1. Friday, Nov 7, 03Cal Poly, San Luis Obispo1 Life- Cycle Analysis: The Role of Evaluation and Strategy Life- Cycle Analysis: The Role of Evaluation and Strategy Frank R. Field III & John R. Ehrenfeld Summary: Asong Suh Critique: Alex Polleri

2. Friday, Nov 7, 03Cal Poly, San Luis Obispo2 Overview  Definition of Life Cycle Analysis (LCA)  LCA Steps  Review of Evaluation Concepts  Environmental Impact Analysis in LCA  Environmental Priority Strategies System (EPS System)  Critique

3. Friday, Nov 7, 03Cal Poly, San Luis Obispo3 LCA Definition ‘LCA is a technique for the study of strategies to meet environmental challenges’ Why LCA? Considers how process will affect the environment in the future Process & product developers use LCA to incorporate environmental considerations into design Consumer interest groups use LCA to inform consumers of alternative products Regulators and policy makers use LCA to guide environmental policy and enforce legislative objectives

4. Friday, Nov 7, 03Cal Poly, San Luis Obispo4 LCA Steps LCA helps consumers, industrialists and government to make decisions that will minimize environmental impacts. LCA has three steps: Inventory analysis- ID and quantify energy and resources used and environmental releases to the air, water & land Impact analysis- Assessment of the consequences of resource use and environmental releases for the environment Improvement analysis-Evaluation & implementation of ways to reduce environmental burdens

5. Friday, Nov 7, 03Cal Poly, San Luis Obispo5 Review of Evaluation Concepts  Difficulty understanding releases to the environment and environmental damage.  Two methods of making environmental decisions Setting limits that have to be met or can not be exceeded Using value functions

6. Friday, Nov 7, 03Cal Poly, San Luis Obispo6 Setting Limits Consider Hypothetical set of potential alternatives with only two environmental impacts Dominated alternatives (2& 3) Nondominated alternatives (1, 4, 5, 6 &7) Selecting from nondominated alternatives

7. Friday, Nov 7, 03Cal Poly, San Luis Obispo7 Value Functions Linear index method Non linear index method  Tool for deciding which nondominant alternative is preferable  Value function represents strategic goals of the community doing the analysis.

8. Friday, Nov 7, 03Cal Poly, San Luis Obispo8 Environmental Priority Strategies System (EPS System)  A tool for evaluating ecological consequences of alternative activities or processes  It associates environmental load with individual activities based on materials consumed or processed  EPS environmental safeguard subjects Biodiversity Production Human Health Resources Aesthetic Values

9. Friday, Nov 7, 03Cal Poly, San Luis Obispo9 EPS System cont

10. Friday, Nov 7, 03Cal Poly, San Luis Obispo10 Critique  Strengths of LCA LCA technique covers the entire lifespan of a product or activity Establishes values to environmental impacts LCA also informs consumer on the impact of products and activities to the environment

11. Friday, Nov 7, 03Cal Poly, San Luis Obispo11 Critique  Limitations of LCA Can not solve complex problems

12. Friday, Nov 7, 03Cal Poly, San Luis Obispo12 Critique  Limitations of LCA LCA only analysis a problem but does NOT provide a solution. LCA is based on subjective assumptions  Relationship between releases to the environment and the environment

13. Friday, Nov 7, 03Cal Poly, San Luis Obispo13 Critique  Limitations of the EPS System It associates a value to an environmental impact subjectively. The associated value will not always be the same for different cultures and countries

14. Friday, Nov 7, 03Cal Poly, San Luis Obispo14 QUESTIONS?