Life Cycle Assessments Flashcards
What are Life Cycle Assessments?
Life Cycle Assessment (LCA)is a technique for assessing thepotentialenvironmental aspects associated with a product (or service)
How do Life Cycle Assessments perform their aim?
- compiling aninventoryof relevant inputs and outputs,
- evaluatingthe potential environmental impacts associated with those inputs and outputs,
- interpretingthe results of the inventory and impact phases in relation to the objectives of the study.
Why has life cycle assessment (LCA’s) emerged as a dominant methodological framework?
environmental science and evaluation of the environmental impact of consumer products have moved toward more holistic, comprehensive approaches
What is the difference between LCA and Carbon footprint?
- related to the impact categories which are studied.
- Carbon Footprint - one environmental impact category: greenhouse gas emissions (CO2).
- LCA takes more impact categories into account, such as land use, water use and acidification.
The methodology of an LCA is defined in _______ and _____
ISO14000 and PAS2050
standardised and internationally recognised methods
What is the most important method for assessing the overall environmental impact of products and processes from the design to disposal?
Life cycle assessment
Which system looks at the entire life cycle of a product or process, and maps its environmental impact?
Life cycle assessment
What is the idea behind LCA?
compare the full range of environmental effects assignable to products and services by quantifying all inputs and outputs of material flows and assessing how these material flows affect the environment.
What are the 4 steps in Life Cycle Assessments?
1) LCA goal & scope definition
2) Inventory analysisof extractions and emissions
3) Impact assessment (LCIA)
4) Interpretation
What is the purpose of step 1 of LCA? (goal and scope definition)
This is a very important part in the LCA, as it determines and guides the choices to be made in the other
phases of the study.
What does the scope and goals of LCA entail?
Scope : The scope should describe the detail and depth of the study, and show that the goal can be met with
the actual extent of the limitations
Goals :
- intended application and the reason for carrying out the study
- intended audience
- result is intended to be used in comparative assertions disclosed to the public
What is the challenge of an LCA practitioner and how is overcome?
challenge : develop the model in such a way that the simplifications and distortions do not influence the results too much.
deal with problem : to carefully define the goal and scope of the LCA study.
What happens in LCA step two and what is the purpose? (Inventory analysisof extractions and emissions)
- look at theenvironmental inputs and outputsassociated with a product or service, such as the use of raw materials and energy, the emission of pollutants and the waste streams.
- description of material and energy flows within the product system and its interaction with environment, consumed raw materials, and emissions to the environment
What happens in LCA step three (Impact assessment)
- draw conclusions that allow you to makebetter decisions.
- classify the environmental impacts, evaluate them by what is most important to the research question, and translate them into environmental themes such as global warming or human health.
What happens in LCA Step Four: Interpretation?
- check that yourconclusions are well-substantiated (evidence) The ISO 14044 standard describes a number of checks to test whether conclusions are adequately supported by the data and by the procedures used.
