Description
Paper or plastic? Local or imported food? Which is
better for the environment? To answer these questions, one must take
a holistic systems view using a quantitative approach known as life cycle
assessment.
Life cycle assessment (LCA) is a fundamental method for assessing the
environmental impacts of products and technologies from a "cradle to grave"
systems perspective. It is an essential tool for anyone who performs
environmental analyses or uses the results of such analyses for decision
making.
The course will provide an introduction to LCA methods and applications. Students taking this course will emerge with a solid understanding of why
an LCA systems perspective is important, basic skills for sound application
of the LCA method and proper interpretation of its results, and an appreciation
for the strengths and limitations of LCA in practice. The course
will cover the four major steps in LCA: (1) goal and scope definition;
(2) life-cycle inventory compilation; (3) life-cycle impact assessment;
and (4) interpretation and management. The course will include a
hands-on modeling project, which the students will perform in parallel
to the lectures to reinforce learning objectives and to gain experience
in LCA application.