Methods of Determining Environmental Impacts

3 Methods of Determining Environmental Impacts 9.3.1 Embodied Energy 

Life cycle assessment (analysis) involves the determination of the total enviromnental impact of the nse of the material from when the raw materials are extracted, through the processing and utilization of the material, possible recycling and ultimate disposal. 

In 1992, the International Organisation for Standardisation established a technical committee on Environmental Management (TC207) to develop a series of standards on environmental management. This was subsequently published as the IS014000 series of standards. Although this is a field that is rapidly maturing, LCA has been criticized on a number of points. 

Hillier etal. (1996) note that there is an observed tendency for LCAs to support the case of those funding the study, leading to suspicion of the veracity of the analysis. 

LCAs tend to be complex and often difficult to analyse independently, even though the conclusions or output data may be presented in relatively simple terms. Because of the often contentious nature of the findings and the potential economic impact of the analyses. 

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