Life Cycle Assessment Part 2 Flashcards

1
Q

Wha are key features of greenhouse gases?

A
  • Absorb infrared radiation
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2
Q

How can more violent weather events occur?

A

Higher temperatures and steeper thermal gradients drive currents leading to more violent storms, flooding, fires and desertification.

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3
Q

What would happen without the greenhouse effect?

A

Earth’s average temp would be around -18ºC

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4
Q

Where can CO2 come from?

A
  • From animal metabolism
  • From biomass
  • From decomposition
  • Industrialisation
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5
Q

How can CO2 be absorbed?

A
  • Diffusion into water - phytoplankton
  • Photosynthesis
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6
Q

What is CO2 equivalent?

A

Carbon dioxide equivalent (CO2e) is a measure of how much a gas
contributes to global warming, relative to carbon dioxide.

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7
Q

What’s the formula for CO2e?

A

CO2e of F tonnes of gas = F x GWP

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8
Q

What does GWP stand for?

A

Global Warming Potential

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9
Q

What are key features to do with CO2 and material production?

A
  • Have a range of carbon footprints
  • Carbon footprint due to energy used in making an individual product
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10
Q

For every tonne of cement how much CO2 released?

A

We make 1/2 a tonne of CO2

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11
Q

What are some end of life options?

A
  • Landfill → minimise landfill
  • Combust e.g., car tires burnt in a kiln when cement is being made
  • Down-cycle + recycle e.g., concrete crushed to use as aggregate
  • Reengineer + reconditioning
  • Reuse
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12
Q

What are some hazardous material categories?

A
  • Highly flammable
  • Corrosive
  • Poisonous
  • Air-polluting
  • Water-polluting
  • Landfill ban
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13
Q

What are the phases of an E-LCA?

A
  1. Goals and scope
  2. Inventory analysis
  3. Impact assessment
  4. Ares of protection
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14
Q

What do you do when defining goals and scope?

A
  • To compare products/designs
  • To identify the phase of life that is most damaging
  • As part of a planning application.
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15
Q

What’s involved in the scope of E-LCA?

A
  • Look at system A or system B and steer away from looking at system C
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16
Q

What is inventory?

A

The Inventory is a list of the resources and emissions associated with the system defined in Step 1.

17
Q

What are the impact categories in the step 3 impact assessment?

A
  • Climate change
  • Resource depletion
  • Ozone depletion
  • Acid rain
  • Poor air quality
  • Freshwater shortage
  • Human toxicity and eco-toxicity
18
Q

What is involved in step of 4 E-LCA?

A
  • Step back
  • Examine results and conclude it
19
Q

What is an Eco-audit?

A

Is a fast assessment of:

  • Energy demand
  • Water demand
  • Carbon emissions over the life of a product to see which phase(s) dominate.
20
Q

What is a matrix and target plot?

A
  • Rows of environmental impact one wishes to consider
  • An integer between zero (highest impact) and 4 (least impact) is assigned to each matrix element. The sum of the matrix elements is the Environmentally Responsible Product Rating
  • depends on a particular set of parameters
21
Q

What’s is included in the LCSA framework?

A
  • Impact categories under individual assessments
  • Pull them together in some way → so many variable impacts
22
Q

Whats the 5 step method in assessing proposals for sustainable development?

A
  1. Unpack the proposal
  2. Identify stakeholders
  3. Research the facts
  4. Synthesis a judgement
    5.Reflects on outcomes
23
Q

What does researching the facts involve?

A

Environment, cost, materials, regulations, effects on society, obligations

24
Q

What is involved in the synthesis of judgement?

A

Natural capital, social and human capital and manufactured and financial capital → impacts and make a synthesis

25
Q

What is pulverised fuel?

A

Pulverised fuel is a method of combustion used in large industrial boilers. In this process, coal is ground into a fine powder and then burned, creating a significant amount of heat energy.

26
Q

What are stakeholders?

A

A stakeholder is a person, group, or organization that has an interest or concern in something, such as a business or project.

27
Q

What are key points about LCA?

A
  • Life Cycle (Sustainability) Assessment is increasingly common and important
  • The principles presented here apply to a wide range of products and processes.
  • It is particularly important in civil engineering because construction is more impactful than any other sector.