Talk:Thomas Homer-Dixon

Untitled

This appears to be lifted from a biographical source and perhaps could do with a rewrite (since it oddly switches from third to first person midsentence) by someone who knows this subject.

He was born in Victoria, British Columbia and received my B.A. ... and my Ph.D.

I think this has been rectified. I think I qualify to do the rewrite as "someone who knows the subject." I am attempting to bring this article up to date and add much more encyclopedic detail, being very careful to maintain an neutral tone. My goal is simply to provide useful information for anyone searching this person and coming across the Wiki entry. I acknowledge the fact that I am a research assistant for him, but have been through intense discussions re possible COI with user Rrburke, and have studied Wiki policies closely. As a new user, I would appreciate constructive guidance as I proceed in my growth as an encyclopedic writer. Jbghewer (talk) 14:01, 14 August 2012 (UTC)

Correcting errors in this entry

I am the subject of this Wikipedia entry. It is inaccurate in a number of respects. I've run into some COI issues previously when my assistant tried to correct errors and add pertinent information. I want to make sure I correctly follow Wikipedia procedures. How should I proceed?70.53.74.180 (talk) 22:29, 1 January 2016 (UTC)

Thomas Homer-Dixon

Minor Issue in References

I'm an idiot and can't figure out how to edit the reference list, but the citation for reference number 13 is wrong. The "On the Threshold" article was published in the Fall 1991 issue of International Security.

Corrections of errors requested

Hello.

I’m very aware of, and fully respect, Wikipedia’s COI rules. Having learnt a tough lesson years ago, I’m not going anywhere near the entry about me. But the entry has many factual errors, and some information is missing that could be useful to Wikipedia readers, including much more perceptive critiques of my work.

Could we start by fixing the errors in the lead paragraph? I’m not trained as an ecologist, I haven’t been at the Centre for Environment and Business for many years, and I’ve argued for decades against narrow neo-Malthusianism.

So, I’d suggest changes that are in line with the following basic facts about me:

Thomas Homer-Dixon . . .

. . . trained as a political scientist, in International Relations and Conflict Studies.

His research focuses mainly on applying concepts and theories from complexity science [link: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Complex_system] to study social systems, especially the causal mechanisms connecting societies and the natural world.

. . . has worked since the 1980s at the intersection between the social and ecological sciences, especially on the links between environmental scarcities and violent conflict,[use current citations 1 and 2] how societies innovate in response to complex stresses,[suggested citation 3 below] and issues concerning climate change and the energy transition away from fossil fuels.[suggested citation 4 below]

. . . currently, holds a University Research Chair in the Faculty of Environment at the University of Waterloo, and is a professor at the Balsillie School of International Affairs [link: https://www.balsillieschool.ca/] in Waterloo, Canada.

Suggested citation 3: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Ingenuity_Gap Suggested citation 4: https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/full/10.1177/0096340212444868

Also, I think that the following last two sentences in the opening paragraph should be deleted, since they are incorrect:

“He is well known for his work to broaden the Malthusian theory to include vital resources such as fuel, arable land, and other resources including food. He is a proud Neo-Malthusian along with Paul Ehrlich and Robert Kaplan.[citation needed]"

Rationale for deletion: The first of these sentences doesn’t make sense, because Malthus himself focused on cropland and food availability (so I couldn’t have “broadened” his perspective to include these factors). And “proud” is nonsensical in the second sentence . . . I’ve never boasted about or expressed pride in any form of Malthusianism. In fact, I’ve long argued *against* narrow and simplistic Malthusian interpretations of humanity’s environmental and resource challenges and in favor of “complex” models that allow for human innovation in response. See this citation [link: https://www.researchgate.net/publication/264156431_Who's_Afraid_of_Thomas_Malthus] for a good overview of this approach (and incidentally, a critique of my work).

Thanks for considering this request. Please let me know if I've missed anything or am not making this request in the right way.

Thomas Homer-Dixon University of Waterloo