipurpose fighters who are being used efficiently by the US government.At end of story  who creates Al Qaeda, she will be pay the compensation. Then why today Zeitoun and other Muslim people are recognized as a terrorist regarding their above suspicion. For this reason,US Government, "climate debt" to the Zeitoun for their mistake to call him Al Qaeda and to give him undefined  mental torture.In addition, debt is not a charity it is the right of Zeitoun and his family.

Bibliography
1) Hilary Clinton: who created Al Qaeda?
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Dqn0bm4E9yw [Accessed on 11/30/12]      
2) The book of Zeitoun by Dave Eggers
3) The Climate Rage by Naomi Klein  from book of "The Global warming Reader " by Bill Mc kibben


Friday, November 23, 2012


Blog  #  Cafe Orientation 

Hey everyone, i am Mahanaj Sultana. In this blog i am actually talking about super orientation about introduce the new English literature major for student at Laguardia College. I got new explanation about literature where we can express our feelings,play with words, reading,creative writing.Through writing and literature  subject students' skill will develop in literary analysis,interpretation, persuasion and also writing research paper. Students can easily transfer their major in four years college.The another subject "creative writing" under the literature major will start next semester.Any major student like nursing, communication and marketing  can join this class.I think this class will really help in our future position.I love creative writing and i have already decided i will attend this class.If any student wants information about this class, you can talk with the English department or our excellent professor Dr.Rogers.My believe if we think about highest job opportunity of any major then it must be English literature such as public reader, adviser,TV reporter, counseling, fundraising, marketing, advertising, teaching and radio broadcasting etc.There were a lot fun games and i hope you will join in cafe orientation next time.

Monday, November 12, 2012


Favorite Tweet

I like to talk aboput  the tweet  of Vince Li

How sad was that Zeitoun could't even "get a piece of paper" before he' taken into the boat (Eggers 207). Things might be easier if he did.    

I think this tweet is interested because the piece of paper would be made more easy for zetioun to Tell kathy he was still alive but thats also true the police station could not give  permision to use phone.          

Monday, November 5, 2012


BLOG# 4

Lower ninth ward and how money affected people during hurricane katrina

 Hi everyone I am Mahanaj Sultana. In this I am going to discuss about how money played a complex role to make choice limited for the residents of New Orleans' Lower 9th Ward during hurricane. After Hurricane Katrina, the majority parts of New Orleans faced lots of damage, but the city's Lower Ninth Ward was hit hard. Before 29 August, 2005 few Americans had heard of the Lower Ninth Ward. After Hurricane Katrina, extensive flooding in the lower nine ward drew national attention among USA government and people. There was no word to explain the cost of this devastation.  That was known as most demolished place in New Orleans. According to the “The drive” video in you tube “Blocks after blocks miles after miles in lower nine ward the devastation never appears to end”. Among the 20,000 people most of are African Americans who lived in the Lower Ninth, and majority lived below the poverty line (Katrina & Beyond, New York public radio 2005). Those who had money they moved their houses in other places but poor residents could not move because of insufficient money as well as neither there were own transportation which was helped them to move out from that place. So they had to stay there as a part of that disaster. Few residents said, “Everyone seems to think the poor, lower income people that don’t do anything [live here],” one resident claimed. “But they’re hard-working people down here” (Juliette Landphair, Journal of American history 2007). Residents who lived they faced suffer so much. The whole city was intertwined with water surrounding it and lower nine ward faced horrible devastation because some of areas were flooded with 20 feet water which means water covering entire home. Residents needed evacuated due to rising water. As the water level dropped and properties landed as an unmerging destruction. That’s means that poor people lost everything whatever they had before hurricane. On the other hand, Zetioun who had money, he wanted to stay his home during hurricane. He wanted to save his house, took care his business and also he got a purpose of his life. He thought why he bought canoe because of “God’s will” and he could save people lives. (Zetioun 124)
         
 Still there were some people who loved their place more than their life. They did not leave their place. Corey Robinson is one of them he is resident of  New Orleans' Lower Ninth Ward it never crossed his mind to “leave New Orleans' Lower Ninth Ward”  not even after Hurricane Katrina. (Tim Padgett, Times Lists 2010). He continued that we all loves our place and we want to give another chance to Lower Ninth but “you don't see too many of your neighbors anymore. It hurts a lot". (Tim Padgett, Times List 2010). Already six years left but still lower nine ward looks like a “ghost town” and the grass has growth taller just like people’s houses. (Cain Burduea,  Black Voice 2011). This is proving that how money affects to making people’s decision. Those poor residents of lower nine ward faced that disaster because of lack of money. They could understand that they were standing in front of death but they could not shift their places. They were going to lose everything their houses, their properties even though their lives. But they were helpless. They were nothing to do unless facing the monster hurricane Katrina. If they had money they could survive from that and led a happy life which they deserve to do.

                                                                    Bibliography

                                                       The YouTube video "The Drive"
                            Black voice article “6 Years After Katrina Lower 9th ward still Bleak” by

                                                                  Cain Burdeau

                                                      Journal of American history

                                                       Tim Padgett, Times List 2010

                                     Katrina & Beyond, New York public radio 2005

Wednesday, October 31, 2012


Hurricane Sandy

Hurricane sandy was a strong storm which took everything with her. I cannot forget what I saw in this storm. The wind was like a freezing storm; trees are fallen down and block the road. Airlines have canceled thousands of flight about 1,810, hospitals are out of electric and MTA is closed for unannounced days(foxnews). In night time, I was reading “zetioun” book on 29th October.  Suddenly i heard one voice from my neighbor house fire fire…………..I just got up from my bed and went outside with my family because we thought fire in our house also. Then we saw my neighbor’s car was burning because an electrical wire in water touched the car. The car was burning about half an hour and the power of our area has already cut off. In Breezy point, the NY city coastal community destroyed 80 to 100 homes by fire (Foxnews).  Even though from morning Monday 29th October we could not drink water, we felt toxic materials in water. I think we should establish “Water Tank” in our houses where we can save rain water through the filtration as whole year. It’s not modern machine but at least we drink safe water in big catastrophe. I heard from Foxnews “Lower Manhattan” is also facing same problem in water. My father told me, we should leave our house. We could not stay our house without water and power. That time I felt why Zeitoun did not want to live his house and why he was so positive thinking to stay his house. From my own experience it was really unfortunate moment when anyone leaves her house specially when we do not know what will happen in next. NJ Gov. Christie said that about damages from sandy is “unprecedented” and “unthinkable”. It is really made a record of damages in NY (Foxnews). Now I am just waiting when I can go back my home from my aunt’s house.

Monday, October 22, 2012

In-Class Zeitoun


Hey everyone,I amMahanaj from Eng 101 class, i am actually talking about the character of Zetioun from  national best seller "Zetioun" book.Zetioun and kathy had both of different and unique personality in this book. If Kathy wanted to save her family from  hurricane then Zetioun wanted to fight for his family through  saving his  house. At any cost,Zetioun did not want to leave his house  at hurricane. He had spent  a lot of money for  improvements and protecting his  house what he could do.  According to Eggers,"Zetioun was optimistic" about his house.(Eggers 70). He thought always in positive way and he believed if he would stay in his house nothing would be happened.The house would be saved him. Zetioun believes the house was motivating  him to fight with the hurricane (Eggers 70). He followed his grandmother  activity because his grandma had  loved  to stay in her house during countless storm.He just concerned about the level of water which was called levees.If the  level of water would high more than limit then he would be lost in fight.At this point, as my opinion , people can stay in his or her house at hurricane who was really optimistic about his aim which was protected  his house in New Orleans.

Sunday, October 14, 2012



BLOG # 4 Group 1

Russian Heat Wave and Pakistan Floods

The article of  "The Great Russian Heat Wave and Pakistani Floods" by Dr Jeff Master is actually talking about the two main causes of  Russian heat wave 2010 and Pakistani floods.Based on the discussion of article, the first reason is European heat wave of 2003 which was shifted by the jet stream. The jet stream is actually the high level river of air, between of 30,000 to 40,000 feet.Jet stream has two kinds: one is strong "subtropical" jet  that blows  across southern   Europe and another is weak "polar" jet that blows across northern Europe.The polar jet stream also acts as boundary between warm and cold air.For this reason, polar jet stream creates drier weather.As a result, 35,000-50.000 people died because of European heat wave on  2003 and also in 1936 ,the highest temperature has recorded  in 15 U.S states for north America heat wave. In  July 2010,strong polar jet stream developed warm weather over the European Russia and prevented rain bearing low pressure systems.The low pressure system reached Pakistan shifting as heavy rainfalls which was created most devastating  floods at regular weather.On the other hand, the second reason   is human caused climate change. However,human activities are changing the total regular behavior of climate models through the global  warming.


Monday, October 8, 2012


Blog#3 Review Blog#2

Hey everyone, this me Mahanaj and in this blog I am responding to an assignment in my ENG 101 class about the summary The Global Warming Reader written by Bill McKibben. Most of the Scientists have recently created awareness among us about our climate change and how it creates impact all over the world. Majority of scientists are concern about global warming but before that we have to know what is global warming. Global warming means  the rising of temperatures of the Earths atmosphere. That means we are facing a warm temperature compare to past. For example, last 2010 was the warmest year recorded. Scientists says our temperature is increasing rapidly due to many reasons. According to article “The Anthropogenic " which is written by Paul J. and Eugene F, discuss they discuss that the human population is growing rapidly and due to that we are continuously destroyed  balance ecosystem. However, the human activity has increased 1000 to 10000 fold like emissions of CO2 (Carbon di oxide), large scale nuclear war. That means large amount of carbon di oxide and nuclear gas make our environment warmer. Compare to past our current population is increase rapidly as well as uses of nuclear weapon also increase all over the world. As a result, climate may change significantly from natural behavior over the next 50,000 years. On the other hand, greenhouse effect is another important concern for us. Greenhouse gases are creating significant changes in Earths normal atmosphere. For example, ocean temperatures is rising and also sea level. Another Articles "The Scientific Consensus on Climate Change", states that "Human activities are modifying the concentration of atmospheric constituents. That absorbs or scatters radiant energy". At this critical moment we have to understand what our scientist trying to say. This is not a time to debate each other this is a time to work together towards climate change. This is our world we have to love our nature and work together to make better place for life. 

Thursday, September 27, 2012



Blog # 2

Hey everyone, This me Mahanaj and in this blog I am responding to an assignment in my ENG 101 class about the science of climate change from based on The Global Warming Reader written by Bill McKibben. A number of Scientists have recently created awareness among us about our climate change and how it creates impact all over the world. In recent discussion of climate change, we found that scientists are considering about the “Global Warming”. That means we are facing a warm temperature compare to past. For example, last 2010 was the warmest year recorded. According to article “The Anthropogenic " which is written by Paul J. and Eugene F,discuss in their articles that the human population is growing rapidly and due to that we are continuously destroyed  balance ecosystem. However,the human activity has increased 1000 to 10000 fold like emissions 0f CO2, large scale nuclear war. As a result, climate may change significantly from natural behavior over the next 50,000 years. On the other hand, green house effect is another important concern for us. Greenhouse gases are creating significant changes in Earths normal atmosphere. For example, ocean temperatures is rising and also sea level. Another Articles "The Scientific Consensus on Climate Change", states that "Human activities are modifying the concentration of atmospheric constituents. That absorbs or scatters radiant energy". My own view is that  it’s time to listen and understand the scientist words otherwise our future generation will blame us for failing to protect our climate from certain dangerous. Though i concede that we are always thinking that how we can get rid of it but we never think why it is happening. I would reply that It is time to think how we can control the climate change. This is our world we have to love our nature and work together to make better place for life. 

Monday, September 24, 2012

 After the discussion class about the way of responding the article  through my professor Rogers speech , i am so encouraged to do the blog respond. I feel i will try my best to do next assignment in perfect way.Last time i wrote title but not  author name and my word limits was more than 200.my blog was not specific .Next time  i will try to specific and with important details.I don not know , my pick up reader comment and critics it was good or bad.I hope i will do best next time in informative way.

Monday, September 17, 2012


My name is Mahanaj Sultana and I am doing an assignment which is about New York climate change under my English 101 class. The New York Times published an article on 10th September 2012 under a heading  “New York Is Lagging as Seas and Risks Rise, Critics Warn” The main point of this articles is what our officials are actually doing to save our city from this unexpected  weather change.
This article shows several real example of climate change. One of them is the subway systems are shut down and 370,000 people suffer hurricane Irene in the Atlantic coast. According to Mr Adam freed the deputy director of the city’s office ”you can’t make a climate proof city”. This is a very clear statement towards the climate change but this is not a salutation for New York City. American government doing several activities to prevent climate change but those are not simple enough. If this situation is continuously happened then by 2080 our sea level is increase by four feet and that time we cannot take any further step to solve this problem.
One comment under the reader pick from New York Time , Jon from NM  says that “this is just a wrong message from some immoral scientist just because of getting multimillion dollar”. If it is so then whatever happen around us due to climate change what is that. We cannot control our climate but at least we can take some step to reduce our losses. We found in this articles that thousands of people move from their house because of climate. So this is a time to work together and solve this problem. This is a time to save our city and make a better place for us and also for our future generation.



Monday, September 10, 2012

Before 4 years ago , my family was affected by sunami in my country Bangladesh.It was really pathetic experince of life.I saw people are vanished by one second on the sea.We actually went for traveling in coxesbazar.which water save our lives that same water can take our lives.All houses were destroyed like their before nothing.sea had eaten the houses of people and also their dream of living place.people were suffering for food and goverment could not reach food on time for transportaion system because we are belong from as a poor country.i remember also in NY in astori i feel eartquake and i was in car with my friends.My friend thought her car will be broken because it was shaking like a toy car and also we saw in the road one boy who was riding bicycle he was fallen down and we thought what was going on around.after we reached home we knew it was earth quake