Renewable energy and the availability of water in a future South Africa

Published ArticleThe world is increasingly being misused by its inhabitants by the wasteful manner that its resources are utilized and the amount of pollution that is generated in the environment. This practice is unsustainable and it is incumbent on the present generation of decision-makers to rectify this phenomenon if our descendants are to have an opportunity to live life in the same manner as we do. Special emphasis should be placed on a reduction in the amount of air pollution that is created by electrical power generating plants, as well as the manner in which potable water is utilized and wasted. In this article the local situation with respect to the generation and use of electrical energy and water is discussed. It is encouraging to see that the National Government is taking strong steps to address these problems. Yet, it might not have the required ability to finance these efforts fully

'n kritiese evaluering van die Suid –Afrikaanse diskoersanalise

In this article South African Discourse Analysis is looked at critically, especially with regard to the claim to objectivity and scientific verifiability made by the supporters of the method. Four presuppositions which underlie South African Discourse Analysis are discussed. Following that, Discourse Analysis is defined and the relevant steps in the application of the method are outlined - in each instance accompanied by critical remarks. In the final analysis the value of this method is indicated

Student perceptions and attitudes about Community Service-Learning in the teacher training curriculum

Much of the international research on Community Service-Learning has investigated the benefits, outcomes, and learning experiences of students already engaged in service-learning projects and programmes. As there is scant research on students\' attitudes to and perceptions of Service-Learning, before this learning became integrated into an academic programme, our purpose was to determine teacher training students\' attitudes to, and perceptions of, Community Service-Learning, before integration of such a module into their academic programmes. A quantitative survey, employing a questionnaire as instrument, was used for measuring the attitudes and perceptions of third-year teacher training students (n = ±168) at a research university in South Africa. The Community Service-Learning Attitudes and Perception Scale (CSLAPS), developed specifically for this kind of investigation, was used in the analysis of the data. The findings indicated that students with prior knowledge of and/or participation in a community service project showed greater willingness to enrol for a course/ module in Community Service-Learning, especially if it would add value to their career development, bear credits, and enhance their personal and social development. The findings provided information that would enable academic staff and institutions to design curricula for academic programmes that take account of these attitudes and perceptions and address them positively to enhance the learning experience. Keywords: academic programme; attitudes; citizenship; Community Service-Learning; curricular community engagement; curriculum; perceptions;quantitative study; teacher training South African Journal of Education Vol. 27 (4) 2007: pp. 631-65

Sustainability analysis, report and statement

Published ArticleThe vision of CUT is to transform itself into a sustainable university, by incorporating sustainable development in its teaching, research and learning environment, and by maximizing and mainstreaming environmental, economic and social sustainability in all its operations and educational activities. For this reason it launched a sustainable development (SD) project in February 2011. This process is being managed by the Office of Technology and Innovation and executed according to a project plan, which is continually rolled-out as progress is being made with the project. This article is a brief summary of progress that has been made during the first year of implementation of the plan

A view of evolution by a Christian biologist

This paper, which originated as an address to a gathering of Dutch Reformed Ministers in Potchefstroom, deals with the response of a Christian to concepts of evolution. The paper looks at the concept of “the beginning”, the origin of life , genetics, mutation and natural selection, the origin of diversity or speciation, man as a biological species, the missing link (in which attention is given to various theories), and finally theories of human evolution. These include the neoteny theory, the savannah theory and the aquatic theory. Following a discussion of the various aspects of these theories, the authors go on to a discussion of the evolution of intelligence and culture, and reach the conclusion that “for a Christian, evolution may help him to understand more about God and his love and his work, and also then to have more security in the belief in God”

Acute disseminated encephalomyelitis due to Rickettsia conorii infection

Acute disseminated encephalomyelitis (ADEM) is an immune-mediated acute inflammatory demyelinating disorder, which typically occurs after viral infections or immunisation. We present a case of a man with acute Rickettsia conorii infection whose diagnosis was delayed. He presented with fever, headache, an eschar and an acute paraplegia. The R. conorii IgM serum titre was 1:128. Magnetic resonance imaging showed multifocal lesions in the brain and spinal cord consistent with inflammatory demyelination. The patient responded well to doxycycline and a short course of high-dose corticosteroids. To our knowledge this is the first case of ADEM associated with Mediterranean spotted fever – we found a previous report of ADEM in a child with Rocky Mountain spotted fever, whose diagnosis of rickettsial infection was also delayed. We hypothesise that delayed diagnosis of spotted fever group rickettsial infections could rarely result in ADEM

Methods of transfer : science making an impact for sustainability

Published ArticleThe reasons, objects, means and methods for a transfer of scientific results to society are analysed in the article. Among this, knowledge transfer - especially technology transfer - and on projects, especially joint projects with the aim of creating or transferring knowledge are concentrated upon. Success factors for bringing science to support socioeconomic development also receive attention

Models for implementing sustainable development into the university

Published ArticleAny effort to build up an educational framework needs an adequate structure and a formal basis. This is especially true whenever complex multifaceted issues like Sustainable Development, ethics, or project management have to be integrated in the existing setting of a university and its educational system. In this paper, we present models for integrating Sustainable Development and Education for Sustainable Development into the university agenda. Based on the experience of the authors gained in Germany and South Africa we derive various representations for the sustainability activities and models for implementing Sustainable Development that can be used for planning, implementation and communication purposes