Kyle Michael Viljoen

Kyle Viljoen

Kyle demonstrates diligence, determination and perseverance with a positive attitude to succeed. His humble, friendly and polite disposition is one of his strongest attributes. Kyle stands up for what he believes in and is not easily influenced by others. He is currently in his third year of study at Vega School.

OBJECTIVES

Application for the Brand Marketing Graduate Trainee position.

ACADEMIC INFORMATION

2008 – 2010 | Vega School Student No: 2008-2288

BA in Brand Building & Management: A strategic and analytical approach to brand building with the aim ‘to produce a new breed of thinkers that provide creative and innovative approaches to developing and sustaining brands.’

2007 | Vega School

Web Design: Adobe Acrobat CS, Photoshop CS, Dreamweaver MX and Flash MX. Interactive animated website and device content design, construction and manipulation.

2002 – 2006 | St John’s College, Johannesburg:
Grade 8 – 12: Matric with University exemption

Subjects: English (1st Lang), Afrikaans (2nd Lang), Science (HG), Geography (HG), History (HG), Maths (SG)

• 2002/2003: U15A Rowing Team, 2002: U14B Cricket Team
• 2003/2004: U16A Rowing Team, 2003: U15B Cricket Team
• 2004/2005: Open Rowing – 2nd Eight
• 2005/2006: Open Rowing – 1st Eight. Achieved Silver medal at SA Schools Rowing Championship and awarded Full Colours Blazer. First 1st Eight in history of St John’s College Rowing to achieve a medal at this level.

1999 – 2001 | St Benedict’s College, Bedfordview: Grade 5 – 7

• Basic Microsoft Office Course (Knowledge Network)
• U12A Cricket and U14B Hockey Teams
• 2001: U14A Rowing Team: Achieved a Gold medal for U14A Octuple and U14A Quad at SA Schools Rowing Championship

1995 – 1998 | Tom Newby School, Benoni: Grade 1 – 4

• Badminton C Team
• Chess B Team
• Art Classes. Work displayed at Art Exhibitions

Experience

January – March 2007 | St John’s College

U14 Rowing Coach

Coach U14 rowers four times a week

Assist and organise teams and equipment at the weekly Regattas

Coached the team to achieve the U14 South African Championship Trophy

April – November 2007 | simplisit

Database Management and Consultant

Test and debug computer programs that were in development phase

Database capturing and management

July 2007 – Current | SA Scrapbook Convention

Audio Visual Technician

Setting up audio visual equipment for event in Johannesburg and Cape Town: data projectors, printers, laptops, microphones and other presentation equipment. Technical assistance to the event. liaising with the international guest teachers, setting up their computing and technical requirements. Management

August 2008 – Current | Minent IT

Owner and Founder of Minent IT

Managing web hosting accounts

Developing and administering websites

Custom built computers management

October 2009 – Current | Dance Mouse

IT and Website Technician

Setting up audio visual equipment for event in Johannesburg and Cape Town: data projectors, printers, laptops, microphones and other presentation equipment.

Technical assistance to the event

INTRODUCTION

Permanet® is a mosquito repellent net which helps to prevent and control the spread of malaria and other vector-borne diseases (Vestergaard Frandsen). Permanet®, an innovation of award winning Danish company  Vestergaard Frandsen which for 40 years, made uniforms for hotel workers and retailers and now makes textile-based, life-saving products. Better known for their invention of the lifestraw, a portable water filtration tool which can be carried around the neck and has helped thousands who are deprived of clean drinking water, to turn polluted water into drinkable supplies (McNeil Jr, 2009).

Malaria affects 40 per cent of the world’s population, killing nearly 1 million people each year mostly children under five years old year, even though the disease is 100 per cent preventable and treatable (IFRC, 2010). ‘In Africa malaria-carrying mosquitoes bite from dusk to dawn, so nightly use of nets provides the most cost effective protection against malaria (IFRC, 2010) .’

THE PRODUCT

Vestergaard Frandsen has to date produced three versions of the permanet® named permanet® 1.0, permanet® 2.0 and permanet® 3.0.

While little information is available on permanet® 1.0, version 2.0 is said to be an improvement on the first bed net. Permanet® 2.0 is made of 100% polyester and impregnated with Deltamethrin, an alpha- cyano pyrethroid recommended by the WHO for use on bed nets. The company describes the product as ‘warp-knitted from strong, 100% polyester yarns with uniformly woven netting material. To set the net and prevent shrinkage, the fabric is placed on a stenter and exposed to high heat. The next step, Deltamethrin-impregnation, uses a continuous industrial process that secures exact concentration and equal distribution of the insecticide, guaranteeing the long-lasting effects of permanet® 2.0 (Vestergaard Frandsen).’ permanets® are expected to remain effective for several years. Vestergaard Frandsen says of their nets ‘the permanet® technology is unique as it enables one to wash the nets and curtains without any loss in the effectiveness in killing mosquitoes and without requiring re-treatment during its specified lifetime (Vestergaard Frandsen).’ Every process is subject to extensive inline controls, which ensure that every finished permanet® 2.0 bed net meets company specifications and WHO recommendations (Vestergaard Frandsen).

Permanet® 3.0 is a new generation long-lasting insecticidal net that has improved increased efficacy against pyrethroid-resistant malaria vectors that transmit malaria. It is made from two polymers—polyester (on the sides) and polyethylene (in the roof) —with two chemicals—Deltamethrin and a synergist (PBO).

Rising resistance of mosquitoes to insecticides necessitated the development of the third version of the permanet®. In the last decade, kdr resistance (i.e. Mosquitoes resistant to pyrethroids) has become widespread in West Africa and also been detected in East Africa (Vestergaard Frandsen). Previously, pyrethroid treated nets remained effective even in areas with high levels of the kdr gene (Vestergaard Frandsen). However, in 2007 the first report of the reduced efficacy of pyrethroid treated lns was published and it is likely that if current trends continue, insecticide resistance may compromise control further (Vestergaard Frandsen). This presents enormous concern because reduced efficacy of bednets is likely to have an impact on transmission rates and could therefore compromise malaria elimination and eradication efforts.

While the issue of resistance to insecticides was important in the development of the permanet® 3.0 other considerations and adjustments were made to the previous design, these include the a specially designed knitting on the lower portion of the net which traditionally is subject to greater wear & tear, to improve the product’s lifespan. In addition, studies of mosquito behaviour have revealed that ‘ the majority of mosquitoes land on the roof of the net first, before making their way down the sides of the net. The sides of the net are made from multifilament polyester, which is softer and more comfortable for the user than monofilament polyethylene’ which comprises the roof (Vestergaard Frandsen). Claims by Vestergaard Frandsen are that unlike other polyethylene nets the roof and sides of the net regenerate 100% bioefficacy after just one day with susceptible Anopheles gambiae, a process which can take up to 15 days for complete regeneration in other products (Vestergaard Frandsen).’

THE COMPANY

Vestergaard Frandsen’s unique Humanitarian Entrepreneurship business model “profit for purpose” has turned humanitarian responsibility into its core business.

‘Our commitment to the United Nations Millennium Development Goals (mdgs) drives our business objectives and provides the impetus for our continued focus on saving lives. We strive to develop disease-prevention interventions, which when implemented with our dedicated partners, contribute to the realisation of the mdgs. We are especially interested in addressing Goals four, five and six which play a critical role in the achievement of the mdgs (Vestergaard Frandsen).’ Vestergaard Frandsen innovates for the developing world and adapts its products and approach to those who actually need them the most. The innovation process is an ongoing process and through their work we see that their strong leadership in innovation has paid off.

DISTRIBUTING PERMANET®

While Vestergaard Frandsen are the manufacturers of permanet® products they have a wide distribution network and are linked with Roll Back Malaria, Malaria No More, United Against Malaria, IFRC and others. In 2007 Vestergaard was

Responsible for the manufacture of 75 percent of all available lns,  60 percent of global production capacity, with 95 percent of its business comes from taxpayer-funded government contracts.

Research done in countries that have covered high numbers of their population with mosquito nets as well as improved access to effective diagnostics and treatment, shows enormous progress in the fight against malaria (IFRC, 2010). Such programmes says the IFRC ‘have been successful in reducing infection rates and deaths by up to 50 per cent in countries such as Eritrea, Rwanda, Zambia and Tanzania demonstrating that the MDG targets can be achieved (IFRC, 2010).’

IS THERE A PLACE FOR BRANDS IN THIS FIGHT?

While campaigns to fundraise and distribute mosquito nets have been headlined by celebrities such as Ashley Judd, Ashton Kutcher, David Beckham and Ellen degeneres amongst others. Celebrity support provides high impact short-term responses to such programmes.

While permanet® is a brand in itself such projects present an opportunity for big household brands to collaborate with such initiatives to create a sustainable business connection which would ensure longevity, reach and recognition for the product, greater distribution to those most in need of the product and raise the profile and contribute to brand equity at the same time. If we considered a brand such as Mortein Target or Doom, already in the business of insecticides, with existing product which prevent the spread of insects and other household pets. Through subsidies and distribution of the nets such brands might achieve high levels of brand recognition amongst the target audience as well create positive brand associations.

A CASE FOR SUSTAINABILITY

While permanet® as a product in its application and distribution through government sponsored programs and NGO’s may appear as a kind of philanthropy. The production of the product is by no means a form of charity which might dry up in the near future. Vestergaard Frandsen while being a responsible corporate it maintains that this work is ‘profit for purpose’. While the company’s focus is on developing solutions and products for the developing world it is doing so with profit as a goal. Vestergaard Frandsen is first a business; it is only the focus of their work which to some might appear as charity. This kind of business is in line with the thinking in Fortune at the Bottom of the Pyramid, it is about designing sustainable business solutions for the majority of the world’s poor rather than concentrating all innovation and product development for the world’s wealthy.

CHALLENGES FOR PERMANET®

Although education drives are in place through it distribution programmes, incorrect use or installation of the nets can lead to infections despite the presence of the net. This calls for greater education drives on the importance of correct usage.

‘Cultural and social barriers can also prevent the correct use of the nets. According to a recent study from the Tulane University School of Public Health, there is evidence

That some families who only own one net will have the head of the family sleep under it instead of the most vulnerable members of the household: children under the age of five and pregnant mothers. The Tulane study also shows that children often sleep in kitchens or

A common room, which necessitates removing and re-hanging the net daily, something that does not necessarily happen every night. Yet, nightly use of the mosquito

Net is critical as one mosquito bite can be enough to cause malaria (IFRC, 2010) .’

While permanet® has been able to dominate the market for LN’s thus far there has been greater pressure for other companies to come into the market to provide a healthy competitive environment.

Perhaps the greatest challenges in the creation of such an important product might be in the extendibility of the product to other markets and to allow the greatest access to those in need. Whilst these pose different challenges, firstly the extendibility of the distribution would require product innovation which would allow effective use of the product in other regions, particularly in relation to the resistance to the insecticides used and secondly with regard to access, this might best be achieved through sustainable

business partnerships and collaborations with big business.

FUTURE CONSIDERATIONS FOR PERMANET®

The high quality of manufacture of the products as well as sustained product innovation will provide a strong platform for permanet® as a leader in the field of lns, this coupled with the company’s experience in the field of disease prevention are a good combination for future related product extensions. Increased visibility through associations with big brands will help to promote the product, the cause and allow the both parties to leverage off the positive associations.

CONCLUSION

If a life can be saved by the small intervention of placing a mosquito net above a bed and such mosquito nets are available for this purpose why are millions dying from this preventable disease?

An interview with Elyse Kam, 21, of Burkina Faso who lost her first child, aged only four months due to malaria sums up the need for this innovation “Here in Burkina Faso, people often say: ‘a long life is linked to the way we protect ourselves (IFRC, 2010).’

BIBLIOGRAPHY

IFRC The winning formula to beat malaria [Report] / The International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies. - 2010.

Mcneil Jr DG A Company Prospers by Saving Poor People’s Lives [Online] // The New York Times. - 02 February 2009. - 13 May 2010. - http://www.nytimes.com/2009/02/03/health/research/03prof.html?_r=1.

Tren R and Coticelli P Lumping through WHOPES to control Malaria [Online] // Africa Science. - 12 July 2007. - 15 May 2010. - http://africascience.blogspot.com/2007/07/jumping-through-whopes-to-control.html.

Vestergaard Frandsen permanet® [Online] // Vestergaard Frandsen: Disesase Control Textiles. - 05 May 2010. - http://www.vestergaard-frandsen.com/permanet.

The Company

DStv, a subsidiary of MultiChoice; being South Africa’s premium broadcaster, offering a wide variety of channels crossing all interests with high quality content and broadcasts.

“MultiChoice started as the subscriber management arm of M-Net, the analogue Pay-TV channel. Today it is the leading multichannel digital satellite television operator across the African continent. Its dynamic technology platform and varied bouquet of channels, built on a foundation of compelling premium entertainment, has seen MultiChoice grow its business across South Africa.

We live in a world where information has become the key advantage. Today, information can travel anywhere, anytime, at great speed and in so many different ways – unlocking potential wherever it goes. At MultiChoice, we constantly look for innovative ways and push boundaries to deliver information and content that is not only entertaining, but informative.

DStv Mobile has been running trials on technologies aimed at playing a significant role in the transmission of the 2010 World Cup; namely mobile television. This mobile broadcast technology allows for the digital terrestrial broadcast of live television channels to a specially equipped mobile phone.
MultiChoice is one of the outstanding examples of a pioneering South African company, owned by Naspers, an international player providing entertainment, technology and e-commerce services.”[i]

The Gap

In today’s fast pasted technologically advanced ages, consumers want value and satisfaction for their needs and wants instantly, especially when we are in our “own” time, off from work where we want to watch a TV show or movie. With 90% of the movies and TV shows having to be rented and collected from a movie rental store such as; Push Play, Blockbusters, Hollywood Night, etc.

With a major increase in fast food and instant services, we are driven to accommodate the consumers to ensure brand loyalty; therefore DStv needs to capitalize on this opportunity in the market, being the first South African broadcaster to enable media streaming on a rental basis through digital satellite services, this due to South Africa’s inadequate infrastructure, forcing DStv to use their current TV broadcasting systems instead of that of cable or broadband.

Research

Research was conducted with those subscribers who are currently on the Premium package and those looking to upgrade their account to the Premium package. We spoke to 40 subscribers and their family members about DStv, their current offering and their views about renting movies and TV shows through the traditional means as well through new alternative means such as the proposed TV portal, using NetFlix as an example. The questioning was done in an informal manner, with one on one casual chats, allowing for the person to feel comfortable and relaxed about the questions, ensuring that an honest opinion and answer was given.

In our sample size of 40 subscribers, we found that;

70% of Premium subscribers record their TV shows to eliminate the advertisements breaks during their viewing of the shows

83% wanted to rent movies and TV shows that were instant

92% saw going out to rent a movie or TV show was a hassle and often off putting to the

experience

95% customer satisfaction with DStv and MultiChoice

40% already use M-Web as their internet service provider

Insight
DStv Premium subscribers prefer to record their favorite shows and movies to watch during their own time as well as to skip ads during shows. The majority of those questioned in our sample size were strongly for the idea of a instant TV rental portal that was with a brand that they trusted with DStv being highly rated.

Case Studies

Netflix in the United States / Canada

“With more than 15 million members in the United States and Canada, Netflix, Inc. [Nasdaq: NFLX] is the world’s leading Internet subscription service for enjoying movies and TV shows. For $8.99 a month, Netflix members in the U.S. can instantly watch unlimited movies and TV episodes streaming right to their TVs and computers and can receive unlimited DVDs delivered quickly to their homes. In Canada, streaming unlimited movies and TV shows from Netflix is available for $7.99 a month. There are never any due dates or late fees with Netflix. Among the large and expanding base of devices streaming from Netflix are Microsoft’s Xbox 360, Nintendo’s Wii and Sony’s PS3 consoles; Blu-ray disc players from Best Buy’s Insignia brand, LG and Samsung; Internet TVs from LG, Samsung, Sony and VIZIO; the Roku digital video player and TiVo digital video recorders; and Apple’s iPhone, iPad and iPod touch. All of these devices are available in the U.S. and a growing number are available in Canada.”[ii]

We looked at the following organizations and stores for insights in how these services run and the subscribers interact and appreciate them, with them being the top of mind for audio and visual playback on the internet.

Apple iTunes by Harvard

YouTube

Social Trends

South African consumers want services that are;

Fast delivery orientated

Convenience

Hassle free

Instant satisfaction and gratitude

Increasingly protective of online privacy and security

With many consumers being time strapped due to high demands and pressures from work and family lives, they need services that are instant to aid in their calming and relaxation period where they are able to give their full attention for their own good, instead of for the works. This can be seen in the increase in popularity and loyalty to fast food outlets nationwide.

Regulations

Apple has tried to introduce their iTunes store and all its features into the South African market, but due to South African copyright laws, they are prohibited to sell music, movies, TV shows without paying enormous license fees and charges for doing so, leaving the market open in South Africa. With DStv already having the licenses and product purchases, they are able to capitalize on this untapped market that the South African market is craving for.

DStv needs to look into and abide by the regulations and restrictions that each movie or TV show rental that is sold to protect their licenses, like that of age restrictions and ensuring that each movie or show is highlighted with its regulated age restrictions.

If DStv would like to further capitalize on all visual content that is brought into the South African market, they can look into partnership with NuMetro or Ster Kinekor who bring in movies

Infrastructure

DStv has a vast and in-depth infrastructure that caters for over 2 million subscribers nationwide, with having a new addition of HD PVR’s and capabilities. With all users and subscribers switching to HD or being on the premium package from DStv, they have the hardware and capabilities of receiving the content and new features that DStv would be able to offer them with their own rental store. The new hardware is able to stream data when it needs to from a selection that DStv has to offer, not just that is selected from the channels program scheduling.

January 2010 there was a complete infrastructure overhaul that consisted of the HD features to be available to a wider capacity without any glitches. Within conjunction to the HD launch, the infrastructure was updated to allow for the DStv On Demand launch, letting viewers to view the most popular shows from each week at a later stage in their own time without any advertisements. Each shows listing on DStv On Demand has an expiry date of two weeks.

With Telkom introducing their new broadband nationwide network, allowing for consumers to be enabled with 10MB ADSL lines and the addition of affordable uncapped ADSL accounts, consumers would be able to stream the new DStv service via their desktops or home theatre systems that are linked into a Microsoft or Macintosh system to view the movies or TV shows on their televisions. DStv can look into a partnership with an internet service provider like M-Web with whom they already have a partnership with DStv On Demand where viewers can onto the M-Web website and see what shows are listed on the DStv On Demand. Even though the consumer isn’t able to view the data at the present time, later on, they will be able to view the content of the rental store if they are a M-Web or DStv Premium subscriber.

There is already a payment system in place to accommodate the new service, M-PESA Services from Safaricom, allowing for online purchasing of once off movie rentals or subscriptions that will be linked to the subscribers DStv account.

Awareness

DStv already has a large control of its own awareness, due to its ability to place ads where and when it feels appropriate to generate an interest in its selected feature or show. Allowing for DStv to create advertisements along their current movie theme based advertisements. Broadcasting awareness can be done during prime time viewing of movies and TV shows.

With the fame and current hit of Gary “The Tooth Fairy” TV adverts for DStv’s movies and TV shows, DStv can introduce TV advertisements with Gary “The Tooth Fairy” broadcasting the new feature for DStv Premium subscribers.

DStv’s website will be updated to allow for the new feature, highlighting what’s new on the service and how it can be accessed. The homepage needs to be overrun by the new feature being advertised having large changing movie and TV show images, enticing the viewer into wanting to know more, allowing each image to be clickable, taking the viewer to the catalogue and the selected images information.

Smartphones are now an item that can’t be left untouched due to the vast and ever growing awareness and usage of smartphones, DStv needs to update their current iPhone application that only lists the program schedule for regular viewing or create an entirely new application that only premium subscribers are able to download, where the subscriber can view the selection of movies, TV shows that are up for rental, maintain their account, purchase new rentals. This smartphone application needs to be created for iPhone, Blackberry, Windows Mobile 7, Android and Symbian based smartphones.

The Dish magazine can be updated to include the rentals section, allowing subscribers to view what’s on offer and showing to non-premium subscribers what they can view if they were to upgrade their accounts to the Premium package, pushing further awareness to all DStv subscribers, whether they have internet or not, or they miss the ads due to toilet breaks or mere conversation with family of friends. With the Dish magazine being a monthly recurrence, there

Implementation

The new service will be available to the DStv Premium subscribers, due to the fact they currently have the correct and up-to-date hardware to run this new feature once the portal has been developed and tested with trial Premium subscribers, ensuring that system is fully operational and user tested.

Premium subscribers will be allowed to purchase rentals through a subscription fee allowing for a certain amount of movies or TV shows to be played with a top up feature, the subscription feature is key as it plays on social trends, where people feel secure with their online purchasing, know that they have purchased a bundle and nothing else will be charged to their account unless they say so buy topping up their bundle via the website or through the TV portal that will be developed to be accessed through the DStv remote.

The new TV portal will only function on Premium subscribers accounts until the lower packages have been upgraded with newer hardware or until DStv allows for them to receive HD channels.

How it Works

The TV portal will be accessible via the DStv remote, through the current TV Guide button, appearing alongside DStv On Demand, once the portal is opened, it will resemble the feel and quality of the new and current DStv advertisements, flowing and maintaining DStv’s current image and concept. Once the subscriber has opened the portal, he will be welcomed by a new set of menus, listing the movies, TV shows, documentaries and an account button. Once in the portal the subscriber can view the catalogues in the respective categories, viewing the details about each movie or TV show, the cost to watch it outside of the bundle or a top up feature for the account.

Alongside showing the current TV shows, the portal will allow subscribers to watch previous seasons to catch up on what they have missed in plot if they have just started watching the series later down its course, giving DStv to get new awareness and viewership for the current series showing currently. Giving the subscriber the feel that there is more value being added to the service that originally expected.

Rentals will need to be aligned with the DStv programming schedule, to ensure that ad space and effectiveness is not compromised by the new service, all new movies will only be added to the portal once they have been aired for the first time whilst TV shows will be added after the first week of repeats. The TV shows that have previous seasons will have those previous seasons already uploaded to the catalogues for subscribers to catch up if they have been left behind on the current TV show that is being aired live.

Subscribers will be able to purchase rentals via three methods;

Subscriptions

A selection of subscription bundles, allowing for a TV show to be viewable as each episode is placed onto the portal or allow for a certain amount of TV shows or movies to be viewed as the subscriber sees fit.

Pay per Rental
The subscriber pays for each movie or TV show that he or she watches, billing them instantly via credit card or debiting their DStv account. The subscriber will be able to set a limit on this feature to ensure that account does not get abused over the period of the month.

Gift Cards

This will work by subscribers purchasing gift cards online or at any MultiChoice or DStv physical outlet or install store, the card will contain a key that can be entered online through the DStv website or through the portal.

The price of each movie and TV show depends on the copyrighting and royalty fees that are charged, ranging between one another. This needs to be finalized between DStv and the responsible parties each purchase. Once these fees have been sorted and fixed, DStv can implement their subscription fees, move and TV show rental fees and what size gift card bundle prices they can sell to the target market.

Possible partnerships can be looked into with companies such as M-Web ISP South Africa and Apple’s iTunes, allowing for subscribers to download content via iTunes onto their computers through a DStv account and servers. Using the image and loyalty of these brands to build the strength and trust into the new service, ensuring full subscriber buy in. To further ensure this buy in, DStv can throw in bundles for the new service on new or upgrading Premium subscribers to take away market share from TopTV’s upper packages, controlling the segment further.

Executions

Budget

• Estimated R2 million set aside for the launch and awareness of the new DStv offering over a 6 month period

–     DStv TV portal for movie and series rental

–     Website update for new offering

–     Newspaper Advertising (Sunday Times, The Star, The Citizen)

–     Production of new Gary “The Tooth Fairy”, movie trailer scenes for the continuation of the brands current advertising theme

The budget has had be placed into such a simple manner due to the complicated workings of the MultiChoice group and how they have structured their company within around research and development and resources that they currently have on hand to develop these ideas. When doing research for the budget, I wasn’t able to ask in-depth questions and pricing for what I was doing as it would result in companies wanting enough information to take the idea away from me.

References

[1] http://www.multichoice.co.za/multichoice/view/multichoice/en/page44119

[1] http://www.netflix.com/MediaCenter?id=1005

[ii] http://www.netflix.com/MediaCenter?id=1005

What is Global Warming? What are the social constructs behind this phenomenon that are driving the world crazy in revolutionary ideas, the ways in which we treat Mother Nature and the impacts of our daily lives upon the earth. With the world becoming ever so parrot fed, without any skills and want to question what is being forced down our throats by politicians and so called academics. Media has been a strong player in deceiving the populations of the world into a mass crisis and consumption frenzy to aid in the boosting of capitalism without any protesting against the capitalist regime for expanding its target markets. This myth of global warming has been dramatized from both sides, in documentaries such as; An Inconvenient Truth which follows the presentation by Al Gore on issues of Global Warming and the reasoning behind it. An Inconvenient Truth is a primary tool that is based upon a new era of enlightenment and romanticism of earth. On the other side of the fence we have a movie called; The Great Global Warming Swindle that highlights the fundamental flaws and deception that the Global Warming myth is as well as the lack of prove or explanation by Al Gore in An Inconvenient Truth.

Global warming is defined as: “Climate change is any substantial change in Earth’s climate that lasts for an extended period of time.  Global warming refers to climate change that causes an increase in the average temperature of the lower atmosphere.  Global warming can have many different causes, but it is most commonly associated with human interference, specifically the release of excessive amounts of greenhouse gases. (EPA, 2006)

Greenhouse gases, such as carbon dioxide (CO2), methane (CH4), water vapor, and fluorinated gases, act like a greenhouse around the earth.  This means that they let the heat from the Sun into the atmosphere, but do not allow the heat to escape back into space.  The more greenhouse gases there are, the larger the percentage of heat that is trapped inside the earth’s atmosphere.  The earth could not exist in its present state (that is, with life) without the presence of some naturally occurring greenhouse gases, such as CO2, CH4, and water vapor. Without any greenhouse gases no heat would be trapped in atmosphere, so the earth would be extremely cold. (NASA, 2002)
Naturally occurring greenhouse gases (not fluorinated gases) are good in naturally occurring amounts; it’s when people start contributing excessive amounts of them that greenhouse gases become a problem.  With excessive greenhouse gas buildup, the earth’s atmosphere warms to unnatural temperatures, which causes, among other things, sea level to rise.  Global warming also causes sea surface temperatures o rise, precipitation patterns to change, etc.. (NASA, 2002)”[1]

This definition of global warming is the baseline of the myth whereby politicians and society fall into the trap of capitalism no matter how much people try romanticizing the earth and its beauty. Global warming itself has become a major industry in the world today and if the myth were to be disproven, a large number of people would be jobless around the world. The mere reasoning for Global Warming to survive is to ride the financial wave and increase consumption of green goods that aren’t going to add value to us, only on an emotional level to satisfy our social burdens of how we treat the environment.

In 1988, a scientist from NASA testified before the Senate Committee on Energy & Natural Resources whereby that he was 99% certain that global warming was a real event and that it was being caused by human activity through the emissions of CO2 into the atmosphere.[2] Global warming has become a major issue in our fundamental structure of how we see and take part in life and environmental issues, coming form an increase in enlightenment and romanticism that has taken place against the industrial revolutions of the 20th and 21st centuries. Seeing the earth as a prize given to us humans by God whereby we are instructed to be custodians, to take care of and use it in the correct manner that will ensure its ultimate survival. For us to tame to the wilderness, we are required to place it in certain social constructs that allow for nature to be viewed other than nature. This being a strong point that enables social constructs and discourses to make society believe that nature is being threatened by humans misbehavior upon the land, therefore we as right doing citizens we are required to look after the earth in its best interests and not ours. For this to take place, romanticism and optimism of the earth needs to take place as through this process of literary thinking upon the earth, it gives it aura of awe and humility. This sense enables us to connect with the earth on a higher level than that of just being a part of a capitalist ideal that merely views the earth as a source of resources for production.[3] On the base construction on how capitalism works, the earth as the primary resource, it needs to be reused in other means, like that of Global Warming to ensure that the capitalist machine is able to keep going, using the resources even further by greater consumption caused by media frenzies across the globe, telling consumers that they need products even if they truly don’t. Thus, the Global Warming myth that capitalist have created to ensure that more people can be bought into the concept, whilst feeling good about what is happening to the environment and that the products that they are purchasing. The industries on the modern era are becoming eco and green centric to take advantage of this consumer behavior along with the backing of politicians who are passing the rules and agreements that control how organizations run themselves and how their products are to be produced[4] with the ground work being formed of the Global Warming myth through social constructs and politically lead ideas, like that of Margret Thatcher who aided in the myth in her period of running Great Brittan whereby she declared that nuclear energy would be needed rather than using goal or gas power stations. Her primary reason was to get the mining unions off her back and to stop them from crippling the economy of Great Brittan, so when “leading” scientists came to her with the possibility that coal and gas stations would contribute to global warming through their high emissions on CO2 into the atmosphere, it gave her an extra leg to stand on and throw the mining unions out off their feet, giving the ruling party a stronger hold on the population. With any endorsement by politicians, any idea has a greater chance of being able to make its way into our social constructs and discourses as there has been a great deal of financial backing thrown into the pit as well a great returns for the politicians as they are seen as saviors of the world from the capitalist machine and its ever growing expansion and destruction of the world’s resources.[5] Environmental capitalism is linked to the consumption of goods and the degradation of the environmental degradation whereby consumers feel bad buying conventional goods that are harming the environment, but will buy more of the new environmentally friendly products as it’s the social standard that has been placed on citizens globally. This consumption is derived from the basis upon class and status, political power, values and culture whereby people are able to afford the expensive environmental healthy products, whilst pushing those who can’t afford them into further decay in society, making them as if they were to be outcasts due to that they are destroying the environment and the means of their own survival and upliftment aren’t good enough for the world economy and the environment itself, leading towards developed nations who are coming to the aid and upliftment of the developing nations that in long terms, will lead to further oppression of the poor and increase in wealth and dominance for the wealthy.[6]

Al Gores’ movie, An Inconvenient Truth plays a pivotal role in heightening the Global Warming myth as it shows credibility as he was once the vice president of the United States and later ran for presidency of the United States, even though his main goal for becoming president was to ensure that this Global Warming myth was taken seriously with the right amount of political backing to allow for it to become an unstoppable trend. Al Gores’ main focus on the film is using carefully framed and captured images of nature at its best, serene and beautiful stages to capture the emotions of the viewer before showing them iconic photos of the ice bergs melting and falling apart, even though this pattern occurs every spring when the temperatures rise and the release of freshwater into the oceans. What the film doesn’t show, is that when the photos were taken or show that this has only started happening recently and never before in the past. A crucial problem with the movie is that the evidence isn’t explained through and through and in ways that the average person can relate to. Instead topics and ideas are thrown out, leaving the viewer confused and uncertain, believing that whilst its coming from a “credible” politician, therefore it must be true and we must take note of what is being said. In our modern day society with education standards dropping globally, the citizens of today are becoming one likened to robots and parrots, taught what to say and not to reason or question what has been presented to them. This has been a crucial strategy in the politicians of today to ensure that what is said from their agencies are to be believed without too much questioning and concreted into societies morals, values and views of the world today.[7]

According to Al Gore, the emissions of the CO2 gases from the world industries and modes of transport are the main reasons behind the Global Warming myth, using “questionable” means to gather information from ice samples and CO2 readings, laying the results out against each other on graphs which can be highly misleading if not explained correctly or understood fully by those interacting with it. When Al Gore explains the graphs during his film, An Inconvenient Truth, he tries to explain the relation between the CO2 and temperature, but claims that it’s too complicated to explain, whilst according to scientists in the movie The Great Global Warming Swindle, the relation between the CO2 and temperature is in fact the opposite to that of how Al Gore is explaining in his film. The fact that scientists who are highly acclaimed professors at top universities with from multi nations go against Al Gore’s theories in his film, gives them a higher sense of credibility as they are professionals in that sector who have a history to backup what they are saying, whereas Al Gore merely has a politicians status with no scientific background to his name. With Al Gore’s movie having a strong political tie to it, one can question alternative motives from his side of from those who are backing the film. On the other hand, the director and creator of, The Great Global Warming Swindle has no political ties, a movie that is written without having to worry about whether or not citizens will vote for them or not, it’s a pure film made by scientists who have been involved in the Global Warming myth and written articles disproving then myth later to be edited by the review board to suit what is being said about the Global Warming myth by the scientific fraternity. According to scientists in The Great Global Warming Swindle, they show that the top 2500 scientists who are from the IPCC (Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change)[8], aren’t all scientists, the majority of them aren’t scientists themselves, some are reviewers, government officials or any members that came close to them in the field of global warming.

The Great Global Warming Swindle also throws a few spanners in the works, highlighting the negative fact the myth has upon Africa and its development stages, forcing the African nations to be dependent on Western and developed nations for their survival. Presenting the under lying financial gains that global warming has to offer for strong capitalist nations, like that of the United States, whereby all coal and oil power plants have been urged not to developed through aid agreements, forcing the developing African nations to try use dismal alternatives that are barely able to generate electricity, far beyond the requirement that is needed. With the gap between developing and developed nations becoming larger and superior, the global warming myth is a strong contender in this role, making sure that these developing nations stay developing due to restrictions that are preventing their growth. Many African nations are blessed with natural resources, especially oil and coal which can be used to develop their nations, but instead they are being forced to sell them off to Western powers for their power generations and the sales of alternative electric generation, like that of solar and wind power which are highly expensive and the developing nations aren’t able to afford them. Financial aid to these developing is ensuring that these nations are more dependant on the developed nations for their investments, aid and technology that all comes with the hefty strings attached.[9][10] The northern (developed nations) see the southern (developing nations) as being less important, where not only will they try and stop their growth and from using their own natural resources, but they will also ship genetically modified food, food which isn’t fit for their consumption, to these developing countries which gives the impression of being responsible for assisting and caring for them. By creating this myth, it allows for inequality to occur, mainly based on race due to the race balance of Africa. This is ongoing through the global elite oppressing and reproducing the global poor.[11]

The role of media in the Global Warming myth has played a vital role in creating fear and trauma about this myth due to overplaying and manipulating the events that are taking place. Many of the conflicts caused by environmentalist journalists are based on the balance of journalism whereby drama sells and details are left sketchy. “The result of the routine media practice of quoting conflicting ‘sides’”, “ giving equal weight to fringe and nonscientists as much as scientists … even though the majority of evidence or opinion may fall clearly to one side.” Media has been hyped around the matter to ensure that the public will maintain their interest in the matter, as well as to buy into the ideas. Controlling what is placed in or what is completely left out to ensure that the stories being read are credible and believable.[12] The power of media further distorts the reality of the myth and what information is truly credible, allowing for the capitalist machine to step in and take course. The power of media can be seen through the two films chosen on the topics of the Global Warming myth, whereby people can be easily persuaded if they correct means and channel are chosen for the message to be delivered. The population of the world receive their information through mediums of mass media, and in the modern day, new about global warming and scientific areas, the message is generated from corporations, politicians rather than that of direct messaging from scientists who are involved hands on. The population can’t distinguish between what is really true and credible from that is rubbish and false from the media due to journalistic writing styles and vocabulary.[13]

The Global Warming myth has led the world into an absolute frenzy that has convinced the masses of today through our social constructs that are determined by politicians with alternative motives of financial as well as their own political advancements. The two motives chosen in this essay highlight the inconsistencies in the myth and how those in power to achieve higher status and influence have turned the thoughts and attitudes towards global warming. With these financial motives, it is certain that capitalism has had a helping hand with aid agreements given to developing nations, to social constructs and discourses that pressure people into adopting this new trend, forcing them to act on an emotional level to spend their well earned salary on things that aren’t really benefiting the world in terms of the myth, but to rather advance those in power by wealth, authority and status in achieving their goals and alternative motives.

Reference Page

1. Http://www.celsias.com/media/uploads/admin/IMG_5797_2.jpg
2. Http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0497116/
3. Http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1020027/?C=1
4. Http://web.mit.edu/12.000/www/m2010/finalwebsite/background/globalwarming/definition.html
5. Http://stanfordreview.org/article/review-great-global-warming-swindle
6. Tolan, S & Berzon, A. 2005. Global Warming: What’s Known vs. What’s Told. Nieman Reports
7. Dickens, P. 2004. Society and Nature: changing our environment, changing ourselves. Cambridge: Polity Press
8. Cane, J. 2010. Vega Class Lectures.
9. The Great Global Warming Swindle.

10. Buttel, F.H., et al., 2002. Theory and the Environment – Classical Foundations, Contemporary insights. Rowman & Littlefield Publishers: Maryland and Oxford

11. Zeitgust

12. Newell, P. 2005. Race, Class & Environmental Inequality. Global Environmental Politics 5:3

13. Durfee, J & Corbett, J. 2005. Conetxt and Controversy: Global Warming Coverage. Nieman Reports

[2] Tolan, S & Berzon, A. 2005. Global Warming: What’s Known vs. What’s Told. Nieman Reports

[3] Dickens, P. 2004. Society and Nature: changing our environment, changing ourselves. Cambridge: Polity Press

[4] Cane, J. 2010. Vega Class Lectures.

[5] The Great Global Warming Swindle.

[6] Buttel, F.H., et al., 2002. Theory and the Environment – Classical Foundations, Contemporary insights. Rowman & Littlefield Publishers: Maryland and Oxford

[7] Zeitgust – the movie

[8] Tolan, S & Berzon, A. 2005. Global Warming: What’s Known vs. What’s Told. Nieman Reports

[9] The Great Global Warming Swindle

[10] http://stanfordreview.org/article/review-great-global-warming-swindle

[11] Newell, P. 2005. Race, Class & Environmental Inequality. Global Environmental Politics 5:3

[12] Tolan, S & Berzon, A. 2005. Global Warming: What’s Known vs. What’s Told. Nieman Reports

[13] Durfee, J & Corbett, J. 2005. Conetxt and Controversy: Global Warming Coverage. Nieman Reports

We have all seen talented drivers out on our roads as well as on the track and wonder how their utter perfection can be conducted with the beauty of a quivering symphony…

This utter perfection is due to their metronomic fancy footwork, dancing from one pedal to another … A sense of harmony between man and machine combined into exhilarating art.

For these enthusiasts, they enjoy adrenalin fueled time, pushing the cars to the ultimate limit around a track, the feeling of euphoria in mind and body – total bliss with every corner and maneuver.

Does track driving and the skills learned on a track encourage good driving styles on a daily basis or does it encourage reckless driving? Are the skills learned on a track sufficient to educate and enhance ones driving techniques, skills and abilities?

Through my social networking on a Facebook group called Fancy Footwork we come across and discuss how the skills of driving on a track and the perfection it requires; does it help improve daily driving on our busy road networks that we drive with caution and fear from the dangerous situations that always seem to plague us so often.  Many say that this violent and aggressive driving style on our roads today, is caused by the fast paced and demanding work and lifestyles we have here in Gauteng, especially pertinent in Johannesburg and surrounding areas, where most drivers from any of the other areas in South Africa have difficulty coming to terms with this style of driving and often feel intimidated by the majority of the not so ‘fancy footwork’ drivers.

On the other side of the scale, we have strong passionate racing drivers that we are fortunate to understand and watch their utter perfection due to their metronomic fancy footwork. As we watch their driving perfection on and off the track, it makes us wonder, do the skills learnt on the track and reflexes help us counter the dangerous road situations that we face or do they seem to promote these hazardous conditions? Then we have those who watch these perfected driving skills and think or believe that they can do the same without the training, experience and acquiring of the necessary skills. The consequence of this is irresponsible driving and causing mayhem on the roads.

My Facebook group leans towards the fact that racing skills learnt on the track, does in fact benefit the driver on normal road conditions as the driver is in tune with his car as well as aware of his surroundings and how to respond in some of the more day-to-day driving situations. There is an overwhelming majority that has voiced their opinion in this regard. From being a track driver on a superbike and in a car, I can agree that track driving skills do play a positive impact on the way you drive on the road as well as getting out of difficult or dangerous situations. This maybe a consequence of an increase in confidence in myself and my car as I know what it’s capable and what its not capable of doing in those circumstances. I feel that all drivers who have gained enough experience in a car and who are mature and responsible drivers no matter the age should be expected to complete track courses where they are taught the correct skills in which to drive and handle cars based on a track and racing perspective.

This activist programme is not for those youngsters who just want learn some skills to show off their newly founded skills rather to those that can appreciate the art of driving and how it can help their driving experience as well as be an advantage for when there is a circumstance on the roads that need the fast reaction times and the knowledge in their cars to avoid the situation at hand, potentially saving life’s. Hence in my human intervention, I took a conservative approach in advertising the group as it wouldn’t appeal to much to the youngsters who are looking for an adrenalin pumping mess around time with their friends and some new tricks to show off to their mates back home. Even though miniature cars were used with a video playing in the background of a car giving a gentleman a lap dance, its aiming at a higher, more mature level of audience who aren’t just attracted to screeching cars, rubber burning stunts.

My execution of my visual concept is based on the idea of the wheel being the feet of the car, the place where all dancing takes places and where the sense of art between man and machine is combined in unity. The wheel’s spokes is the focal point depicting the strength of the wheel, the supporting structure. I used the profile pictures of the group members to encompass the design of the Mercedes-Benz C63 wheel, highlighting that they are the strength behind the motions. They are what gives the car and the driver the ability to dance on the road with absolute perfection and beauty, man and machine combined.

Keeping the white backgrounds as the connectors between each person, showing how they are connected to one another and with the blotches missing in-between the pictures, showing that we are not fully connected to one another but sometimes merely through ones activities and circumstances on a day to day living. The centre hub cap of where the companies name of the motor vehicle, my face is placed in there, larger than all the other photos, highlighting that I’m the person who brought these people together into one named instance and collections of ideas based on their passion for driving and racing in cars, their sense of letting one go in a form of dance on the peddles, “the heel and toe” of motor vehicle dancing. The brake pads and brake calipers are left in the image with the tires to show the connection between man and machine, the inner workings of the car, the blood line and the feet on which it walks, the spokes in the car wheel, the bones and structure of the motions, us, the humans being the driving force and strength behind all its existence and the creator of these majestic dance moves

Kyle demonstrates diligence, determination and perseverance with a positive attitude to succeed. His humble, friendly and polite disposition is one of his strongest attributes. Kyle stands up for what he believes in and is not easily influenced by others. He is currently in his third year of study at Vega School. He is a person who has a passion for motoring whereby most of his creative inspirations arise from. He is an energetic and creative person in his own right.