Portfolio Template 2022

Portfolio Assignment
SUS1501 – Sustainability and Greed

Student Number: 62701231
Date: 11/5/2022
Teaching Assistant Name: Neil Stuart 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.
I am aware that if ANY unacknowledged copying is detected in ANY answer, I will get 0 (zero)
for the entire assignment.
Instructions:
• Please read the instructions on myUnisa carefully.

• Please download the most up to date version of this template from the additional resources tool
on myUnisa.
• Go through the MCQs again, and record your current choice in the template (we suggest that
you don’t look at your original choices before you have been through all questions)
• For each question, record your original choice in assignment 1. (If you have forgotten your
original choices, you can find these as in the Self Assessments tool. For Assignment 1 click on
“Feedback” and you will find your choices).
• Jot down AT LEAST 10 notes reflecting on your choices for any of the 20 questions.
• Each note must be AT LEAST 100 words long
• Write your conclusion of AT LEAST 500 words
• Your notes and conclusion should include references to the theory that we covered.
• Your notes and conclusion should also make reference to discussions with fellow students that
you found meaningful.
• Save the file as a Word document with a short name (myUnisa will reject files with long names).
• Submit this file into the Assignments tool on myUnisa.
• Take a screen grab of the final submission acknowledgement on myUnisa and save this
somewhere safe in case of any disputes.
• Check under the Assignments tool that there is a date in the “Processed” cell for the SUS1501
Portfolio.
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MINIMUM REQUIREMENTS CHECKLIST – i.e. if you do not fulfill ALL of these you will NOT pass this
portfolio:
1. Correct template version used

2. All 20 multiple choice question original answers captured
3. All 20 multiple choice question answers now captured
4. Notes for AT LEAST ten (10) questions
5. Each note AT LEAST 100 words long
6. Conclusion present
7. Conclusion AT LEAST 500 words long
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. “Show me a great fortune and I’ll show you a great crime.” (a translation from Honoré de Balzac) My
personal opinion on this statement is most closely described by:
a. Clearly Balzac had taken too much hashish when he wrote that!
b. It is completely possible to make a fortune by legal means – in fact this is what I intend to do
in my life.
c. I don't care - watch out Elon Musk, here I come!
d. I think that this is absolutely true.
e. Even if great fortunes are acquired in a technically legal way, they are always morally
problematic.
Choice now: A
Choice in assignment 1: E
Notes:
2. “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: C
Notes: I have changed my choice, so this means in no longer the same as from assignment 1 The lives
of polar bears are just as important as human lives. Human activity contributes significantly to global
warming, which causes climate change and, as a result, ice melt. Polar bears thrive in icy
environments and were designed to live in extremely cold climates condition not like other species.
Humans should not think only about themselves only they should attempt by all means by protecting
these polar bears. Steps should be taken to address this problem and try to find a solution about all
this.
3. “Of the top 10 wealthiest people (all men), seven are tech billionaires. Their net worth is US$ 847
billion or ZAR 13 trillion!” My personal opinion on this statement is most closely described by:
a. I think that such wealth is utterly immoral when there is so much poverty and suffering in
the world and so active steps should be taken to correct this.
b. These billionaires are all tech visionaries and deserve every cent of their wealth because of
their brilliance.
c. Why would anyone want or need that amount of money?
d. These are my heroes. I aspire to be like them.
e. Bill Gates is one of them and look at how much money he is giving to the poor through the
Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation
Choice now: D
Choice in assignment 1: E
Notes: these are my heroes and I genuinely seek to be exactly like them because I grew up in a
business family and I am acknowledged on how nice do you live if you have your own money , Being
able to afford any kind of life you want and live the way you want to live it and genuinely leave a
world know legacy , I aspire to be like bill gate , invert my own business idea that will make a huge
change in this Monopoly world we live in today and I also believe that if anyone can brainstorm , go to
school use your ideas efficiently then we won’t have a problem we all can make our own money.
4. “60% of the world’s cobalt is mined in the DRC. Significant amounts of this is mined under appalling
conditions often by child labourers.” My personal opinion on this statement is most closely
described by:
a. What’s cobalt got to do with to me?
b. The DRC is a long way from where I live so I don’t really care.
c. This is just a fact of global supply chains and necessary for global economic growth, which is
in everyone’s best interest.
d. I wonder who is profiting out of this?
e. It breaks my heart to see children exploited. This is morally wrong and must not be allowed.
Choice now: E
Choice in assignment 1: B
Notes: Child labor is one of our society's oldest and most persistent challenges. As a result of the
industrial revolution, child labor went from laboring in farm or small handcraft enterprises to being
driven into factories in urban settings. Children where extremely valuable assets since their salary was
cheap, they were less inclined to strike, and they were simple to influence. Child labor is exacerbated
by socioeconomic inequities and a lack of access to education, among other factors. Religious and
cultural ideas can be misleading and deceptive when it comes to defining the boundaries of child
labor. Child work hinders children's physical, intellectual, and emotional development.
5. “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: B
Notes: My choice is not the same as from assignment 1 because sometimes the things that happening
in our universe are caused by us human being. Most of the people are indeed yet they give birth too
many children that they won’t be able to take care of them. All the lands are occupied as we are too
many and we can no longer have places where we can do farming so we can feed our families. Air
pollution is too much, and most people are not recycling therefore if we decrease the giving birth we
might save the planet but I know that people are differ and everyone have a right to choose their
lifestyle and what they want.
6. “Imagine you find out that some students get together, buy good assignments from previous years
and submit them as 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: A
Choice in assignment 1: A
Notes: Plagiarism is becoming more of a concern for institutions, and many are resorting to software
detection to assist detect and combat it. This paper examines plagiarism concerns and reports on a
study of Turnitin's application at a new university. The study's goal was to educate the senior
management team about the plagiarism policy and Turnitin usage. Staff and students were found to
have a good understanding of the university's policy and Turnitin's role within it, and to be extremely
supportive of using Turnitin for originality verification. Students who had not previously utilized
Turnitin were eager to do so. And most of the modules at Unisa have declaration
7. “It’s a fact! You cannot expect to have economic growth when there is the threat of expropriation
without compensation.” (van der Merwe) My personal opinion on this statement is most closely
described by:
a. Obviously!
b. I don’t know about economic growth, but those who wrote the Constitution of South Africa
knew what they were doing so private property is sacred and must be respected at all cost.
c. The notion of private property is a western individualist notion.
d. Hmmmm …. you have to admit that the economies of the north grew very handsomely on
the basis of expropriation without compensation? So this is not an immutable natural law.
It's just how the rules are currently structured right?
Choice now: A
Notes:
8. “Even before COVID, one out of every five South Africans lived below the food poverty line.” My
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 we must all strive to eliminate poverty together.
Choice now: C
Notes: Poverty eradication necessitates inclusive and long-term economic prosperity. This entails
boosting the economy in places where the poor work, investing in high-quality social and physical
infrastructure in areas where the poor reside, and providing the bare minimum of health and
education facilities, as well as safe water and sanitation in such areas. It also entails addressing the
root causes of civil unrest and violence, as well as reducing tensions over finite natural resources that
the poor rely on. Well-designed social protection systems may help individuals get out of poverty and
remain out of poverty by protecting the most vulnerable and disadvantaged groups against shocks
like extreme weather, pandemics, and economic crises that can push them into or back into poverty.
9. “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.” (The Limits to Growth, 1972) My
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: D
Notes: My decision is no longer the same as from assignment 1 The world's population continues to
grow, and as it does, more resources are consumed. Measures should be put in place, people should
be advised to use contraception after having a certain number of children, and contraception should
be readily and freely available, particularly in poor communities; they should also be informed about
the global crisis. It is unreasonable and selfish for people to have a large number of children when we
are facing an overpopulation crisis and a decline in natural resources. This is an easy problem to solve
by controlling the population.
10. “Why do some people have to be miserably poor in order that others can be extravagantly rich? I
speak for all the children in the world who don't even have a piece of bread.” (Fidel Castro) My
personal opinion on this statement, is most closely described by:
a. Who cares what Castro said? He was an ideological dinosaur anyway.
b. Wealth and poverty are unrelated phenomena.
c. Well perhaps the rich should just stop all their charity and we’ll see where this leaves the
ungrateful poor.
d. Well on a simple technical level, the answer to this is because poverty and wealth are both
relative so it’s just not possible for there to be someone rich without someone who is
relatively poor.
e. I think this is the wrong question. The right question is: “How do we prevent people being
extravagantly rich while others are miserably poor?”
Choice now: C
Notes:
11. “Investment under neo-colonialism increases rather than decreases the gap between rich and poor
countries.” (Kwame Nkrumah) My personal opinion on this statement, is most closely described by:
a. Get over colonialism now!!!!
b. It’s irresponsible messages like these that frighten foreign investors away from Africa.
c. Colonialism died off decades ago. Why are you still talking about this.
d. Absolutely. As Thomas Sankara said: “debt is a cleverly managed re-conquest of Africa”
e. This is all managed through ratings agencies who have much more say in the decisions a
government takes than the citizens of the country.
Choice now: D
Notes:
12. “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
Notes: The government must guarantee that an enough funding is in place for children to receive
appropriate care, as well as those measures put in place are implemented, since they have failed in
the past. Children cannot die as a result of their inadequate upbringing; it is a tragedy to learn, read,
and hear about the number of children that die from diseases that are avoidable.
13. “In the 2018/2019 financial year, Bob van Dijk, the CEO of Naspers earned a total remuneration
(salary, incentives and options) of R 1.9 billion.” 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 van Dijk’s bank account and not in
mine.
c. No problem with this. I'm sure van Dijk donates huge amounts to charity.
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: A
Notes:
14. “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: D
Notes:
15. “Austerity: the billionaires in business have convinced the millionaires in government that the
working poor are the root cause of all problems ” My personal opinion of what should be done, is
most closely described by:
a. As Julius Malema says: “Bloody agents”
b. And then the Houses of Parliament get burned down because ‘the root cause of all
problems’ was solved by the millionaires in government’ retrenching security guards.
c. And then the billionaires in business declare the millionaires in government incompetent
when the Houses of Parliament get burned down.
d. This is typical labour union clap-trap.
e. As Bill Gates says: “If you were born poor it’s not your mistake. But if you die poor it’s your
mistake.”
Choice now: E
Notes:
16. "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
Notes: Rhinos are beneficial to the globe because they are living fossils. They've been there for
millions of years, and humans are their only major threat. Rhinos are benign creatures that do not
harm humans and, just by existing, assist other species, environments, and societies.
Rhinos serve humanity by providing food, fuel, and money from the natural resources found within
their habitat. The rhino, as one of Africa's "big five," brings in a lot of money. The difficulties of
hunting the lion, leopard, rhino, elephant, and buffalo is represented as the big five. Trophy hunters
esteem dangerous species highly. By assisting with rhino conservation, we ensure that natural
resources will be available to local populations for future years.
17. “In order to have the continued opportunity to express their ‘generosity,’ the oppressors must
perpetuate injustice as well.” (Paulo Freire) My personal opinion on this statement is most closely
described by:
a. This is crazy ‘commie’ nonsense from Freire – it’s a disgrace that Unisa allows this rubbish to
appear in its official study material.
b. This is rubbish - if it were not for the essential goodness of the wealthy, the lives of the poor
would be so much worse than they already are.
c. So let me get this straight – Freire is saying that in order for some to continue being
generous, wealth AND poverty need to be sustained? I’m going to have to think about this.
d. Freire is absolutely right - all this ‘generosity’ just makes rich people look like the heroes
when actually they are the villains.
e. How can you possibly say something as ungrateful as option d?
Choice now: A
Choice in assignment 1: A
Notes:
18. “In capitalism, profit happens when the capitalist pays labour x for their labour which is worth x+p. p
then is profit.” My personal opinion on this statement is most closely described by:
a. So what you are saying is that profit is the result of expropriation without compensation? I
can see the truth in this when I look at who gets rich and who gets poor.
b. That is a really interesting perspective which I hadn’t thought about before.
c. Rubbish.
d. Rubbish. Profit comes from innovation and an entrepreneurial spirit.
e. This is fine - without profit there is no capitalism and it is capitalism that bring wealth to
humanity as a whole.
Choice now: A
Notes:
19. “I didn’t join the struggle to be poor.” (Smuts Ngonyama) My personal opinion on this statement is
most closely described by:
a. Me neither.
b. No one joins the struggle to be poor.
c. It is this sort of attitude that has led to widespread corruption.
d. This is counter-revolutionary – you don’t solve oppression by becoming an oppressor.
Choice now: B
Notes:
20. “Greed is good” (Gordon Gekko) 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
Notes: my choice is no longer the same as from assignment 1Greed is a problem. If wealth were
distributed evenly, greed would have no negative consequences since everyone would benefit from
having and receiving even more of what they desire. When items like food aren't shared evenly, and
some of us have access to good, healthy food while others don't, our way of life causes others to
suffer while we pursue our own desires. We only need so much food, and it is disgusting when a
selfish individual demands and takes more than he can consume for himself. The same is true of riches
and goods.
<NB Note: If your inclination here is to say that having done this module you have decided that greed is
indeed good, then by all means go ahead and defend this. However, if you tell us that the course
material has told you that greed is good, then you are very likely to fail this module. The course material
implicitly states that greed is not good. If you think that the material says otherwise, then you need to
go and read the material again.>
Summary
Number unchanged: 9
Number changed: 11
Conclusion
To conclude, looking at the preceding sections of this portfolio, the most important things which I
learned in this module were:
The most important thing I learned in this module was to reconsider my initial choices. I also learned a
lot about Kant's theories, such as the three virtues, utilitarianism, and greed. Greed, I've learned, is bad
because it creates unnecessary uncertainty. I also had the opportunity to interact with other students,
hear their opinions and thoughts, and support our arguments, among other things. This module gave me
the freedom to stand up for what I believe in and what I believe is the correct approach to various
aspects of life and society. I learned that I need to make some adjustments and lifestyle changes
because I am negatively impacting the environment and the ecosystem by consuming too many
resources, producing too much waste, and emitting too much carbon dioxide, which is not good for the
environment and the ecosystem. I also learned about the rules of engagement by commenting on
students' answers; this improved my communication skills because I had to express my thoughts on
their answers in a rational manner without insulting or dismissing other students.
I also learned about doing what is right based on Immanuel Kant's theories, which taught me that as an
individual, I should have morals and do what is right in any situation. All lives are equal, and no life
should be prioritized over another, as I learned. All living species have the right to exist. Many people
are dying because of poverty, and it is not solely the responsibility of the government to change this;
everyone who can contribute, and effect change should do so in any way they can. And some animals'
rights to life are being taken away due to superstitious beliefs; however, we can change this by
understanding that their lives matter just as much as human lives do, and thus we should try to protect
and save them because it is the right thing to do. Inequality and unfairness are two other important
concepts I've learned. Some people are more privileged and have easy access to many opportunities,
while others face discrimination and are denied opportunities due to their gender, religion, race,
background, or financial status. This demonstrates that inequality exists and will continue to exist for a
long time. One person can go to school and study for years but be denied employment because of their
skin color or gender, whereas another person can be hired with no qualifications because of their
background, skin color, or gender.
This module has taught me to think deeply about certain issues and to make decisions that will not
negatively impact others. I also recognize that to succeed in life, I must work hard and not rely on
handouts from others or the government. Now I can upgrade my skills and I am able to communicate
with my colleagues online using moodle app in other words this module taught me so many kinds of
communication and I also have an idea that greedy is not good, and there are numerous free
opportunities that can help me do so.
NB: This should be the most substantial comment in this portfolio and must give us a clear indication
whether you have thought deeply about this module. It should be at least 500 words long. >

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Portfolio Assignment

SUS1501 – Sustainability and Greed

• Please read the instructions on myUnisa carefully.

1. Correct template version used

Back at the Crossroads!

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