Life Cycle Assessment - July 28, 2010, 9am - 4pm
Document Actions
Instructor
Rita Schenck was trained as an oceanographer specializing in ecotoxicology and biogeochemistry. She worked for many years as an environmental manager in industry, before founding the Institute for Environmental Research and Education, an environmental non-profit dedicated to fact-based environmental decision-making. The American center for life cycle assessment is a program of the institute, and is the professional society for LCA in the US.
Dr. Schenck represented the US in negotiating the international LCA standards, and continues to work at the national and international level. For example she is developing the carbon footprint for recycling all the major scrap streams in the U.S., she is on the scientific committee for the LCA of Food conference, and she is currently working on a project to set up the national repository for the rules needed to make LCA based ecolabels.
Course description
Life Cycle Assessment is a holistic yardstick of the environmental performance of products and services. It measures how much impact a product has both directly and indirectly. An LCA is holistic because it covers all phases of the product's life cycle and it covers all significant environmental impacts.
Like any measuring system, LCA's effectiveness and accuracy depend on the correct use of the tools. This one-day workshop is a combination of lecture and practical exercise to introduce the concepts, benefits and limitations of LCA, and the basics of applying the technique.
Students will learn:
- What Life Cycle Assessment really is
- How life cycle thinking can affect your daily decisions at work and at home
- The central importance of water, energy and biology
- The connection between LCA and carbon footprints and other ecolabels
- Where the field of LCA is now and where it is going locally, nationally and internationally
This workshop will help you identify:
- Where and how to find existing life cycle studies
- How to scope your own life cycle study
- How to hire a professional to do the analysis
- Where to learn more
CM | 6
AICP members can earn Certification Maintenance (CM) credits for this workshop. More information about AICP's CM program can be found at www.planning.org/cm.
Venue
Southside Commons
3518 S Edmunds Street
Seattle, WA 98118
Who should attend:
This workshop will be relevant and accessible to: sustainability and environmental professionals in business or government, natural resource engineers or managers, environmental nonprofit employees, designers, consumer advocates, sustainability advocates, policymakers and members of the general public who would like to improve their understanding of products' environmental impact.
What to bring:
Please dress comfortably and bring a laptop, along with pen and paper if you prefer to take notes that way.We will provide tea, coffee and light snacks throughout the day. Please help us to reduce waste by bringing a reusable mug. You will be on your own for lunch - the adjacent Columbia City Landmark District offers a wide selection of restaurants.
Sponsorship
Interested in sponsoring this or any other class? Sponsorship opportunities are available. Contact us for more information.
Registration
Businesses: $250
Non-profit, government & tribal employees: $200
Students & unemployed individuals: $100
Some financial assistance available - please contact us if these prices are a barrier to your attendance.
Register online here.
Contact us with any questions: STARs@sustainableseattle.org and (206) 659-8077, or sign up for email updates. 
.
Follow our blog.
