Description: _x000D_ Green Design and pollution prevention are proactive strategies to minimize the environmental burdens associated with a product or process without compromising functionality. Life cycle assessment (LCA) is an important tool used in pollution prevention and green design efforts. Selection of product design, materials, processes, reuse or recycling strategies, and final disposal options requires careful examination of energy and resource consumption as well as environmental discharges associated with each prevention or design alternative. LCA involves evaluating the environmental effects of a product, process, or activity holistically, by looking at the entire life cycle of the product or process from raw materials extraction through consumer use (Figure 1). Coca Cola was one of the first corporations to attempt LCA when the company analyzed the environmental impacts of beverage containers in the 1960s. LCA criteria are beginning to find their way into environmental labeling schemes such as Germany s Blue Angel and the ISO 14000 environmental management standards (www.iso.ch). Simplified LCAs even pop up in popular magazines; for example, Consumer Reports occasionally comments on the environmental impacts of different product packaging types and chemicals. This assignment will show the use of life cycle assessment though a specific case study exercise. The case study introduces environmental life cycle assessment (LCA), explains a specific method of conducting LCAs (the EIOLCA approach), and shows how to carry out an EIOLCA on the world wide web in a step-by-step approach. The assignment should be used in class to complement class instruction on LCA and different methods of LCA. Although the case study includes a step-by-step demonstration of using the EIOLCA module, the students are left to complete the exercise on their own and to discuss the results and the pros and cons of using the model._x000D_
Cost: Free
Learning Resource Type: Teaching - Case Study (College Freshman - Graduate)
Media Type: Document
Difficulty: Easy
Audience: From College Freshman To Graduate
Interventions: Not Specified
Resource Use: Not Specified
Interactivity: Not Specified
Publication Date: Not Specified
Platform: Cross Platform
Copyright: Copyright 1999
Comments: 1)Rating: -1 _x000D_Title: How I Use Case study: Economic Input-Output Life Cycle Assessment of Asphalt versus Steel..., 6/15/05_x000D_By: null