1. Please give a short statement that describes your academic interests, purpose, objectives and
motivation in undertaking this postgraduate study. (max 3500 chars – approx. 500 words)
This should include why you feel you are qualified to enter the programme and how you think it may
affect your career prospects. If you are applying for a Masters programme and your chosen
programme has more than one area of specialism or theme you should indicate here which area(s)
you wish to specialise in(max 3500 chars - approx. 500 words).
The biggest challenge (very bold claim... can you back it up?) the world today is to match sustainability
with increasing quality of life around the world. You have world twice in the first sentence. Maybe
better would be to get rid of 'around the world' altogether. However, the biggest barrier to this is the
degradation and the unsustainable practices inflicted on the environment. Developed countries will
have to manage and adapt to climate change, but more worrying (not worringly.) are the more fragile
developing countries that an environmental disaster would hit the hardest. I feel strongly about these
issues, and this course will allow me to specialise in a field that I love.
I am interested in a wide, multi-disciplinary approach to sustainability from reconciling deforestation
with poverty alleviation in West Africa, to the challenge the UK faces in keeping the lights on at the same
time as reducing emissions. Most of the issues the world faces today (another big claim, maybe better to
qualify it? Like 'many of the environmental issues the world faces...') can be attributed, at least in part,
to a lack of sustainability, so it is important for me understand the concept fully. I read widely on the
subject of sustainability, often including books and essays of opposing views, such as Jeffrey Sachs and
William Easterly debating aid and development. An important part of the debate that I am missing
formal education on is a grounding in economics and policy, (messy sentence. Maybe- An important part
of the debate revolves around economics and policy and it is this that I would like to gain a formal
grounding in.) This course provides excellent elective courses on ecological economics and global
environmental politics that look both interesting and informative. (interesting and informative is a
cliché.. can you think of a better way to say the same thing?)
Whilst living in London, I was involved with activism, specifically against unsustainable practices in big
businesses, and about environmental problems. (Vague.) However, I found myself often disillusioned at
the lack of critical thinking and balanced debate often prevalent among even high ranking members of
some environmental groups. Take fracking for instance; many people seem to have dismissed it without
a fair trial. It may be that an influx of natural gas could decrease coal consumption and thus decrease
overall emissions. It also may be that usage of natural gas could increase at the expense of renewables,
and there may be local environmental problems associated with fracking itself. It is a debate that
fracking may well lose, but the debate must be had, and it must be based on good science and robust
research. This course will allow me to utilise my critical thinking and analysis skills and develop them
further.
For my research dissertation I would like to either base a project at the Stockholm Resilience Centre - I
speak proficient Swedish - or a study on West Africa. On completion of this course, I would like to work

2. on further research, either as a PhD or at an environmental research institute, with a focus on Africa and
energy.
I am particularly interested in the University of Edinburgh as it has an excellent reputation and facilities,
and of particular interest to me are the GLE and GC research groups.
My interest in sustainability and development really emerged when I saw first-hand the problems of soil
degradation, pollution and deforestation in West Africa, where I spent 5 months in 2013. After
volunteering in a school for 2 months, my partner and I bought 2 bicycles and cycled across 5 countries
from Senegal to Sierra Leone, camping in the bush and beside houses of people we met on the road.
This has given me a real insight into poverty and the vulnerability of some parts of the world to climate
change and environmental problems, and feeds my passion in the subject of environmental
sustainability. (tenses don't match in this last sentence. Maybe 'and fed my ongoing passion...'
557 words 3392 characters zomg!
Relevant Knowledge/Training Skills
This may include details of required laboratory, computer programming, specialised software
packages skills or voluntary work that you have undertaken pertinent to the programme. If you have
not yet finished your first degree, please tell us about the programme of study you are taking (max
3500 chars - approx. 500 words).
I achieved a high BSc (Hons) 2.1 grade at UCL in physics, where my grade increasingly improved as I
progressed through the degree, and which I hope will continue to improve in my postgraduate studies.
(i'm not sure about 'increadingly improve' and 'continue to improve' but I don't know how to make it
better.) I would bring a scientific approach that would juxtapose nicely with other viewpoints in the
group and would lend itself to a broadening of opinions, and I am interested to learn more about the
less black and white world of critical thinking, policy and debate.
In my physics course I took every module available on environmental physics which including climate
change, weather models, a study on the effect of ozone depletion and the global hydrological cycle as
well as modules on sustainable energy systems. I found these courses to be the most interesting and
rewarding and as well as those that I excelled the most in. (I think 'the most is unnecessary)
I am proficient at several (get rid of several) computer programs such as Excel and MATLAB, and have
experience with CAD software and programming. These skills would add a scientific edge to my research
dissertation, and would contrast nicely alongside more thoughtful debate and analysis. Contrast nicely is
the same as juxtapose nicely from before. It sounds like your saying the same thing twice.
I have extensive experience of the scientific method, propagating errors, writing reports and essays,

3. referencing and presenting my results.
I had work experience at a renewable energy installers business alongside my job (does this refer to the
gist job? I'm not sure it's necessary to mention) and learnt a lot about small scale sustainable energy
systems and about tariffs and subsidies, but it ultimately helped me realise that I want to research,
consult or innovate and work in academia, NGOs or government rather than in industry. Loooong
sentence. Split it up.
I am taking part in the weekly Scottish discussion meetings on a course entitled The Age of Sustainable
Development run by Jeffrey Sachs at Columbia University. The meetings are hosted by CIFAL and the
Edinburgh Centre for Carbon Innovation (ECCI). We sit and (unnecessary) discuss the lectures and
debate the ideas put forward which range from economic history to sustainable food supply and cities,
biodiversity and poverty alleviation.
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