hi! I am uviwe binase. I am 17 years old and a female. I am from a small town called Nqamakwe which is in the Eastern Cape.. I attended my primary and high school at Byletts which is located in East London. I am not that good with managing time but I am sure at trying my level best.
I study B.A in the Arts faculty. I decided to take Environmental Sustainable Studies as one of my first year modules and also one of my of university major module because of the patience and desire that I noticed when I had to deal with the Environmental issue's or nature.

At my previous school I studied life science and geography, that's where my interest with dealing with the environment begun. I wanted to reduce things like pollution, impacts on the biological diversity, climate change and other sustainable issue's. I was also concerned about the consequence's of human production and the act of consuming environmental sustainability. Things like rural urban migration are one of the things that pushed me to study environmental studies because they play the most role in our planet. They overpopulate urban areas causing things like traffic gem, diseases and some other problem.Looking at how rural urban migration took place gave me no choice at not taking environmental sustainable studies as one of my subjects.

Donella H.Meadows said 'a sustainable world could be very much better than the one we live in today' that's what I always say because people see it as a world to move towards but not reluctantly but joyfully, not with a severe of sacrifice but with a sense of adventure.

 

  

hi every one my name is Wesley Stoffels i am a 19 year, first year student at uwc studying environmental and water science Bsc. the reason i chose EWS is because im passionate about protecting one of planet earth's most prescious and vital resource which is water, recent studies predict that South africa is slowly running out of fresh drinkable water, and so my dream is to be on the forefront of creating new ideas to combat this problem we face, in the near future.

here is abit about me, i love the outdoors and being in nature, i also enjoy growing my own fuits and vegatable. i am a strong believer in living sustainable and educating others about living sustainable ways in living, by growing their own produce and inform them of ways of saving water. we only have one planet and we need to protect it like its our lives.

A little about me

My name is Remano Lee-Roy Bosch, and i am one of three children of which i am the youngest, of late we are just tow as my eldest sister passed away tragically, I have both my parents and this year they will be married for 32years, I live in Scottsdene Kraaifontain and attended Bernadino Hights high high school.

I am currently a arts student and would like to get my BA degree in Geography so i could become a Urban and Regional planner, I am doing the ESS course for back ground knowledge which could help me in geography and as well as in the long run for job opportunity's.

My goal is to finish my degree as soon as possible so i can find a good job to help and support my family so we could possibly move out of the community we live in as it is mostly gang driven, this is also one of my motivations as to finish my studies as soon as possible and make a success of my life         

My name is John-Jerome Pedro, I was born in Cape Town and grew up in East London. I am 19 years old, and this is my second year at UWC, last year I completed the foundation year programme.

After this 4year course I would like to achieve a degree in Geography, and the reason why I chose to do ESS111 is because it is in perfect partnership with Geography. ESS will have a good impact on my studies, because environmental sciences is apart of Geography.

I am very fond of nature and the environment and how things work together and ESS will give me a larger understanding of the different relationships between humans and the environment, as well as the various factors that contribute to environmental changes. Studying this subject will give students solutions to worldly environmental problems.

ESS will also give one the understanding of sustainability, to better your community with fresher water, fresher air and healthy soils. I am particularly interested in climatology and meterology which deals with the research of weather and climate. ESS contains sections that focus on climatology.. In the end I want to specialize in meterology and doing ESS will be to my benefit.

My name is Ghouthia Toffa, I am an 18 year old, first year Biodiversity and Conservation Biology student. I have a passionate interest in protecting the environment and conserving it, not only for us, but also for the animals, plants, and all the other types of life we share our planet with.

I started caring for the environment at a young age, and even though it started out as little things, like recycling and consistently donating to charities, I eventually ventured into things like volunteer work, and now here I am, choosing this as future career path.

I love art, painting especially, and I always try and incorporate nature into my work. We’re surrounded by such beautiful wonderments, yet so few people see how amazing the natural structure of things are.  When I say this, I speak not of one of the 7 wonders of the world, but of things that may seem far less insignificant to you. I speak of the little things… Waking up to clear skies and chirping birds, the fresh smell of rain, or nights where you could look and actually see the stars, geological footprints, fossils. Cliché as that may sound, it’s what I yearn for.  Global warming is the result of our ongoing pollution caused by our negligence on the environment. Although the damage is already done, the least we could do is ensure that it doesn’t get any worse.  And that is exactly what I intend to do.

My focus for my studies will be earth sciences and ESS. I hope to some day be the director in organizing projects such as mining locations and preventing things like soil erosions in correspondence with construction.

Greetings to all my name is Nomanesi Makhonco,and I live in khayelithsa a place that has mostly got informal dwellings, although I am one of the fortunate ones to live in a formal house, I do not feel as proud as one would expect me to be the reason is that there are still millions of people without proper houses, what pains me even more is the fact that millions of children live there also .Now on a lighter note I am currently at the UNIVERSITY OF THE WESTERN CAPE,I am doing my first year and I have chosen to study for a degree in Environmental and Water Science (EWS).What made me take this course is that I have always wanted to be an EVIRONMENTALIST ever since I was a child I have always felt the need to protect "MOTHER EARTH".One of the modules that I took was EVIRONMENTAL SUSTAINABILITY (ESS),I choose ESS because when I went through the course outline it was exactly as I would have preferred, It shows us how we as humans treat the environment and tries to come up with solutions on how we can combat the current crisis that we are facing as the world and that is CLIMATE CHANGE.Climate change affects everyone and anyone,my feeling towards this is that many people donot know about global warming or climate change , I feel I too need to educate my self so that I can educate others especially where I live.Like I said climate change affects everyone and anyone and that is why we need to work together to get things done sooner,because if we keep on leaving people in the dark about these things we will go nowhere,for example most people think that global warming is a myth and that it is something that is far away from them. And this what I want to change,people need to be educated about these things and I feel that I am Obligated to teach them.

Hey y'all, my name Sierra Hammer and I was born in Mocweding in the North West. I moved to Hartswater in 2001 to start primary shool than I moved to Kimberley in 2004 and finished my primary schooling there. I matriculated from Kimberley Girls High School in 2012. The only sport that I'm currently very good at is walking, I played netball and danced in primary, I continued dancing in high school and stopped in grade 10. I'm a shy girl, quite at most times and friendly. I tolerate a lot of things but not rudeness. I enjoy camping, singing, dancing hip hop, ice-cream, sleeping and watching TV. I chose to do ESS because I care about the environment I want to be part of the decision making of how to sustain it not only for future generations but for nature itself.

I am 20yr old,enthusiastic 1st year Arts student...super inquisitive,with a continual budding curiousity as to how everything  fits together.What relationships we share with our surroundings..having chosen ESS as a subject im hoping to have found that very vital key into unlocking issues that are still considered very sensitive topics concerning the environment and the planet in which we live.

I feel that gaining knoweledge and insight to the environment would be beneficial in the sense that it equipts me with a good,solid foundation on understanding these concepts and relationships.It is considered equally important to equipt myself with the right ammunition to attack conflicting concepts and participate actively in debates surrounding fairly taboo topics(those which one dares not approach).-Through knoweledge I hope to broaden my spectrum of thought,awareness is the definite key to changing and constructive approaches.

I end this off by note...encouraging all of those reading this to engage with me on my quest to finding answers and growing intellect on the environment.This does concern all of us and our wellbeing and that of which we love.Remember that Knoweledge is Power!take this as no understatement..

Quinton Matheson

I have always admired and respected the environment, however, it was only until after a humanities course with Delphi Carstens that it became something I wanted to protect and conserve. As an atheist I see nature as the only evidence for an omnipresent, all powerful god... This proposition is not uncommon and predates monotheistic religions. The ancients feared the environment, its 'wrath' and praised it in personification. Egyptian God Rah who hauled the Sun from East to West each day, the Greek God Poseidon God of the seas and Chaac, the Mayan god who brought rain.  Recently biologist James Lovelock gave the collection of the collection of life in its interlocked symbiosis the name Gaia after the Greek god Gaia, personifier of the Earth. In my opinion praise for the environment, mythological and scientific has more insight than the modern religions. Humanity cannot eat, drink or breath faith. We do however obtain sustenance from Gaia.... I just wish more people would realise it. For this reason I am happy to be apart of Environmental & Sustainability Studies, to learn how to protect and conserve the Environment. 

Who am I?

Who am I? It may seem like only three words, but can actually take a life time to explain.

As I got older and my knowledge in life expanded it got easier to answer this question. I am Andrin Gilfellon, was born and raised in Paarl. As a baby I only weight 1.85kg. At the age of five all my friends went to crèche except me. You can call it a blessing or cures. I was very unhappy at first but as I look back I am starting to see how that decision is benefiting my life, and all my choices.

While my friends were busy colouring in and drawing shapes, my mother taught me how to write and count. At a young age my mother prepared me for primary school and life. 

In primary school I felt like the needle in the haystack. So many kids, so many friends, so many people. I knew I had to stay focused. That was a skill I had to develop and kept on practising.

In a blink all that was over. I had to greet, but was grateful for the teachers I had on William Lloyd Primary. It felt like they did not just taught me academically but spiritually as well.

High school started. At first it was a bit too much too cope with, but as I settled in it got easier with the day. Sport was always a good way too free my mind. I joined the table tennis team and earned my provincial colours.I matriculated at Klein Nederburg Secondary in the year 2012.

So who am I? I am Andrin Gilfellon born and raised in Paarl. I am proud to say:” I am a learner because life is all about learning and growing; not just physically or mentally but spiritually as well.   

  

My name is abongile mboto, born n bred in rietvlei, a location in kwazulu natal. I matriculated in 2012 at Harding secondary school. I'd describe myself as a down to earth person, i don't like loud people because i can't keep up with them. Though I'm very bubbly n talkative most people would never say unless ofcourse u take the time to get to know me. I'm not a sports person but i do like rugby n golf. my hobbies include gardening and automotive work n i love working with power tools. to all my class mates..take care

ESS changing lives

Hi guys, it's Vincent once again. I just want to share some of the fascinating facts I have just encountered ever since I registered for the ESS module. I used to be an ignorant guy when it comes to the environment and taking care of it. I would say that it is entirely of privilege that the university has introduced such a prominent subject. Today, I have learned that the environment belongs to us all, and it is in our hands that we see to it the surroundings are of excellent conditions. Last night, I read on News24 about the environmental NGO laying criminal charges against the mining company in the platinum industry in the North West province. The mine has an open cast operating just next to the Pilanesburg Nature Reserve and the are busy dumping end products near the park, which eventually contaminates the river that goes through the park. My concern is that, why aren't there any strict laws that hinder such behaviour to continue being practiced. I mean there a lot of wild animals in the park that heavily depend on the water from the river. I even wonder if the company has employees who are responsible for taking care of the environment, making sure that the surroundings where people and animals are priorities. Since I'm an aspiring geologist, I think the knowledge from this ESS module will help me shed some light in the working place because I intend to be employed in the mining industry.

ESS blog

To the classmates:

My name is Dylan Seaton. I am 19 years old and come from the southern suburbs of Cape Town. I am a simple guy that enjoys the simple things such as hanging out with friends, watching movies and chilling whenever I get the chance. I enjoy rugby, cricket and pretty much any other competitive and thrilling sport. I hardly go out of my way to meet new people and make new friends but if I find them interesting I generally strike up conversations with them.
I went to Bergvliet Primary and High School and matriculated in 2012. I played rugby throughout my school career and enjoyed every minute of it. I am a fairly hard worker and always see things through to the end.
The one thing that I have always had a passion for in school and still now is the environment and what life holds outside.

I believe that the environment is the most important part of life as it holds and gives so much to everyone that lives in it. For obvious examples; the plants provide food, oxygen and shelter, animals provide food and utilities and the list can go on. The way humanity is destroying our environment can lead to so many problems unresolved. For example; there are so many undiscovered species of plants and animals still left that could be the answer to curing many diseases such as cancer or HIV/AIDS.
Also who would want to live in a future where there is nothing but museums and statues of what our world used to look like. Every child should experience climbing a tree or going to a petting zoo of some sort, but we are heading to a future where that might not happen.

I'm sure that if everyone on earth would work together we could all make the world a better place and make a brighter future. Something as simple as turning off your light when you are not using it or turning off the tap when brushing your teeth can make a big difference. We should take recycling to another level where everyone participates.
It is important to save the environment because we still do not know what mother nature holds.

Thanks for reading :)

My name is Timothy Petersen and i am 19 years old. I am in my 1st year of university studying Environmental and water studies.

I am a person that loves the outdoors. I love being outside, hiking, climbing, cycling, etc. Working in nature has always been my dream job, from working with animal and plants to protecting the environment against pollution. Ive also thought about helping those in Africa that has no water or basic needs, having this career choice could create opportunities for me to help those people.

The reason why i chose ESS is because it allows us to have the opportunity to save our world for the coming generations, so that they too can live in a world where they are able to experience the fullness of nature. This subject will make people aware of the dangers we face regarding our planet and the people that live in it. In this subject we as a class can make a difference in this world because we will be taught how to do exactly that. It all starts with us, we can make a difference or not. This subject is only giving us an opportunity to make a difference in this world.

 

Hi.  My name is Courtney Barends.  I am a first year student at UWC.  I was born in Cape Town but was raised in a little town called Vredenburg.  I matriculated at Weston High School.  I'm an easy going guy that loves sport and having a good time with friends and family. 

My hobbies are cricket, rugby, golf, going to the gym, eating and swimming.  Very few people know that I actualy loves nature and will do everything in my power to preserve it.  I love the beauty of it and that is why choose ESS to expand my knowledge of it and to inform my of what is happening in nature

I really admire the animals that are found in nature such as Tigers and Sharks.  I would like to change the way people are consuming products that is, in a way, hurting our planet. By taking this course, I hope to get a better understanding of why the Earth is "dying". 

Where I come from, there is a little appreciation for nature and I hope to change that. Even though we have a nature reserve, the West Coast Nature Reserve, I feel it is not being regarded as important for the people of the West Coast.

By completing my studies, I want to go back to th West Coast and make it more "green" and as in fact, a sancuary for nature lovers in South Africa.  My goal is to inform people of eco-living and to teach them hou to preserve nature. 

Hi people, my name is Zolisa Ngqamsholo aged 19 this year. Am from the Eastern Cape in a small township known as Dimbaza, which is situated 15km away from King Williams Town. I passed my matric in a local school named Archie Velile Senior Secondary School, am a shy person at first sight but can be very jokey around people am used to. I am not involved in any sport yet but my favourite sport is rugby and i enjoy watching it during my spare time whenever theres a match. My hobbies are watching television, listening to music, jogging and eating.

I have never had any environmental interests as a child and knew nothing about the importance of conserving the environment until i took part in the Aqua Enduro project which is campaigned by the Department of  Water Affairs and aims in building tomorrow's water scientists and engineers. My interest in the environment is basically water and plants (especially indigenous plants). South Africa is faced by a big challenge of water scarcity, with only 1% out of 100% of the water that we have is suitable for drinking. Even though it may seem theres a lot of water on earth but some of it cannot be used as a source of quality water. We can further argue and say it can be purified, actually that would mean more costs and will end up affecting consumers.

Our indigenous plants are also faced with a challenge of becoming extinct due to large numbers of alien invasive plants in the country. The reason why i chose ESS is because it dwells more on the concepts of the environment and it deals with every aspect that is concerning it.

As upcoming scientists we need to come up with new innovative ways to save the environment from its declining status without harming anything else that is within the environmental cycle. In that manner we will be able to sustain the environment for a much longer time and the future generations can enjoy the benefits.

Good day to my fellow earth lovers!

My name is Tarryn Ernstzen and i am currently part of the 4 year BA course, my current majors are Anthropology and Psychology. I was in Foundation year last year so this is technically my second year at UWC.

I am particularly interested in finding innovative ways in which we as human beings can help to sustain our Planet. I find our species as well as other species very fascinating, and I would like to learn more about how humans intergrate themselves into nature and vice versa.

there are many concerns about the rapid pace at which humans are consuming the planet by using all the Earths natural resources. Hopefully the ESS 111 course can shed some light on the environmental problems that we face, and help us to find ways in which we can take better care of the environment.

hy ma ppl,guys im in need of an ess study group. hala @  me f u willing 2 help

My name is Monique Weber - no second name; although this is my second year at UWC, studying Law. As Environmental and Sustainable Studies is one of my non-legal elective, I can freely say that it is very interesting and not a lecture goes by where I’m not fascinated by each topic. Last year, I did Humanities as a non-legal course which ultimately laid the foundation for the passion I have for this course.

The interest I've always had for the environment, is now channeled in this course. To learn about the changing environment and how the forces of nature impact the Earth we live on, completely intrigues me. Recently, we discussed the topic of the Earth as it was when it was known as Pangaea; listening attentively, I was eager to hear more. All this information from just a week of lectures, it really grew on me.

The reason for choosing Environmental and Sustainable Studies, honestly, is that the entire subject of the changing environment captivates me. However, the fact that I can practice law and as well as having an understanding of the environment, will benefit me greatly throughout future opportunities. As the interest for Environmental Law increases, so does my chance of practicing in that field.

My name is Safiyyah Mahomed-An intoxicating night of craziness has passed. I cannot begin to describe the adrenaline that vigorously pumped through my veins as I had witnessed the killing of our beloved Rhino just for its horns.

I am a hardworking, determined girl that is really passionate about the environment .I am also quiet soft spoken and kind. I love animals epecially cats and birds. I like helping endangered and injured animals it brings real joy and accomplishment to my heart when seeing these animals happy and chirpy. Animals should have the right to a healthy pollution free environment. It really saddens me to see deformation taking place just for man; deforestation is not only harming our planet but also destroying natural habitats resulting in many species being extinct.

Global warming is not just a fairy tale, it is reality! .Temperatures amplify around the world, many ice caps are melting causing animals to drown. The ozone layer is getting depleted and man is to blame for all these events taking place .Man is egocentric and these are the reasons why I choose environment and sustainability.

I believe the only meaning to success is contentment, not just in your heart but being content and happy with what you do. I always wanted to do something that benefits others especially animals, not because of the money but because I want to make a difference. I want to see animals live free, in a poacher free clean environment. I want to be the one that stops deforestation and encourages reforestation not just for my contentment but to make the world a global warming free environment.

My Self and My Environment

My Self and My Environment

Environment plays a big role in humans. We are more influence by our environment than culture. I personally been influence more by the environments I grow up in, both rural and township. My interests, desires, behavior, etc normally reflex this.

I'm a law student, an HIV/AIDS Peer Educator and an outgoing individual. I enjoy interacting with people on a daily basis. I'm an extrovert and I have the ability to adapt to any situation. A good example of this would be my move to Cape Town from KZN which actually brought out the best in me as I was able to unleash my true potential in the classroom and in my extracurricular activities. I care about myself and my surroundings. Even though I stay at res

I still make sure I take care of the environment, one way or the other. I can safely say I've grown because being at University has enabled me to view life differently. Having interacted with people from all walks of life, I've learn that one's environment tends to have an influence on the person they become. I'm grateful to have been given this opportunity to study in Cape Town, I've learn to be more gracious, diligent and assertive because it’s an opportunity of a lifetime and the best I can do is give back. This prompted my decision to become an HIV/AIDS peer educator because in as much as this disease is deadly and infecting people on the daily basis, we as youngsters have to take a stand and raise awareness so that we don't fall into the same trap. Moving from Durban to Cape Town I've notice that these are two different environments

I’m taking this course as an elective, because I’m interested in pursuing environmental law in future.

Hello

 My name is Lisa Ziegler and I am a BCB ( Biodiversity and Conservation biology) student. Biodiversity and conservation is really important and in today's world people don't understand how much harm they are inflicting on mother nature. Taking on the concept of 'Going Green' is what everyone should be striving for and it's something that I strongly support and that is the reason why I chose ESS as one of my modules. It is one of those modules or courses for that matter that I think everyone should take as it teaches us about conserving the environment, social awareness in terms of the environment as well as our involvement in implementing those concepts of 'going green'. Since I was small, going to the beach and going on many trips to nature reserves really pushed me in the direction of biology and conservation. I was very fortunate as I job shadowed at The Two Oceans aquarium and that experience was unforgettable. I then realised that I wanted to be involved in marine life aspiring to be a marine biologist. I really love the nature.

ENVIRONMENTAL SUSTAINABILITY

Greetings to everyone. My name is Mduduzi, and I feel very special to discuss about the concept of environment and my relation with it. Basically I  am from Durban. Completing my matric last year made me to realise which career path to pursue, after attaining exceptionally  good result in subjects related to the environment. Furthermore my passion concerning environmental matters developed in lower grades. I once participated in a competition, where we had to invent projects that could address specifically environmental issues. It then happened that I progressed up to an international competition, representing the country. Nevertheless, my passion in sustaining the environment has rapidly enhanced since then. unfortunately in my society most people are unaware of the fact that keeping the environment in a good state is like an investment as it will ultimately offer extremely good credits  for the next generation to come. It seems not too mandatory to contribute  positively, as they will no longer be there apparently. This behaviour mobilised and inspired  me to constantly continue with environmental studies in order to give aid back to my society, make them understand, and to the country as a whole. Secondly I was prompted by the actions of most S.A industries. An industry called Hullamin (production of iron) during the processing , all residues secreted from an iron  are directed to the river though the pipes where aquatic life get to be affected. All these various negative things that people apply make me understand why i must be environmentally wise. Research has been done and clearly indicated that people especially previously disadvantaged do not value the environment as they should, and as it does to them.It is up to us to transform their minds, through knowledge.

My name is Amy Schroeder and i am a proud Biodiversity and conservation biology student. I am so thrilled to be doing this program because Environmental and sustainability studies is an elective. I chose this subject because i am very passionate abut the environment and what we can do to make it better. From a young age I've always loved and cared for animals and nature. As I'm growing up i am seeing the environment changing for the worst and it is affecting the two most precious things that i care so deeply about, animals and nature. Seeing all the destruction that is happening to our land hurts me but it also allows me to think that if i can learn how to make a real difference and how to sustain and be more "green" as a person, I'm sure i can try and teach my community to make a difference. I know that with choosing ESS i can definitely learn skills to try and help the environment. I would love to help people understand what is happening to our planet and show them that you can live your life and do your job,whatever it may be but to do it in a healthier way towards the environment. ESS can help me teach different ways of how to make people aware about the  situations happening to our land. The environment is where us humans live and where we can only live. We need to protect and save our homes.