Portfolio Assignment
SUS1501 – Sustainability and Greed
Student Number: 69073309
Date: 19 October 2020
Teaching Assistant Name: Prof Eccles
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.
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: D
Choice in assignment 1: D
Notes: It is morally wrong for individuals to acquire so much wealth while majority of the population
live under inhumane conditions. Something should be done about this, I find it disturbing. Yes they
work hard for their money but they should give back to the society in some way.
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: It helps me reflect what I learnt in case study seven on sustainability, we all have a very
important role to play in reducing fossil fuels. A quick quiz on ecological footprint put everything into
perspective and it is what helped me maintain my original choice. There are certain choices we make
in life without understanding the full impact; one only gets to realize whether the choice was right or
wrong when awareness is raised around the issue. It is a comforting feeling to realize a personal
opinion is the overall consensus among other people; this greatly helps towards achievement of a
goal.
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: E
Notes: Consuming more than we need creates a demand that the planet can't cope with. Natural
resources are being gobbled up faster than the Earth can replenish them. It's also struggling to cope
with the resulting waste and emissions. We take too much stuff from nature, make it into stuff we use
– from chemicals to plastics to fertilizer to smart phones to meat – and then dispose of it carelessly
into the atmosphere, the oceans and the land. I think the solution to this is to reduce human
population; we should just make that China law official in our country of having only one child.
4. “If arctic ice melting continues, we are likely to see the loss of two thirds of the world's polar bear
population within 50 years.” My personal opinion on this statement is most closely described by: a.
Who cares?
b. If it boils down to choosing between driving a luxury SUV and worrying about polar bears I’ll
take the car any day.
c. While this is sad, polar bears aren’t really very important to my personal welfare which is my
primary concern.
d. While this is sad, polar bears aren’t really very important to general human social welfare.
e. I don’t think polar bears are all that important to human welfare. However, their plight is a
symptom of climate change which is a big problem to future human welfare.
f.
I think it is morally unacceptable for humans to put their interests ahead of the rights of
other species like polar bears.
Choice now: F
Choice in assignment 1: F
Notes: One of my favorite species are polar bears, they are cute and cuddly. They should be protected
at all costs. The loss of ice sea habitat from climate change is the biggest threat to the survival of polar
bears. Rather than ignoring the climate patterns in the arctic regions, we need to take active steps of
what this means to us and can we rectify this.
5. “Imagine you find out that some students get together, buy good assignments from previous years
and use them, taking care to not use the same example twice on one group site and making sure the
name of the original author is replaced by their own.” My personal opinion about this practice is
most closely described by:
a. I have heard that Unisa might be using sophisticated plagiarism detecting software like
Turnitin and, if this is the case, the chances of getting caught are just too great. I don't want
to get into trouble.
b. Not only will I participate, I am going to be the one who sells assignments next year for cash.
c. I am not sure what the rules say but if this is against the rules I won’t do it.
d. I am not sure what is the right thing to do here or what is expected of me now that I know
this?
e. The problem with cheating is that it undermines everyone's qualification, not just those who
are participating
f.
Someone needs to report this because it is intellectual fraud, and that someone is going to
be me.
Choice now: F
Choice in assignment 1: F
Notes: I will definitely report such behavior because I believe in Good morals and good deeds. It is
absolutely wrong to engage in any form of fraud whether you are doing it for your own benefit. This
is where I should be practicing the virtual ethics that we learned {do I really practice these virtues?
Can I really claim that these are my virtues? Is what I say really what I do?}.Taking someone’s work
and making it your own without acknowledging the person is a serious offence and it should not be
tolerated in any way because it also promotes laziness.
6. "#FeesMustFall" My personal opinion on this statement is most closely described by:
a. I don’t really care about this so long as no-one tries to disrupt my studies.
b. If these people want education let them earn the money to pay for it like me.
c. Education is everyone’s right, not just the right of the rich.
d. Education for everyone is in the interests of the whole country and so it should be fully
funded by the state.
e. #FeesMustFall – see you on the streets Comrades!!!!!!
Choice now: C
Choice in assignment 1: C
Notes: everyone has a right to education. Now a big challenge that we are faced with, is the cost of
education. My personal view on this is that money should not be a barrier for us to get proper
education especially higher education. So far the NSFAS program is doing a great job because they
give the poor a chance to study and have a better future.
7. “Every day some 20,000 children die prematurely from poverty related causes, mostly treatable
diseases.” My personal opinion on this statement is most closely described by:
a. Who cares?
b. It’s hard to say it, but given the rising human population, perhaps this is a blessing in
disguise for the human species as a whole
c. It’s hard to say it, but this just means less people competing with me for scarce
opportunities and resources.
d. This is morally wrong, but practically, I think that it would cost too much money to solve
e. It is morally unacceptable for a single child to die of a preventable disease and we should
collectively fix this irrespective of the cost.
Choice now: E
Choice in assignment 1: E
Notes: Utilitarianism taught me that an action is right in so far as it promotes happiness, and that the
greatest happiness of the greatest number should be the guiding principle of conduct. So it is morally
unacceptable for a child to die whilst there is a solution. As long as there is a chance that the child can
be happy then we should take action that can bring that happiness on that poor child’s life.
8. “In 2010, Whitey Basson the CEO of Shoprite earned ZAR 620,000,000.00.” My personal opinion on
this statement is most closely described by:
a. Good for him – he worked hard to earn this.
b. The only problem I have with this is that this money is in Basson’s bank account and not in
mine.
c. No problem with this. I'm sure Basson donates huge amounts to charities.
d. I think that it is morally wrong for anyone to earn that much money.
e. I think that active steps should be taken to correct such immoral executive remuneration
practices
Choice now: E
Choice in assignment 1: D
Notes: Basson’s remuneration is totally out of control, there should be some sort of a law that
restricts that kind of monies in the country. We should not allow people to have such huge amounts
while our country is full of poverty and are faced with high price hikes of basic needs.
9. "The wealth of the few depends upon the poverty of many." My personal opinion on this statement
is most closely described by:
a. So long as I am amongst the few I don't care
b. This is just not true - the rich are simply more “diligent, intelligent, and above all frugal”.
c. This is just not true – if it were not for the generous wealthy, the poor would be even poorer
than they are.
d. This is absolutely true – there is only so much wealth in the world at any one moment so if
one person has more than their share someone else has to have less than their share
e. This is absolutely true and given how much poverty there is we ought to do something about
it
Choice now: E
Choice in assignment 1: E
Notes: My choice is evident with the above remuneration of MR Basson. Poverty is very high in the
country and it is caused by unemployment mostly, even those who are employed they don’t earn
enough money to afford basic needs because they are expensive whilst busy making more money for
the wealthy /rich ones like MR Basson.
10. “One out of every five South Africans lives below the food poverty line.” My personal opinion on this
statement is most closely described by:
a. Who cares?
b. If population growth rates of the poor were not so high they wouldn’t be so poor.
c. If they worked harder, they wouldn't be so poor.
d. This is sad, but to be honest, it is not going to stop me from focusing on my own wellbeing
first.
e. I think that individually we can and should strive to eliminate poverty.
Choice now: E
Choice in assignment 1: E
Notes: I think the solution to this is job creation, because already the human population is very high
and we cannot kill people just so we can reduce poverty rate. If these poor people can just get a job so
that they can just afford basic needs I think poverty won’t be so bad. They will also afford to take their
kids to schools.
11. “Do not let's lose sight of what creates wealth. It is open markets, it is capitalism.” My personal
opinion on this statement is most closely described by:
a. Absolutely – any threats to the free market must be squashed
b. Yes – capitalism is how we create wealth, but the markets must still be managed a little
c. I’m not sure about this – I think that it might be time to consider some sort of different
economic system
d. No – the market needs to be extensively managed to ensure that the wealth that is created
is good wealth rather than bad wealth
e. Rubbish – capitalism creates monstrous wealth for a few and abject poverty for many. We
need a much more equitable economic system
Choice now: E
Choice in assignment 1: D
Notes: what I don’t like about Capitalism is that it can only benefit a few and can lead to huge
margins we have. People must have freedom to trade freely because they want to empower their
lives and in turn will create jobs
12. “It is estimated that humans are consuming natural resource at a rate that is 30% above the renewal
rate. If we continue to consume in this way we are likely to suffer dire consequences which could
include extinction.” My personal opinion on this statement is most closely described by:
a. 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
b. Yes we are consuming natural resources too fast. The first priority in solving this is to put the
brakes on human population growth.
c. Yes we are consuming natural resources too fast. The first priority in solving this is for rich
people to reduce their consumption significantly.
d. 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.
e. I don’t believe this tale of doom.
Choice now: D
Choice in assignment 1: D
Notes: Natural resources are vital for securing economic growth and development, not just today but
for future generation because what I understand is; if consumption is increasing, there can be a
greater chance of job creation.
13. "You discover that your best client is selling tickets to win cars, however, the winners are not chosen
at random. The client makes a huge profit after marketing expenses and bonuses." My personal
opinion of what should be done is most closely described by:
a. Everyone is doing this kind of thing these days but still I worry that I will get into trouble if ,
this gets out. Maybe someone should try to convince the client to stop?
b. I want to know how they decide who gets the cars. Maybe I can get one too!
c. This should be addressed in a written report so that the client can respond formally.
d. This should be discussed with the client from the perspective of the relevant laws to
urgently find a solution which will be fair for participants but also good for the business.
e. If this is a significant irregularity then it must be reported to the authorities as required in
various prescripts. If this causes the client cancel my contract then I have a duty to report
the facts to my successor.
f. I worry a lot about the victims who bought these tickets and about why they are not
adequately protected against this kind of scheme. I am going to tell the client that I do not
want his business and I am going to lobby for more effective laws and enforcement thereof.
Choice now: F
Choice in assignment 1: F
Notes: It is morally wrong to engage in such a behavior. Such people think only for themselves to
make huge profits from these kinds of schemes. I find it absurd and selfish based on the fact that we
are faced with high poverty and unemployment rate but some people only think of themselves to rob
poor people’s money thinking they have the opportunity to win the car whilst they just making
someone rich for an unfair selection. Does the car even exist though?
14. "Hard work always pays!!" My personal opinion on this statement is most closely described by: a. I
absolutely believe this.
b. The evidence supports this – look at the likes of Bill Gates.
c. Perhaps this works sometimes.
d. The evidence doesn't support this – look at mine workers in South Africa.
e. I just don't believe this.
Choice now: C
Choice in assignment 1: C
Notes: In our society, we’re told from a young age that if we work hard, we’ll be paid accordingly and
we’ll be just fine with our finances. Unfortunately, this doesn’t always mesh with reality. Sometimes
hard work does pay off sometimes it doesn’t. And getting a degree doesn’t always pay off, either.
Sometimes, you work very hard and get a good education, only to be passed over for a promotion,
find yourself unemployed or working for peanuts. The cold reality is that sometimes it’s not about
hard work. Sometimes what you end up making (or not making) is about.
15. "In 2014, Whitey Basson donated boerewors valued at R100 000 to schools in the country.” My
personal opinion on this statement is most closely described by:
a. If it were not for the good people like Basson, the lives of the poor would be so much worse
than they already are.
b. As with most wealthy people, Basson clearly takes his responsibility to society very seriously.
c. R100 000 is about 0.016% of the R620 million he earned in 2010. So if he had earned R 1
million he would have donated R161 worth of boerewors.
d. All this charity just makes rich people look like heroes that they are not.
e. How can you possibly say something as ungrateful as option d?
Choice now: A
Choice in assignment 1: C
Notes: for the fact that he tried to give back to the community counts a lot. I think we should just be
grateful that he did something other than taking all the money for himself. Donating is about doing
well for those in needs and he did that, the charity needed those boerewors. He showed that he is not
greedy.
16. “I have missed my assignment 6 deadline for SUS1501 because I had an Economics assignment
which is just more important to me.” My personal opinion of what should be done, is most closely
described by:
a. I’m going to a doctor I know to get a doctor’s certificate saying I was sick – I wasn’t really
sick.
b. I’m going to come up with a really tragic story about my best friend passing away in a car
crash and having to attend the funeral – I’m sitting with my best mate now having a good
laugh about this.
c. I really can’t afford to fail this module so I’m going to do A. above even though I really feel
bad about it.
d. I’m not going to do any of the above because there is always a chance that Unisa will find
out and charge me with misconduct.
e. I’m not going to do any of the first three above because eventually Prof Eccles is going to
stop believing these stories and then someone who really does have a problem is going to
suffer.
f. I’m not going to do any of the first three above because they are morally wrong.
Choice now: F
Choice in assignment 1: F
Notes: The most important thing about having good morals is that you get to build your character
through your actions which in turn shapes who you are as a person. Such above actions does not
represent that and at the end of the day someone who really does have a problem is going to suffer.
We need to be honest at all cost and face the consequences of our actions or penalties.
17. "Save the rhino!!" My personal opinion on this statement is most closely described by: a. Why?
b. Let the people who want to use this resource pay to protect it.
c. We have bigger problems than worrying about rhinos.
d. We must save the rhinos for our children.
e. We must save the rhinos because it is the right thing to do.
Choice now: E
Choice in assignment 1: E
Notes: I believe we have a responsibility to look after nature, as nature is what provides us with all the
necessities we need, including air to breathe, water to drink and food to eat. If we do not look after
nature, then we as a human race will also starve out. Thus I am saying it is the right thing to do, not
so much because of the Rhino, but because of what people need from nature.
We owe it to our children to preserve the animals that might end up extinct if we do not do
something about it. We will have no way of preserving our history and natural resources if we do not
start taking responsibility. We have to protect the species found in our continent as these are our
pride and joy and this is what makes Africa unique, animals generate revenue through tourism. We
have to do all we can to look after them
18. "With a shift of only 2 percent of global household income, all the great deprivations of the poorer
half of humankind could be avoided." My personal opinion on this statement is most closely
described by:
a. Who cares?
b. Let the poorest work for their money like the rest of us.
c. So long as no one takes 2 percent of my income.
d. Just proves - if poverty was an issue for the rich we would solve it by throwing money at it.
e. Let's solve it then!
Choice now: B
Choice in assignment 1: E
Notes: My initial choice was to solve the problem but I have had a mind shift, if we solve the problem
by shift of only two percent. This may push poor people to relax and rely on handouts from the rich.
We need to solve the problem by teaching them ways and means to generate income, teach them
some investment and saving principles. Empowering them to be self-sufficient is the only viable way
to help them.
19. “A woman was near death from a rare form of cancer. There was one medicine that the doctors
thought might perhaps prolong her life. This was sold at the only local pharmacy at 10 times the
cost. The woman had no medical aid cover and her only son could simply not afford the medicine.”
The most ethical option available to the son is best described by:
a. The son should not steal the medicine because he might end up in prison.
b. He should steal the medicine regardless of a possible prison sentence because saving his
mother for a few more months would bring them the most happiness.
c. He should not steal the medicine because stealing is bad and he is not a criminal; he tried to
do everything he could without breaking the law so no one can blame him for the
consequences.
d. The son should steal the medicine but also accept the prescribed punishment for the crime
and eventually pay the pharmacist what he is owed; actions should have consequences.
e. He should steal the medicine because everyone has a right to life, regardless of the law.
f.
He should not steal the medicine, because others who are fortunate enough to be able to
pay for it may need the medicine just as badly. Their lives are equally significant.
Choice now: F
Choice in assignment 1: F
Notes: stealing is not a solution and it shouldn’t be allowed at all cost. Yes the pain of losing someone
is unbearable but he must also understand that others need the medicine also and they also deserve
to live. He must just find better ways to raise the funds for the medicine
20. “Greed is good” My personal opinion of what should be done, is most closely described by:
a. It’s not good or bad. It’s just how things are.
b. Absolutely! If it wasn’t for greed we would never achieve anything.
c. I’m not sure. Sometimes I think that it’s good. At other times I think that it’s bad.
d. It depends on how you define “greed”.
e. Absolutely not! Greed is bad. It leads to much pain and suffering.
Choice now: E
Choice in assignment 1: E
Notes: Greed is not good. Greed only favors the person that is doing it and the sad part about it is that
it damages most relationships. I’m a Christian person and my belief is also against it, it is a sin against
God. Possessions and power are sought for the fulfillment of desires. Man is only partially satisfied in
his attempt to have the fulfillment of his desires, and this partial satisfaction fans and increases the
flame of craving instead of extinguishing it. Thus greed always finds an endless field of conquest and
leaves the man endlessly dissatisfied
Summary
Number unchanged: 15
Number changed: 5
Conclusion
To conclude, looking at the preceding sections of this portfolio, the most important things which I
learned in this module were to rethink about my initial choices and also learned a lot about the
theories of Kant, the three virtues, utilitarianism and greed. I have learned that greed is not good at all
as it creates unnecessary uncertainty.
I also got a chance to engage with other students, hear their opinions and thoughts; supporting our
arguments etc. this module gave me freedom to stand for what I believe in and what I feel is the right
approach to aspects of life and the society as whole.
I also got a chance to take an Ecological Footprint quiz, it seems that to support the lifestyle I’m living,
it takes 3.4 hectares of the Earth’s productive area and it requires the regenerative capacity of 1.9
planets each year. If everyone lived the same lifestyle as I do, it would take about 1.9 planets each
year to sustain the human population – shocking, isn’t it? I try to make a effort to help the
environment by purchasing organic food where possible, I don’t eat a lot of red meat products, I try to
eat foods that are in season, I drive in a carpool to work every week to save on fuel consumption, I
service my car regularly, keep my tyres properly inflated and drive the speed limit to reduce CO?
Emissions, I use energy saving appliances at my home and make minimal use of power equipment,
and still my footprint calculates that I need 1.9 earths to sustain the human population. I expected
this number to be much lower. This test reinforced my view on environmental protection.
I do not think that this quiz may be effective for immediate widespread change, but it can contribute to
creating awareness that could lead to people being more considerate of their use of the available
environmental resources. The quiz challenged my mode of thinking and what it means to be more
environmental friendly. Recognition of our ecological footprint could change the world, and therefore I
see it necessary to raise awareness to the crisis we find ourselves in. It will take collective action from
every citizen from each country, all over the world.
The assessment of my ecological footprint has opened my mind, and I therefore believe it is possible to
open everyone else’s minds by raising awareness. The most important things about the module is the
situations we come across in our everyday life or sometimes something new we learn. This module has
encouraged standing up for what I believed in and providing reasons why. I enjoyed the fact that it was
all based on how well you presented your arguments and not necessarily picking on the best answer
because the majority ruled.
My fellow students on the discussion forum also provide some good arguments for what they believe
in. I have enjoyed the introspection of the options initially selected in comparison to now. With the
first assignment I chose the options purely based on what I think are the right thing to do morally. At
that point little did I know that the module would provide me ethical views, perception in society
towards certain things. I must say I thoroughly I enjoyed this course and the freedom of standing up
for what I believe in. It is a crazy module it gave me the comfort that I can apply my skills to any
aspect in life.
REFERENCES https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Greed
http://www.academia.edu/17245257/Portfolio_Helen_Ngaba_2015
https://www.gobankingrates.com/invest/
https://friendsoftheearth.uk/natural-resources
https://www.worldwildlife.org/species/polar-bear
https://www.google.co.za/search?q=utilitarianism+definition&oq=utili&aqs=ch
rome.4.69i57j0l5.6059j0j7&sourceid=chrome&ie=UTF-8