Thesis--Columbia University. / Without thesis statement. Bibliography: p. 299-316.

In the Canterbury region, New Zealand, water is a contentious issue when irrigation and dairy farming are involved. The Canterbury region accounts for 70% of the total irrigated land area in New Zealand and is one of the most productive agricultural regions. Traditionally, water has been seen as an abundant resource, but growing water demands are now outstripping the supply of water, hence threatening the sustainability of agricultural productivity. In the long term, this problem may worsen as a result of climate change, which is predicted to increase water demands and reduce supply in many parts of Canterbury. In the recent and on-going expansion of irrigation systems, modern sprinkler irrigation methods, namely centre pivot and lateral spray irrigation technology, have replaced the old border-dyke systems. This has been due to the need to increase irrigation flexibility and efficiency to guarantee pasture growth for dairy production in dry periods. This conversion has resulted in a reduction of windbreaks to 2 m heights or sometimes led to 100% removal of windbreaks so as to accommodate centre pivot or linear move irrigation systems. Removal of windbreaks or reduction of windbreak height may increase wind speed across a field. Both spray evaporation loss and evapotranspiration are a function of wind speed. Hence, any increase in wind speed may lead to an increase in irrigation requirements. There is little information currently available on outlining how reduction of windbreak height or the complete removal of windbreaks affects efficiency in water application. Thus, this research was done to quantify the effects of windbreaks on water savings under sprinkler irrigation systems in the Canterbury region under various climatic conditions. The research was done in three major steps: (1) spray evaporation loss (SEL)was measured under various climatic conditions for two typical spray nozzles(Nelson Irrigation Corporation Rotator R3000 and Spinner S3000 nozzles) to develop SEL prediction models; (2) wind speed reduction behind windbreaks was quantified for fields under various wind conditions; and (3) the effects of wind speed reduction by windbreaks was modelled for evapotranspiration, spray evaporation loss and irrigation. The results showed that an increase of wind speed, due to the removal of windbreaks or a reduction of height of windbreaks, leads to an increase in evapotranspiration and spray evaporation losses in irrigated agriculture. For the size of the fields considered in this study which are 80 m by 80 m (Site 1 with medium porosity windbreaks) and 120 m by 120 m (Site 2 with low porosity windbreaks), extra irrigation water of up to 14% is needed in one growing season when windbreaks are reduced to 2 m in height. When windbreaks are completely removed from the field, extra irrigation water of up to 38% and 64% is needed when irrigating using the Rotator R3000 nozzle and the Spinner S3000 nozzle, respectively. Thus, reduction of water resource use can be achieved in irrigated agriculture if irrigation systems can be designed to operate under existing windbreaks. Other savings can follow, from reduced requirements for pumping, fuel and labour costs. Lastly, with future climate change projections showing that the Canterbury region will get windier and hotter, windbreaks can help mitigate water losses associated with sprinkler irrigation

Summary: When Captain Cook skirted the coastline of Canterbury in 1770, the bleak and ill-defined shores which he could make out to westward, between squalls, appeared to offer little attraction for human habitation. Cook�s first impression seems to have had a retarding influence on European interest in Canterbury, until the pursuit of the whale brought other shipping to those waters. But Cook�s impression was for once misleading; for Canterbury was at this time inhabited by the tribe of Ngaitahu (1), whose numbers have been estimated variously at from two to ten thousand (2). With their headquarters at Kaiapoi (3), a pa famous alike for the strength of its defences, the wealth of its inhabitants, and the aristocratic bearing of its chiefs, the Ngaitahu were the undisputed masters of the whole island, from the Clarence river southwards.

This thesis examines how 18 University of Canterbury students based in Christchurch experienced housing insecurity during the three years after a series of major earthquakes from late 2010 and throughout 2011. I adopted a qualitative exploratory approach to gather students’ accounts and examine their experiences which were analysed using constructivist grounded theory methods. Three core categories were identified from the data: mobility, recreating security, and loss. Mobility included the effects of relocation and dislocation, as well as how the students searched for stability. Recreating security required a renewed sense of belonging and also addressed the need to feel physically safe. Lastly, loss included the loss of material possessions and also the loss of voice and political representation. The theory that emerged from these findings is that the extent to which students were able to control their mobility largely explained their experiences of housing insecurity. When students experienced a loss of control over their mobility they effectively addressed this by being resourceful and drawing on existing forms of capital. This resourcefulness generated a new form of capital, here called security capital, which represents a conceptual contribution to existing debates on students’ experiences of homelessness in a disaster context.

The purpose of the paper is to clarify and elaborate on the theories and presentation of the performance of the General Prologue of the Canterbury Tales I gave on April 9th, 2015. Live performance is a valuable method of conveying Chaucer’s work to an audience as it allows an actor to present the many voices of Chaucer in a more liberated manner. I present my case in four sections. First, I discuss the theoretical concepts behind the performance, which includes the value of live performance over silent reading and oral recitation and how the performance should be viewed in an experimental context. I conclude that while oral recitation and silent reading are valuable, neither allows for the freedom to explore Chaucer’s many voices the way live performance does. At the same time, performance cannot replace research and thus performances like ours should be seen as experiments. Second, I discuss the historical context of the performance and how it was forged into a structural foundation. As well, I examine the manner in which the audience was involved. By using the date June 6th, 1389, we were able to create an interactive, visual means for the audience to engage with the voices. Third, I look at Chaucer’s meter, his spelling and the Middle English language in general and how these factors impacted both my rehearsal and final delivery. Ultimately, by committing to the language and Chaucer’s meter as faithfully as possible, I was able to provide a respectful and communicative relationship with the audience. Fourth, I look at three characters (Chaucer the Performer, Knight and Summoner) and how they were performed. I reveal how our performance demonstrates that each character uses many voices, not just one. Finally, I conclude by elaborating on the future of this project and how our performance has been valuable as a teaching tool as well as a means of presenting the work. Chaucer has many voices in the prologue, not just one, and true conveyance of them is most successfully achieved through live performance.

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Individual responses to natural disasters are highly variable. The psychological and behavioural response trajectories of those who manage to cope well with adverse life events are in need of further investigation. Increased alcohol use is often observed in communities exposed to mass traumas, particularly among those exposed to severe levels of trauma, with males drinking more than females. The current study examined patterns of alcohol use and motivations for drinking among a sample of psychologically resilient individuals with varying levels of exposure to the Canterbury earthquakes (N = 91) using structured and semi-structured interviews and self-report measures. As hypothesised, there was a significant increase in alcohol consumption since the earthquakes began, and males reported significantly higher levels of pre-earthquake and current alcohol consumption than females. Contrary to expectations, there was no association between traumatic exposure severity and alcohol consumption. While participants reported anxiety-based coping motives for drinking at levels comparable to those reported by other studies, depression-based coping motives were significantly lower, providing partial support for the hypothesis that participants would report coping motives for drinking at levels comparable to those found by other researchers. No gender differences in drinking motives were found. As expected, current alcohol consumption was positively correlated with anxiety and depression-based coping motives for drinking. Psychological resilience was not significantly associated with alcohol use, however resilience was negatively associated with depression-based coping motives for drinking. These findings have inter-generational and international implications for post-traumatic intervention.

No description available.

The Canterbury Roll is a fifteenth-century genealogical chronicle roll that traces the succession of English kings from Noah until the Wars of the Roses. Created in a period when genealogy and ancestry had practical and ideological meaning in society, the Canterbury Roll is symbolic of the ideas of dynasty, myth and heritage that its original creators and readers valued. This thesis departs from previous historiographical approaches to genealogical rolls by treating the Canterbury Roll as a document that reflects the political culture in which it was produced. By examining the image, text and materiality of the manuscript, the thesis develops on existing scholarship and offers insights into the depiction of political prophecies, political theories of effective kingship, the justification of royal deposition and English perceptions towards foreign kingdoms and dominions. Political prophecies on the roll reveal how genealogy and prophecy contribute to a broader sense of history and prestige that the Lancastrian kings claimed to inherit. By using mythical royal depositions, the roll justifies the removal of Richard II and the Lancastrian dynasty’s legitimacy through not only hereditary right, but also contemporary political theory that validated the ousting of ineffective kings. The thesis also establishes that the roll reveals contemporary English attitudes towards other territories such as Scotland, Wales and France, which reflect the political and diplomatic context of the period. These themes demonstrate the capacity of genealogical manuscripts to present a nuanced view of contemporary political concepts. In doing so, this thesis both provides an in-depth textual analysis of the Canterbury Roll, and contributes to the historiography of medieval genealogical literature and political thought by approaching the manuscript as a source for the political culture of early fifteenth-century England.

No description available.