CAPTION: An artist representation of the the homes that were damaged by
Hurricane Katrina is shown in the Lower 9th Ward in New Orleans,
Monday, Dec. 3, 2007. Actor Brad Pitt is launching his latest project
to build affordable, environmentally friendly homes in the area
devastated by Hurricane Katrina. (AP Photo/Bill Haber)
FromCNN…
On Monday, Pitt walked through the neighborhood where the houses are to be built. Housing forms draped in pink tarps filled the area.
Later, he explained the rationale behind the bright hue.
“My thinking why it’s pink is because it screams the loudest,” he said
at the news conference. “It says people are coming back.”He
noted that others have suggested the color evokes the American dream of
“little pink houses,” as described in John Mellencamp’s song of the
same name, or that the houses were the “pink elephant” in the room:
“That at the federal level it’s business as usual. … Down here we’re
still in limbo. We’re still waiting.”Pitt said he welcomes more
donations. “This is really an adopt-a-house campaign,” he told NBC.
“I’m asking for foundations, for high-network individuals, for church
groups, for corporations to come in and adopt a house. Basically
$150,000 will get a family back into their home.”
I have great respect for what Pitt is doing and asOyster notes he is doing it in the best of ways…
Consider how easy it would be to be snarky or cynical about some of the details in this project–constellations, puh-leez!—
had Pitt, (or his staff), despite good intentions, made a hollow remark
or an egregious oversight that made locals cringe. Such blunders would
seem almost inevitable given his high hopes and ambitions. I mean,
making the lower 9th into a pink art project for touring? Seriously?
Yet, Pitt has been nearly “tone perfect” throughout the process. He’sdoing stuff, without annoying New Orleanians.That’s no small feat!
I have no criticism or cynicism about his Pink Project. None at all. I
can only say, truly: “Great job, Mr. Pitt. I’m proud that you call New
Orleans home”.
Link tolearn more about thePink Project and here isLink to Donate
Grrr… I still find this irksome on many levels. But I am one of the few remaining who values the avoidance of “doing annoying stuff” over simply “doing stuff.”
any chance they will do katrina cottages like you showed us?
I complement the inclusion of solar panels on the buildings.
To me, the disaster recovery folks have a gigantic opportunity to build sustainably and in accordance with the local conditions. In the long term, this will pay off handsomely.
Unfortunately, doing so will take some leadership.
If you add solar to the houses it’ll take more than 150K to put a family back in one. But given that in NOLa there’s intermittent lights, it might enable more people to stay in their homes.
I hope they’re doing the K-Cottage model, really, and putting the ones in the lowest areas on 8-foot pilings.
That is good news. Both that he is helping, and that everyone is letting him.
Other Sarah –
I agree with you that it is costly (a small solar installation would add about $60 k to the cost of the building ) but the payback already makes long term sense. But again, I’m only gullibly thinking that Nagin, Shrub, and FEMA would get together and think in the long term benefit.
That is good news. Both that he is helping, and that everyone is letting him.
Posted by: mdhatter
I’d argue that they’re not just letting him, they’re letting him know what needs doing (I believe he’s working hand in glove with Common Ground, which may explain why he gets the tone right: he’s getting it from them), and he’s listening.