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Water-wise expert says Is there a solution to pollution
Next time you want to throw something away, think twice. Look for ways to reuse, recycle, or repurpose.

Dr Cindé Greyling completed her PhD in Disaster Management with DiMTEC (Disaster Management Training and Education Centre for Africa) at the University of the Free State (UFS). Built on prior studies and years of communication experience, she opted to study ways in which to communicate drought mitigation information. Part of the mitigation process included saving water and reducing pollution.

A practical approach

“Look, we are all here now. And we need to eat, live, work, survive, and ultimately thrive using our planet’s resources,” she says. “But I think we’ve become so fixated on thriving, that we don’t consider survival anymore. Of course, some people do! There are wonderful projects around the world aiming at more responsible consuming, ranging from pre-loved baby clothes, to water harvesting for individual dwellings and larger compounds.” However, she understands that people may get so overwhelmed by the vast pollution problem that they consider any of their own efforts as insignificant. “That is not true. Every single bit of plastic (or cloth, glass, iron, etc.) that is recycled or repurposed, and does not end up in a landfill, makes a difference.” And here is why…

The tip of the iceberg
“Whatever you are holding in your hand and aiming for the bin is much larger than what you see. Take a piece of paper, for example. A tree was planted – the process involved fossil fuels, water, fertiliser, time, wages, administration, etc. And many years of that! Once it was felled, the resource usages continued, and expanded to processing plants, wholesalers, retailers, and then you – who also used resources to acquire that piece of paper. Do you see how large the wastage is? The same is true for food waste … that rotten tomato you forgot in the fridge is a grave loss.”

“Whatever you are holding in your hand,
aiming for the bin, is much larger what
you see.”


Little by little  

Fortunately, all is not lost. “Respect stuff,” Dr Greyling says, “it is as simple as that. To survive, we must take from the resources that the Earth provides. Because we became clever, we were able to alter these elements to make, from high-rise buildings to tiny technology. But we simply cannot keep on taking and taking without giving back Start with giving respect. Next time you want to throw something away, think twice. Look for ways to reuse, recycle, or repurpose. Consider that the denim you are wearing possibly used up to 10 000 litres of water to produce.”  

LISTEN: Dr Greyling elaborates on solutions for pollution

 

News Archive

Prof. Letticia Moja leaves the UFS
2009-06-02

Photo: Stephen Collett 

Prof. Letticia Moja (pictured), Dean of the Faculty of Health Sciences at the University of the Free State (UFS), has resigned from her position to take up the post of Principal and Deputy Vice-Chancellor at the University of Limpopo, MEDUNSA Campus.

She will take up her post at MEDUNSA as from 1 August 2009.

“It is with sadness and with appreciation of all the work Prof. Moja has done in the Faculty of Health Sciences that we are making this announcement,” said Prof. Gert van Zyl, Head of the School of Medicine in the Faculty.

Prof. Moja joined the Faculty of Health Sciences in early 2002 to take up the position of Deputy Dean. At this point in time, she made a significant contribution towards alleviating the workload within the faculty and immediately took over some strategic issues from the office of the Dean, including issues pertaining to equity, selection, research and transformation.

She was just settling within the Faculty when the sudden death of the then Dean, Prof. CJC Nel, obliged her to take over as Acting Dean of this Faculty. Prof. Moja acted as Dean of the Faculty of Health Sciences for ten months before she was appointed as the Dean on 1 December 2003.

After her appointment, Prof. Moja also obtained her MBA Degree from the UFS and made significant contributions at national and international level. She was recipient of the Shoprite Checkers Woman of the Year Award. She was also Chairperson of the National Committee of Medical Deans and was elected Vice-President of the Health Professions Council of South Africa.

In addition, Prof. Moja served on a number of accreditation teams, both at national and at health sciences level. She continued with excellent work in the Faculty of Health Sciences and, via the three schools, namely the School of Allied Health Professions, the School of Medicine and the School of Nursing, contributed significantly to the quality of human resources at national level.

The UFS wishes her all of the best with her new endeavours.

Media Release:
Mangaliso Radebe
Assistant Director: Media Liaison
Tel: 051 401 2828
Cell: 078 460 3320
E-mail: radebemt.stg@ufs.ac.za
2 June 2009
 

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