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2000
student volunteers.
70tons of
Housing Officers International,
Southern Africa Chapter African
Green Initiative conference.
recyclables each month and sells
the materials to recycling companies. UWC was chosen the Greenest
The reserve has
been receiving Campus in 2012 and 2014.
25%
of its power needs from a prototype
840
tons
For the green award Universities were
assessed on energy efficiency, water
conversation, biodiversity and nature
hydrogen fuel cell (HFC) generator reserves. green buildings, green
75% built and installed by Hydrogen UWC Recycling Initiative purchasing, green programming,
South Africa Systems Integration and has reduced UWCs
waste reduction and recycling, green
Technology Validation Centre (HySA annual CO2 emissions
Systems), a project based at UWC. by about 840 tons. leadership and innovation.
I
n a world battling climate change, developing future responsible leaders cell (HFC) generator built and installed by
energy shortages, habitat destruction and captains of industry and innovation, Hydrogen South Africa Systems Integration
and pollution, it has become important without fully incorporating best practice and Technology Validation Centre (HySA
that universities serve as role models for and actively working towards reducing our Systems), a project based at UWC. HFC
greening and sustainability. carbon footprint? technology is pollution-free the only
UWCs Green Campus Initiative The Universitys best practices are emission is water!
involves over 2 000 student volunteers reflected in a range of other green The UWC Recycling Initiative collects
in campus clean-ups, creating vegetable initiatives at the main campus. an average of 70 tons of recyclables each
and indigenous gardens at residences, UWCs nature reserve conserves the month and sells the materials to recycling
participating in formal green talks and endangered Cape Flats Dune Strandveld companies. It has been estimated that over
debates and hosting green/dark religious and the critically endangered Cape Flats the past four years, the UWC Recycling
services (that is, services conducted Sand Fynbos. Students are actively involved Initiative has reduced UWCs annual CO2
without the use of electricity). in managing the reserve, eradicating alien emissions by about 840 tons.
As a tertiary education institution, we vegetation and maintaining fire breaks, UWC management, service providers,
have a responsibility to lead by example, while staff educate the public about the media and students have proven that,
says Saudiqa Yasin, Manager: at UWCs biological treasures in the reserve. by working together, we can move our
Department of Infrastructure and For the last few months, 25% of campus into the future, says UWC Green
Engineering. How can we advocate being the power the reserve needs has been Team leader and Residential Services
among the forerunners in education, supplied by a prototype hydrogen fuel Officer, Njabulo Maphumulo.
2 NEWS
UWC takes pride in... Offering A Holistic Student Experience Our Teaching & Learning Focus Our Relevant Research & Innovation
NEWS 3
Institute for Social Development researchers Dr Razack Karriem (left), Dr Sharon Penderis and Dr Mulugeta Dinbabo have been awarded a R1.5 million
research grant by the Programme to Support Pro-poor Policy Development Phase II.
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4 EVENTS
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EVENTS 5
Producing & Attracting Excellent Talent Sustaining Financial Stability Growing Our Profile Internally & Externally Sense-Making Through Leadership Development
6 EVENTS
UWC takes pride in... Offering A Holistic Student Experience Our Teaching & Learning Focus Our Relevant Research & Innovation
EVENTS 7
Producing & Attracting Excellent Talent Sustaining Financial Stability Growing Our Profile Internally & Externally Sense-Making Through Leadership Development
8 UWC Green Initiative
The Plant Science Symposium attracted delegates from UWC and the University of Missouri, Prof Julian May of the CoE-FS set the tone
as well as the University of Pretoria, the University of Cape Town and Stellenbosch University, for the symposium, painting a picture of food
among other institutions. security in South Africa.
UWC takes pride in... Offering A Holistic Student Experience Our Teaching & Learning Focus Our Relevant Research & Innovation
UWC Green Initiative 9
Learners experience hands-on instruction in science and conservation education at the UWC-Cape Flats Nature Reserve.
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10 UWC Green Initiative
Members of the University of the Western Cape Young Environmental Africans project helping out at the Masikhanye food garden in Khayelitsha.
UWC takes pride in... Offering A Holistic Student Experience Our Teaching & Learning Focus Our Relevant Research & Innovation
UWC Green Initiative 11
T
he University of the Western Cape is one of
24 institutions around the world taking part
in the European Union-funded PharmaSea
project. The 9.5 million four-year project searches
for organisms that could fuel new drug discoveries.
Led by Professor Marcel Jaspars of the University of
Aberdeen, the project focusses on biodiversity research
and bioprospecting for pharmaceutically useful
compounds.
The project will collect samples in some of the
hottest, deepest and coldest places on the planet,
including mud and sediment from deep ocean
trenches, using strategies commonly used in the
salvage industry to reach samples 6 000 metres deep.
It will then attempt to grow unique micro-organisms
in the collected sediment and isolate novel drug-like
molecules that may be useful in the development of
medical drugs (including new antibiotics) or cosmetics.
The project hopes to discover and develop new
pharmaceuticals from marine sources such as bacteria,
deep-sea sponges and fungi, for the treatment
of central nervous system diseases, inflammation
PharmaSea Arctic collection in 2009 led by project leader Marcel Jaspars.
and infection. Researchers will employ classical
microbiological isolation techniques, as well as modern
metagenomic technologies, to screen for and isolate
novel microorganisms associated with South African
marine sponges and sea squirts, and to identify new
drug-like activities produced by these microorganisms.
The goals are to deliver one or two drug candidates
with some preclinical evaluation carried out on them,
so that the whole package may be attractive to
pharma, in addition to a number of unique compounds
with associated potent and selective bioactivity that
can be forwarded via other mechanisms.
The researchers from UWC are led by Professor
Marla Tuffin, the Director of the Institute for Microbial
Biotechnology and Metagenomics at the Faculty of
Natural Sciences, and the Dean of Natural Sciences,
Prof Mike Davies-Coleman.
Most of the invertebrate species that have
been sampled to date are from Algoa Bay. These
invertebrates are new to science.
IMBM PharmaSea researchers (from left) Relebohile Matobole, Lucas Black and
William Mavengere examine their equipment.
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12 UWC Green Initiative
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NEWS 13
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14 NEWS
T
his year, the enabling legislation to allow fracking to begin fracking would far outweigh the possible environmental effects.
in the Karoo was passed in South Africa. In his State of According to Dr Mimonitu Opuwari of the Department of Geology
the Nation Address, President Jacob Zuma stated that the at the University of the Western Cape, fracking would not only
manufacture of shale gas could be a game changer for the South bring billions of rands in revenue but would create 300 000 new
African economy. employment opportunities in the country.
Hydraulic fracturing, commonly known as fracking, is the Dr Opuwari says that while there would be geological changes
process of drilling far below the earths surface before pumping to the Karoo, the geological changes will be confined to the
a high-pressure solution of water, sand and chemicals directly mined parts of the Karoo and the gas mined will be a clean source
into the shale rock below to fracture the rock and release the of new energy. In the long run the environmental benefits gained
natural gas trapped in the rock. The gas is released into the water from the use of this clean source of shale-gas energy will far
solution and travels up the drilled well pipe to the surface where it outweigh the damage that will potentially be done to an area of
is separated from the solution. The gas is then used as an energy the Karoo landscape.
source. UWC Geology masters student Jade Holtman says that the fears
The impending fracking in South Africa has created conflict of water contamination that environmentalists raise are based
between economists and environmentalists. Environmentalists are on contaminated water found by some farmers in the United
concerned about the contamination of the ground water aquifers, States of America, but these contamination levels were very low.
located in the layer just above fracking sites, through exposure to He also says that the water solution currently being employed is
shale gas and the chemicals contained in the water solution. They environmentally friendly and contains no chemicals.
have also raised objections to fracking on the basis that it would Looking to the future, Dr Opuwari explains that fracking is
cause adverse landscape and environmental changes to the Karoo. still years away as there are many processes that must first take
For example, large amounts of water have to be transported to place before fracking can begin. What needs to happen first
the fracking sites to be used in the fracking process. Some of this is a study on the social impact of fracking that will engage the
water will be left behind in the wells while some will be stored in local communities, before the exploration phase can begin. Dr
surface pits. Opuwari also notes that the USA and China have been fracking
Many geologists and economists would like fracking to take for years and anticipates that South Africa will benefit from their
place in South Africa, believing that the economic benefits of knowledge and technological advancements.
UWC takes pride in... Offering A Holistic Student Experience Our Teaching & Learning Focus Our Relevant Research & Innovation
SPORTS 15
CONTRIBUTORS
Nastasha Crow Nicole Isaacs Asiphe Nombewu
Myolisi Gophe Nicklaus Kruger Luthando Tyhalibongo Nickay Photography
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16
The Jakes Gerwel
Education, Endowment
and Development Fund
- Jakes Gerwel