Portfolio Assignment
SUS1501 – Sustainability and Greed
Student Number: 49271431
Date: October 12, 2016
Teaching Assistant Name: Schalk Gerber
Declaration:
By submitting this portfolio, I implicitly declare that this is my own work except for the
“Introduction” which was kindly written for me by my lecturer.
I am aware that if ANY unacknowledged copying is detected in ANY answer, I will get 0 (zero)
for the entire assignment.
Introduction
My aim in compiling this portfolio was to reflect on the things that have struck me throughout
this crazy module.
My starting point for doing this was to revisit my opinions to the multiple choice questions
which were presented in the Crossroads assignment. I present these current opinions, together
with my original opinions, and some brief notes in the section entitled: “Back at the
Crossroads!”
Once I have done this, I draw some key conclusions about this crazy module and about the
things that did indeed strike me.
Back at the Crossroads!
1. “The assets of the three richest people in the world match the combined annual GDP’s of the 48
poorest countries.” My personal opinion on this statement is most closely described by:
a. Good for them – they worked hard to get their wealth
b. The only problem I have with this is that this money is in their bank account and not in mine
c. No problem with this – many of these people give huge amounts to charities
d. I think that it is morally wrong for anyone to have that much money
e. I think that active steps should be taken to correct such immoral wealth imbalances
Choice now: A
Choice in assignment 1: A
, 2. “Unless fossil-fuel use slows dramatically, the earth’s average temperature could rise by six degrees
Celsius in the next 100 years.” My personal opinion on this statement is most closely described by:
a. Who cares?
b. I don’t believe this climate change nonsense
c. Six degrees will make winters much more bearable to me personally
d. I’m a bit concerned about this, but there is nothing that I can do about it
e. I’m a bit concerned about this, but why should I invest my personal time, effort or money in
solving a general social problem.
f. I think that individually we can and should strive to solve this problem for the greater good
Choice now: F
Choice in assignment 1: F
Notes: Utilitarianism - a philosophical approach I tend to side with very often when it comes to matters
of the survival of the human race. I now have fresh eyes and knowledge to explain my answer further -
taking a non-anthropocentric view I see that we will be made extinct by our actions while the earth
keeps happily spinning around on its merry way. When we say we need to save the planet, we need to
remember that we need to save it for ourselves - not for some second owner who’s going to come along
and buy it from us one day. The most instrumentally valuable resources are all on Earth, if we run out we
are done, kaput - unless of course Elon gets his Mars colony in order…
3. “If the present growth trends in world population, industrialization, pollution, food production, and
resource depletion continue unchanged, the limits to growth on this planet will be reached
sometime within the next one hundred years. The most probable result will be a rather sudden and
uncontrollable decline in both population and industrial capacity.” My personal opinion on this
statement is most closely described by:
a. I don’t believe this tale of doom.
b. Yes we are consuming natural resources too fast, but I don’t think this is a problem as there
is plenty of time to find technological solutions to problems that emerge
c. Yes we are consuming natural resources too fast. The first priority in solving this is to put the
brakes on human population growth.
d. Yes we are consuming natural resources too fast. The first priority in solving this is for rich
people to reduce their consumption significantly.
e. Yes we are consuming natural resources too fast. The first priority is for poor people to not
have more kids than they can afford.
f. Yes we are consuming natural resources too fast. And frankly I don’t see any solution
because increasing consumption is the basis of our economic growth.
Choice now: C
Choice in assignment 1: C
SUS1501 – Sustainability and Greed
Student Number: 49271431
Date: October 12, 2016
Teaching Assistant Name: Schalk Gerber
Declaration:
By submitting this portfolio, I implicitly declare that this is my own work except for the
“Introduction” which was kindly written for me by my lecturer.
I am aware that if ANY unacknowledged copying is detected in ANY answer, I will get 0 (zero)
for the entire assignment.
Introduction
My aim in compiling this portfolio was to reflect on the things that have struck me throughout
this crazy module.
My starting point for doing this was to revisit my opinions to the multiple choice questions
which were presented in the Crossroads assignment. I present these current opinions, together
with my original opinions, and some brief notes in the section entitled: “Back at the
Crossroads!”
Once I have done this, I draw some key conclusions about this crazy module and about the
things that did indeed strike me.
Back at the Crossroads!
1. “The assets of the three richest people in the world match the combined annual GDP’s of the 48
poorest countries.” My personal opinion on this statement is most closely described by:
a. Good for them – they worked hard to get their wealth
b. The only problem I have with this is that this money is in their bank account and not in mine
c. No problem with this – many of these people give huge amounts to charities
d. I think that it is morally wrong for anyone to have that much money
e. I think that active steps should be taken to correct such immoral wealth imbalances
Choice now: A
Choice in assignment 1: A
, 2. “Unless fossil-fuel use slows dramatically, the earth’s average temperature could rise by six degrees
Celsius in the next 100 years.” My personal opinion on this statement is most closely described by:
a. Who cares?
b. I don’t believe this climate change nonsense
c. Six degrees will make winters much more bearable to me personally
d. I’m a bit concerned about this, but there is nothing that I can do about it
e. I’m a bit concerned about this, but why should I invest my personal time, effort or money in
solving a general social problem.
f. I think that individually we can and should strive to solve this problem for the greater good
Choice now: F
Choice in assignment 1: F
Notes: Utilitarianism - a philosophical approach I tend to side with very often when it comes to matters
of the survival of the human race. I now have fresh eyes and knowledge to explain my answer further -
taking a non-anthropocentric view I see that we will be made extinct by our actions while the earth
keeps happily spinning around on its merry way. When we say we need to save the planet, we need to
remember that we need to save it for ourselves - not for some second owner who’s going to come along
and buy it from us one day. The most instrumentally valuable resources are all on Earth, if we run out we
are done, kaput - unless of course Elon gets his Mars colony in order…
3. “If the present growth trends in world population, industrialization, pollution, food production, and
resource depletion continue unchanged, the limits to growth on this planet will be reached
sometime within the next one hundred years. The most probable result will be a rather sudden and
uncontrollable decline in both population and industrial capacity.” My personal opinion on this
statement is most closely described by:
a. I don’t believe this tale of doom.
b. Yes we are consuming natural resources too fast, but I don’t think this is a problem as there
is plenty of time to find technological solutions to problems that emerge
c. Yes we are consuming natural resources too fast. The first priority in solving this is to put the
brakes on human population growth.
d. Yes we are consuming natural resources too fast. The first priority in solving this is for rich
people to reduce their consumption significantly.
e. Yes we are consuming natural resources too fast. The first priority is for poor people to not
have more kids than they can afford.
f. Yes we are consuming natural resources too fast. And frankly I don’t see any solution
because increasing consumption is the basis of our economic growth.
Choice now: C
Choice in assignment 1: C
