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ENVIR 300

ENVIRONMENTAL STUDIES: SYNTHESIS AND APPLICATION


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 TUESDAY, MAY 20
LIFE-CYCLE ASSESSMENT

Today we will deal with the complexities and frustrations (what else is new) of applying a specific methodology to the analysis of urban waste streams. This methodology is called life-cycle assessment, and we can get a good introduction to the topic from Kirsten Rosselot and David Allen's draft book chapter on Life-Cycle Concepts, Product Stewardship and Green Engineering

After this, we can look at some specific applications:
  • First, we come back to farms (you didn't think I'd let you get very far from the farm, did you?) and examine a comparative analysis of five different life-cycle models for assessing the effects of using treated organic urban waste on agricultural land.
  • Second, we look at the executive summary only, unless you want to read more of the EPA's model of Solid Waste Management and Greenhouse Gases.
This should give us enough to talk about.