ABSTRACT
In the last several decades there has been increasing interest in framing environmental assessments from a life cycle perspective. Life cycle assessment (LCA) is a framework for assessing the cradle-to-grave effects of products, processes, services, activities, or the complex systems in which they reside. LCA accounting provides a more rigorous understanding of the environmental impacts of the entire system, including how upfront design and construction decisions lead to long-term effects. Environmental LCA can thus aid in the planning, design, construction, and operation of systems to minimize energy consumption, emissions that cause climate change and harm to human health, and a host of other environmental and resource depletion impacts.
