367 ENVIRON Global Enterprise and Sustainable Development Fall 2011
Homework #3 Due 10/12
The "Standard Models" at EIOLCA.net (http://www.eiolca.net/cgi-bin/dft/use.pl) can only give you life cycle economic and environmental of products in one single sector
The EIO analysis itself can do more than that. For example, in Homework #2, we caulculated environmental impacts of producing plastics and bottle.
To calculate life cycle economic and environmental impacts for multiple products (e.g., exports from China to the US) from EIOLCA.net, we will need to use the "Custom Model"
1. Multiple products
Open http://www.eiolca.net/cgi-bin/dft/build.pl , and read the introduction
Suppose China exports the following products to the US. Use this "Custom Model" to calculate life cycle energy use and GHG emissions embodied in these exports.
Use "China 2002 (122)" model. Remember to click the "Change Model" button after you select the model.
Export
Computers
High speed trains
Clothes
Value
$2 million
$5 million
$1 million
What sector you choose from the model to represent each of the products?
Communications and trade services
Transportation vehicles
Tobacco and Textile Products
Fill in the following table for energy and carbon footprint (life cycle energy use and carbon emissions) from the model
You might want to click the "Change Inputs" button on top-left corner to get energy GHG and information
Energy footprint (TJ)
Carbon footprint (MTCO2-equivalent)
28.5
2950
2. Hybrid LCA
EIOLCA.net also provides a hybrid LCA model for users. Open http://www.eiolca.net/cgi-bin/dft/aurora-start.pl, and read the introduction.
Suppose you conducted a process-based LCA, and found the direct inputs from several key sectors (listed below) for making the specific computer you are studying.
And you are confident that these process-based LCA results are more accurate than national average obtained from the EIO model.
Process-based LCA results
Sector
Direct input required for $2 million computers
48. Plastic products
$250,000 Note the unit
50. Glass and glass
products
60. Metal products
85. Electricity and steam
production and supply
$100,000
$150,000
$200,000
Use these information, create a hybrid LCA model and calculate using EIOLCA.net.
Still use "China 2002 (122)" model. Remember to click the "Change Model" button after you select the model.
Calculate energy and carbon footprints for $2 million computers using the hybrid method.
Fill in the following table
Hybrid LCA results
Energy footprint (TJ)
Carbon footprint (MTCO2-equivalent)
7.99
771
If you don't change direct inputs of the above four sectors, you will get the pure EIO-LCA results.
Fill in the following table and compare with hybrid LCA results
EIO-LCA results
Energy footprint (TJ)
Carbon footprint (MTCO2-equivalent)
4.77
461