SUS1501 Assignment 7 (COMPLETE
ANSWERS) Semester 2 2024
SUS1501 - ASSIGNMENT 7
SUSTAINABILITY AND GREED
(UNIVERSITY OF SOUTH AFRICA)
, lOMoAR cPSD| 47246239
Part A
I am going to start this assignment with a poignant quote from Albert Einstein:
“We can’t solve problems by using the same kind of thinking we used when we created them”.
(Einstein A., 1934)
Now that I have calculated my ecological footprint, I find that there is an interesting situation that
I have to deal with when it comes to unpacking my ethical thinking in this assignment. I spend
about 9 months of the year living and studying in Cape Town. While I am in Cape Town, my
ecological footprint is 5.7 gha, with a 9.3 tonnes/year CO2 emissions level. This is in stark contrast
to the time I spend on my family’s farm in Eston, Kwa-Zulu Natal. On the farm, my ecological
footprint is 2.1 gha, with a 3.2 tonnes/year CO2 emissions level.
Re-reading the “Sustainability” section in the learning units and looking at the UNDP HDI in
particular, I feel quite uneasy that when I am in Cape Town I have a “European” ecological
footprint. It starts to make me think about how easily we are influenced by the people and
environment surrounding us. When on the farm, it is easier to have an ecological footprint closer
to the global average because the norm is to recycle (lack of municipal waste removal), grow one's
own food and only travel to town when it is needed. When living in a metropolis however, you are
swept away by consumerism and things like lattés and fast food are the order of the day. Even
those who profess to be gluten-free vegans purchase prepared meals that use many resources,
particularly water. I was shocked to see how much water goes into producing a kilogram of
tomatoes, beef and even soy. I am reminded by Kant's writings how unsustainable my ecological
footprint is, because if everyone on Earth lived the way that I live while in Cape Town, we would
need quite a handful of planets – and those are quite hard to find.
Part B
As Prof Eccles put it:
“Bottom line, if you are anthropocentric in your outlook, just make sure that you
don’t lose sight of your place in nature. Also bear in mind that an anthropocentric
viewpoint lacks a spiritual sense of awe, wonder and gratitude towards the natural
world.”
This view is well-balanced, in the sense that it acknowledges our tendency to be
anthropocentric. There is nothing wrong with this. We live (cosmologically
speaking) on a rock that is floating through a rather hostile environment. If we don’t
put ourselves first, then who will? What I appreciate though, is the
acknowledgement of our place on this planet. We depend on the planet more than
it depends on us. If we are going to safeguard our future, we need to safeguard the
planet’s biodiversity. What I am saying in the above arguments has come from
contemplating what I do, and so I can safely say that I do see an alignment.
ANSWERS) Semester 2 2024
SUS1501 - ASSIGNMENT 7
SUSTAINABILITY AND GREED
(UNIVERSITY OF SOUTH AFRICA)
, lOMoAR cPSD| 47246239
Part A
I am going to start this assignment with a poignant quote from Albert Einstein:
“We can’t solve problems by using the same kind of thinking we used when we created them”.
(Einstein A., 1934)
Now that I have calculated my ecological footprint, I find that there is an interesting situation that
I have to deal with when it comes to unpacking my ethical thinking in this assignment. I spend
about 9 months of the year living and studying in Cape Town. While I am in Cape Town, my
ecological footprint is 5.7 gha, with a 9.3 tonnes/year CO2 emissions level. This is in stark contrast
to the time I spend on my family’s farm in Eston, Kwa-Zulu Natal. On the farm, my ecological
footprint is 2.1 gha, with a 3.2 tonnes/year CO2 emissions level.
Re-reading the “Sustainability” section in the learning units and looking at the UNDP HDI in
particular, I feel quite uneasy that when I am in Cape Town I have a “European” ecological
footprint. It starts to make me think about how easily we are influenced by the people and
environment surrounding us. When on the farm, it is easier to have an ecological footprint closer
to the global average because the norm is to recycle (lack of municipal waste removal), grow one's
own food and only travel to town when it is needed. When living in a metropolis however, you are
swept away by consumerism and things like lattés and fast food are the order of the day. Even
those who profess to be gluten-free vegans purchase prepared meals that use many resources,
particularly water. I was shocked to see how much water goes into producing a kilogram of
tomatoes, beef and even soy. I am reminded by Kant's writings how unsustainable my ecological
footprint is, because if everyone on Earth lived the way that I live while in Cape Town, we would
need quite a handful of planets – and those are quite hard to find.
Part B
As Prof Eccles put it:
“Bottom line, if you are anthropocentric in your outlook, just make sure that you
don’t lose sight of your place in nature. Also bear in mind that an anthropocentric
viewpoint lacks a spiritual sense of awe, wonder and gratitude towards the natural
world.”
This view is well-balanced, in the sense that it acknowledges our tendency to be
anthropocentric. There is nothing wrong with this. We live (cosmologically
speaking) on a rock that is floating through a rather hostile environment. If we don’t
put ourselves first, then who will? What I appreciate though, is the
acknowledgement of our place on this planet. We depend on the planet more than
it depends on us. If we are going to safeguard our future, we need to safeguard the
planet’s biodiversity. What I am saying in the above arguments has come from
contemplating what I do, and so I can safely say that I do see an alignment.
