In the process of searching better life conditions after facing natural disasters, human beings turn to the environment to evolve and adapt to new and adverse circumstances. Virgil Storr illustrates these ideas and describes the power that governments have over people's decisions. He comments on the fact that victims of the force of nature expect positive solutions to be accomplished on their behalf, the debates on what the authorities should do, and where the line should be drawn concerning their range of action. Storr explains how each person should act in regards to government officials real intentions, and mentions how the inclinations of pessimism and optimism determine the results of an individual's actions. He also talks about his research on government response in the case of Hurricane Katrina, in New Orleans, and analyzes how the perception of capacity and intention of the American government modified the attitude of the residents enduring such difficult conditions.