"This book presents an overview of interdisciplinarity linked to the application of the life cycle analysis tool. Also, through this environmental approach, it is possible to direct the practical transition of the development of production systems. Therefore, the dissemination of studies involving this tool is essential to understand the criteria and indicators of sustainability. Divided into seven parts, the book provides the reader with a general contextualization of the life cycle assessment tool and its application guidelines. It also presents studies involving scenarios agronomic, agricultural, energy, and emerging, as well as chemical industrial processes in order to exemplify and disseminate its huge scope of application. Finally, this book provides an expanded view for students, researchers, and professionals in the environmental field, who are interested in improving the sustainable performance of the most diverse agro-industrial segments"--

This book presents an overview of interdisciplinarity linked to the application of the life cycle analysis tool. Also, through this environmental approach, it is possible to direct the practical transition of the development of production systems. Therefore, the dissemination of studies involving this tool is essential to understand the criteria and indicators of sustainability.Divided into seven parts, the book provides the reader with a general contextualization of the life cycle assessment tool and its application guidelines. It also presents studies involving scenarios agronomic, agricultural, energy, and emerging, as well as chemical industrial processes in order to exemplify and disseminate its huge scope of application.Finally, this book provides an expanded view for students, researchers, and professionals in the environmental field, who are interested in improving the sustainable performance of the most diverse agro-industrial segments.

Environmental Life Cycle Assessment (ELCA) that was developed about three decades ago demands a broadening of its scope to include lifecycle costing and social aspects of life cycle assessment as well, drawing on the three-pillar or ‘triple bottom line’ model of sustainability, which is the result of the development of the Life Cycle Sustainability Assessment (LCSA). LCSA refers to the evaluation of all environmental, social and economic negative impacts and benefits in decision-making processes towards more sustainable products throughout their life cycle. Combination of environmental and social life cycle assessments along with life cycle costing leads to life cycle sustainability assessment (LCSA). This book highlights various aspects of life cycle sustainability assessment (LCSA).

LCA - Quo vadis? discusses overarching topics, new developments and major problems of Life Cycle Assessment (LCA), and compares LCA with site-specific environmental management. The text profits from two years of interdisciplinary, coordinated research activities of the Priority Programme Environment of the Swiss National Science Foundation. How should system boundaries of a product life cycle be drawn? · How can environmental interventions be allocated to products? · How are background inventory data collected and used? · How can imprecision in the LCA method be ascertained and checked? · How can relevant environmental interventions be distinguished from irrelevant ones? · What requirements should a software tool for LCA meet?§ A concept of site-specific LCA is proposed in response to criticism of the current approach of LCA. Furthermore, managerial eco-controlling - the emerging method of site-specific environmental management - is discussed. The book concludes with an outlook of possible paths in the future development of LCA.

LCA - Quo vadis? discusses overarching topics, new developments and major problems of Life Cycle Assessment (LCA), and compares LCA with site-specific environmental management. The text profits from two years of interdisciplinary, coordinated research activities of the Priority Programme Environment of the Swiss National Science Foundation. How should system boundaries of a product life cycle be drawn? How can environmental interventions be allocated to products? How are background inventory data collected and used? How can imprecision in the LCA method be ascertained and checked? How can relevant environmental interventions be distinguished from irrelevant ones? What requirements should a software tool for LCA meet A concept of site-specific LCA is proposed in response to criticism of the current approach of LCA. Furthermore, managerial eco-controlling - the emerging method of site-specific environmental management - is discussed. The book concludes with an outlook of possible paths in the future development of LCA.

Environmental life cycle assessment is often thought of as cradle to grave and therefore as the most complete accounting of the environmental costs and benefits of a product or service. However, as anyone who has done an environmental life cycle assessment knows, existing tools have many problems: data is difficult to assemble and life cycle studies take months of effort. A truly comprehensive analysis is prohibitive, so analysts are often forced to simply ignore many facets of life cycle impacts. But the focus on one aspect of a product or service can result in misleading indications if that aspect is benign while other aspects pollute or are otherwise unsustainable. This book summarizes the EIO-LCA method, explains its use in relation to other life cycle assessment models, and provides sample applications and extensions of the model into novel areas. A final chapter explains the free, easy-to-use software tool available on a companion website. (www.eiolca.net) The software tool provides a wealth of data, summarizing the current U.S. economy in 500 sectors with information on energy and materials use, pollution and greenhouse gas discharges, and other attributes like associated occupational deaths and injuries. The joint project of twelve faculty members and over 20 students working together over the past ten years at the Green Design Institute of Carnegie Mellon University, the EIO-LCA has been applied to a wide range of products and services. It will prove useful for research, industry, and in economics, engineering, or interdisciplinary classes in green design.

Green Organic Chemistry and Its Interdisciplinary Applications covers key developments in green chemistry and demonstrates to students that the developments were most often the result of innovative thinking. Using a set of selected experiments, all of which have been performed in the laboratory with undergraduate students, it demonstrates how to optimize and develop green experiments. The book dedicates each chapter to individual applications, such as Engineering The chemical industry The pharmaceutical industry Analytical chemistry Environmental chemistry Each chapter also poses questions at the end, with the answers included. By focusing on both the interdisciplinary applications of green chemistry and the innovative thinking that has produced new developments in the field, this book manages to present two key messages in a manner where they reinforce each other. It provides a single and concise reference for chemists, instructors, and students for learning about green organic chemistry and its great and ever-expanding number of applications.