IMPACT ASSESSMENT (STAGE 3): SCIENCE ELUCIDATES ENVIRONMENTAL MECHANISMS The effects of the resource use and emissions generated are grouped and quantified into a limited number of impact categories which may then be weighted for importance. Source: http://lcinitiative.unep.fr/sites/lcinit
KEY OBJECTIVE OF LCA: AVOID POLLUTION TRANSFERS Ex.: phosphate-free detergent Raw materials Manufacturing Distribution Use End of Life Raw materials Manufacturing Distribution Use End of Life http://www.dailymotion.c om/video/x1fcvj_le-chat- sans-phosphate_news Henkel sentenced & “phosphate - free” label forbidden ( link)
LCA case studies What are the ecological impacts of a plastic cup? 63
WHICH SCOPE OF ANALYSIS?
TYPICAL ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT CATEGORIES
GOAL AND SCOPE WOODEN PENCIL VS. MECHANICAL PENCIL Goal = Compare 2 writing utensils for classroom use. Scope: Wooden Pencil Process Flow Diagram Lumb T T T T T er Retail End Lumb Manufact Use Fores er Mill er of Life ure t T (Landfill) Rubber Sharpening T Graphit e T (Electricity Packaging ) T Brass T = Transportation
SCOPE: MECHANICAL PENCIL PE = Polyethylene PP = Polypropylene Both materials are plastic polymers (large molecules) used to make many products. T T T T T Retai PE / Manufac End Use Oil PP ture ler of Life T (Landfill) Rubber T Graphite T Packagin g T Spring T = Transportation
FUNCTION & FUNCTIONAL UNIT Function Example: • Service provided by a system Wooden Pencil vs. • What it does Mechanical Pencil Functional Unit • Function = “Writing” Gives the function a number • value • Functional Unit = Allows comparison between • “1 meter of writing” products • Reference point
DATA COLLECTION: LIFE CYCLE INVENTORY ANALYSIS (LCIA) 1. Time-sensitive = past 5 years 2. Geographical = does it match the location from the goal Precision: 3. Technology = best available The consistent technology for process reproducibility of a measurement 4. Representativeness = reflects population of interest 5. Consistency = matches the Completeness: procedure Covers all the areas 6. Reproducibility = another outlined in the person could find it scope
The more complex the product, the less precise the analysis page 70 http://www.storyofstuff.com
http://www.storyofstuff.org/movies-all/story-of- http://www.youtube.com/w atch?v=XMfz8Cbyxl0 electronics/ http://knowledge.wharton.upenn.edu/arti cle.cfm?articleid=1536 http://www.youtube.com/wat ch?v=PDH_4lOM05g
Which sitting technology has the lowest ecological impacts?
Source: http://www.lcacenter.org/about-lca.aspx.
Source: http://www.lcacenter.org/about-lca.aspx.
Examples of LCA software: http://www.environmenttools.co.uk.
What are the key issues to consider to evaluate the environmental performance of a bakery?
Source of gourmet slides: http://www.lcacenter.org/LCA9/sessions/LCA-studies.html. COMMUTING ( Canadian bakery chain )
Limits of LCAs : cf. Finnveden G. (2000), “ On the limitations of life cycle assessment and environmental systems analysis tools in general”, The International Journal of Life Cycle Assessment , 5 (4):229-238.
LCAs of IT The more complex the product, the less precise the LCA. page 87
PRODUCT LIFE CYCLE (COMPUTER) Source: Choi, B.-C., H.-S. Shin, S.-Y. Lee , et al. (2006), "Life Cycle Assessment of a Personal Computer and its Effective Recycling Rate (7 pp)", The International Journal of Life Cycle Assessment 11(2): 122-128.
LCA SCOPE: EX. OF A DRAM Source: Liu, C. H., S. J. Lin & C. Lewis (2010), "Life cycle assessment of DRAM in Taiwan's semiconductor industry", Journal of Cleaner Production 18(5): 419-425.
SYSTEM BOUNDARIES FOR THE COMPLETE LIFE CYCLE OF A PLASMA TV Source: Hischier, R. & I. Baudin (2010), "LCA study of a plasma television device", The International Journal of Life Cycle Assessment 15(5): 428-438.S
(2010), "LCA study of a plasma television device", The International Journal of Life Source: Hischier, R. & I. Baudin Cycle Assessment 15(5): 428- 438.S CYCLE OF A PLASMA TV THE COMPLETE LIFE ARD: abiotic resource depletion; GWP: global warming potential; ODP: stratospheric ozone depletion potential; PCOP: photochemical oxidation potential; AP: acidification potential; EP: eutrophication potential; HTP human: toxicity potential; FAETP: freshwater aquatic ecotoxicity potential; MAETP: marine aquatic ecotoxicity potential; TETP: terrestrial ecotoxicity potential; EI'99: total Eco-Indicator '99 method (previous: with CML)
EMISSION AND RESOURCE FACTORS (SOURCE: IBID.)
Lunch break!
Let’s recap… 1. What are the main environmental issues faced by IT? 2. How can we evaluate the environmental impacts of IT? 3. What can LCAs tell us? 4. How would you define green IT?
REFERENCES OF LCA CASE STUDIES Hischier, R. & I. Baudin (2010), “LCA Study of a Plasma Television device”, The International Journal of Life Cycle • Assessment 15(5): 428-438. http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/s11367-010-0169-2 Choi, B.-C., H.-S. Shin, S.- Y. Lee, et al. (2006), “LCA of a Personal Computer and its Effective Recycling Rate”, The • International Journal of Life Cycle Assessment 11(2): 122-128. http://dx.doi.org/10.1065/lca2004.12.196 Liu, C. H., S. J. Lin & C. Lewis (2010), “LCA of DRAM in Taiwan's Semiconductor Industry”, Journal of Cleaner • Production 18(5): 419-425. http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.jclepro.2009.10.004 • Duan . H., et al. (2009), “Life cycle assessment study of a Chinese desktop personal computer”, Science of The Total Environment 407 (5):1755-1764. http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.scitotenv.2008.10.063 • Tähkämö, L. & L. Halonen (2015), “Life cycle assessment of road lighting luminaires ” , Journal of Cleaner Production (0) http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.jclepro.2015.01.025.
How can IT overcome its environmental problems? 96
Eco-innovate! For example, to reduce the GHG emissions of ! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XZmGGAbHqa0
OR THE ONES OF FACEBOOK… Source: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_r97qdyQtIk,
What is innovation? 99
WHAT IS INNOVATION? The introduction of something new, or … … the successful exploitation of new ideas? Innovation can relate to processes or products, can be technological, organisational or presentational.
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