Educating for Community Resilience: How the Work of Thomas Homer-Dixon and JohnDewey's Pattern of Inquiry Can Help Us Prepare for the Ecological and Social Challenges of the 21st Century

Scientists have overwhelmingly concluded that global warming occurs as a consequence of human activities and that climate change, combined with the depletion of resources, could have catastrophic consequences for the human civilization later this century. However, in political circles and in the public sphere these conclusions are not taken seriously, or they are laid aside for future generations to deal with; at the same time, significant efforts are being deployed to discredit the scientific evidence. In this thesis I have studied the positions of climate scientists as well as those of climate change deniers, and I also examined how their points of view are likely to impact the interests and habits of corporations and citizens. The work of Thomas Homer-Dixon was used as an important source for analyzing the complex interaction between our natural, economic, and social systems, and John Dewey's pattern of inquiry provided the theoretical foundation for an analysis of the current crisis and its possible solutions. No concerted action to deal with climate change has yet been taken by the leaders of the Western world; I corroborated data from four reliable sources (Hansen, 2009; IPCC, 2007; Lynas, 2007; Steffen, 2011) regarding several development scenarios and their likely consequences on greenhouse gas emissions, and I concluded that a future temperature increase of more than 2°C appears now as unavoidable. In the light of this conclusion I argue that education for increasing the resilience of smaller communities is a realistic alternative that can offer some hope in dealing with the challenges ahead.

Letter to Mr. Walsh, Registrar Office, 1836

The man to whom the letter is addressed is Francis Leigh Walsh who was a land surveyor and registrar. Mr. Walsh was born on March 12, 1789 in Harford County, Maryland to Thomas Welsh, a United Empire Loyalist. In 1793, his family moved to Norfolk County and in 1810, Francis succeeded his father as registrar for Norfolk County. During the War of 1812 he served in the local militia and became a captain in 1824. He was the representative for Norfolk in the legislative assembly of Upper Canada from 1820 to 1828 and 1834 to 1836. He became justice of the peace in the London district in 1821 and 1838 in the Talbot district. He died in Simcoe on Oct. 14th, 1884. His son, Aquila Walsh served in the Legislative Assembly of the Province of Canada and in the Canadian House of Commons. Benjamin Hardison was born in Berwick in the Thirteen Colonies (British colonies on the Atlantic Coast of North America) on April 2, 1757 to Thomas Hardison and Mary Chadbourne. He was a farmer, miller and political figure. He was the representative for 4th Lincoln and Norfolk in the Legislative Assembly of Upper Canada from 1797-1800. On January 21, 1800 he married Jane Warren. He served with the American forces during the American Revolution at which time he was taken prisoner and sent to Canada. Later, he settled in Fort Erie where he was a captain in the militia and a justice of the peace for the Niagara district. He operated mills and a distillery in Fort Erie and died there on July 26, 1823. Source: http://en.vionto.com/show/me/Francis+Leigh+Walsh http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Benjamin_Hardison

Letters to the Honourable John H. Dunn, 1837-1838

The recipient of the letters is John Henry Dunn who was born on St. Helena (a British territory island of volcanic origin located in the South Atlantic Ocean) in 1792 to John Charles Dunn and Elizabeth Bazette. He was married to Charlotte Roberts on May 4th, 1820 and they had 6 sons and 2 daughters. He came to Canada in 1820 in which year he became the Receiver General for Canada. He held this position until 1841.Charlotte died in 1835. In 1822 he was named to the Province’s Legislative Council. He was president of the Welland Canal Company from 1825-1833. In 1836 he was named to the executive council of Upper Canada but resigned 3 weeks later with fellow counselors when lieutenant governor Sir Francis Bond refused the advice of the council. Dunn was made the Receiver General for the newly formed Province of Canada in 1841, and was elected to represent Toronto in the legislative assembly that year. He married his second wife on March 9th, 1842. Her name was Sophie-Louise Juchereau Duchsnay. They had a son and a daughter. In 1843 he resigned, and was not re-elected in 1844. He returned to England with his family and died in London on April 21, 1854. Dunn was a supporter of the Welland Canal, St. Lawrence Canals and other public improvements. Between the passage of the Canada Trade Act and the Act of the Union he had tried to insure that projects received funding despite financial constraints. He claimed that he has saved Upper Canada from bankruptcy. His son, Alexander Roberts Dunn received the Victoria Cross for his role in the Charge of the Light Brigade at Balaclava. Dunn Street in Niagara Falls is named after John Henry Dunn. The town and township of Dunnville were also named for him. Sources: http://biographi.ca/009004-119.01-e.php?id_nbr=3889 http://www.niagarafrontier.com/cityfalls.html

Letter - Colonel Albert D. Shaw to Francis Lynde Stetson, 31 March 1892

A letter from Colonel Albert D. Shaw to Francis Lynde Stetson dated March 31, 1892. The letter is in regards to correspondence with the Attorney General in efforts to expedite the passing of an Act through Ontario Parliament. The act was introduced a week later (April 6, 1892) confirming the agreement between the Queen Vctoria Niagara Falls Park and the Canadian Niagara Power Company.

Letter - James Wilson to Colonel Albert D. Shaw, 29 February 1892

A letter from James Wilson, Park Superintendent to Albert D. Shaw in the year 1892. Wilson describes plans to produce hydroelectric power using Niagara Falls. He details advantages to the plan in this five page correspondence with Shaw.

Niagara Falls/Niagara Power, 1792, 1798, 1829, 1832, 1836, 1838, 1848, 1852-1853, 1855, 1859, 1871, 1873, 1875-1876, 1878, 1880-1881, 1883, 1885-1888, 1890-1909, 1916-1917, n.d.

A finding aid for collection RG 86. This archive contains materials relating to Niagara Falls and its development during the late 19th and early 20th century, with particular focus on power operations.

Thomas's Massachusetts spy, or, Worcester Gazette, 1 March 1815 (vol. 44, no. 2186) - Newspaper

Volumes of interest were published between 1812 and 1815 with articles about the War of 1812. Issue for Mar. 1, 1815: The front page of this issue has the: "TREATY Of Peace And Amity, Between his Britannick Majesty and the United States of America." Hereafter, and concluding on pg. 2, are the eleven articles of the treaty, signed in type: John Q. Adams, James A. Bayard, Henry Clay, Albert Gallatin, and several others. Page 2 also has the message from the President that he forwarded a copy of the treaty to Congress, signed in type: James Madison.

A Brief Statement of the Transactions and Accounts of Qr. M. Gen. James Thomas, attached to the Army on the Niagara Frontier, in the year 1812-1813 (1815)

A principle cause of the failure of the campaign on the Niagara Frontier in 1812 was the deficiency of subsistence for the troops; as quartermaster general, Thomas received much of the blame. His defense is offered here.

The Cutting out of the Caroline (1838)

Two newspaper clippings from the Montreal Herald of 1838 and an essay clipped from a book, handsewn into a booklet with paper cover and handwritten title and notes. The burning of the Caroline / Susanna Moodie -- The cutting out of the Caroline : a true story / by Francis W. Rowsell -- Juvenile courage and patriotism : instanced in Canada, during the disturbances at the close of the year 1837

Message from the President of the United States, transmitting a letter from the Marshall of the Northern District of the State of New York, respecting disturbances on the Canadian frontier (1838)

Message from the President of the United States transmitting a letter from the Marshal of the Northern District of the State of New York, respecting Disturbances on the Canadian Frontier.

Steamboat Caroline (1838)

Message from the President of the United States transmitting the information required by a resolution of the House of Representatives of the 21st ultimo, respecting the Capture and Destruction of the Steamboat Caroline, on the night of the 29th December last.

Letter from Thomas Tudor Tucker, treasurer of the United States: transmitting his accounts for 1816, February 25, 1817

Bound with: Letter from the Secretary of the Treasury transmitting statements of the importations of goods, wares and merchandise... (60 p.).

Christopher Newton Collection, 1955-1998 (non-inclusive)

Christopher Newton was born in England in June of 1936. He received his education at Sir Roger Manwood’s School in Kent, the University of Leeds, Purdue University in Indiana and the University of Illinois where he received his M.A. He founded Theatre Calgary in 1968 and was the artistic director there until 1971. He was appointed as the artistic director of the Vancouver Playhouse where he established the Playhouse Acting School with Powys Thomas. Mr. Newton has also performed and directed at Stratford Festivals and on Broadway. He became the artistic director at Shaw Festival in Niagara-on-the-Lake in 1979 and remained there for 23 seasons until 2002. Mr. Newton has many television, radio and film credits to his name as well as having written many stage plays. Mr. Newton has received honorary degrees from Brock University (1986), the University of Guelph (1989), Wilfrid Laurier University (1997) and Buffalo State University. He was made an Honorary Fellow at the Royal Conservatory of Music of Toronto (1993) and of Ryerson Polytechnic University (1995). He has won the Governor General’s performing arts award (2000), the Molson Prize and the Thomas DeGaetani Award from the United States Institute for Theatre Technology. In 1996 he was made an Honorary Life Member of the Association for Canadian Theatre Research and in the same year he received the M. Joan Chalmers Award for Artistic Direction. In 1995, he was made a Member of the Order of Canada and he won a Governor General's Performing Arts Award in 2000. Christopher Newton is currently the Artistic Director Emeritus at the Shaw Festival. Sources: http://www.shawfest.com/the-ensemble/christopher-newton/ http://www.thecanadianencyclopedia.com/articles/christopher-newton

Thomas Millard - Captain's Appointment 1814

Document appointing Thomas Millard, Esquire to as "Captain of a Troop in the North Somerset Regiment Cavalry". The appointment is signed and declared "By the Right Honourable John Earl Poulett, Viscount, and Baron of Hinton Saint George of the most Ancient Order of the Thistle and Lord Lieutenant of the County of Somerset". Dated 1814

Certificate of Acceptance and Initiation to Canadian Order Chosen Friends - Thomas Cowan

A certificate of initiation and acceptance to the Canadian Order Chosen Friends, Thomas Cowan. The certificate reads "This certifies that evidence has been received that Thomas Cowan has been accepted and initiated by the Council name below, and has thus become a member of the Canadian Order of Chosen Friends, and entitled to all the rights and privileges of membership and a benefit of not exceeding one thousand dollars from the relief fund of said order, which shall in case of death be paid to Annie Cowan his wife in the manner and subject to the conditions set forth in the laws governing said relief fund and in the application for membership. This certificate to be in force and binding when accepted in writing by the said member, with the acceptance attested by the Councilor and Recorder and the seal of the Subordinate Council affixed, so long as said member shall comply with the requirements of the Constitution, Laws and Regulations now in force or hereafter adopted for the government of the Order: otherwise, and also in the case of granting of a new certificate, to be null and void. In witness whereof, we have hereunto attached our signatures, and affixed the seal of the Grand Council of the Canadian Order of Chosen Friends. Dated the Twenty Seventh day of July, A.D. 1891." The front and back of the certificate are available for viewing.