Design For Cost & Environment

Question 1

List some major environmental challenges.

Answer 1

• Global warming.
• Harmful sea and air pollution.
• Unsustainable waste levels.
• Excessive energy consumption.
• Growing population with dwindling resources.

Question 2

Define ‘material energy content’.

Answer 2

The energy used to mine, refine and process materials to produce basic material stock. Includes energy to run the factories but not the energy used to machine materials into stock components.

Question 3

Define ‘virgin material’.

Answer 3

Zero recycled material, also called primary raw material.

Question 4

Define production energy content.

Answer 4

The energy used to turn stock material into components. Includes the energy to run the factories and transport the components.

Question 5

Define ‘carbon footprint’.

Answer 5

Tonnes of CO2 per year per capita.

Question 6

What is the equation for ‘Air Quality Index’? What are safe levels?

Answer 6

AQI = (Pollutant concentration / pollutant standard level) x 100

< 100 = safe, > 100 = unsafe.

Question 7

What is the ‘Air Quality Index’?

Answer 7

The AQI is a table scoring the air pollution level and attributing health implications to various levels, in addition to cautionary statements.

Question 8

What are the challenges of conducting environmental impact analysis?

Answer 8

• Difficult to get accurate energy and cost data on material production.
• Difficult to take into account building of infrastructures.
• Many types of material.
• Quantity of recycled material can quickly change.
• Energy prices can change rapidly.