77
there has been no overall net national reduction, and the annual rate of resource
transformation has tripled globally since then (UNEP 2016). Furthermore, neither
consumer or corporate behavior nor the industrial systems needed to create a closed
loop to approach a zero material waste economy have manifested.
4.6 Conclusion
This first attempt by the Coca-Cola Company in 1969 at quantifying specific impacts
that various industrial processes and consumer behavior patterns have on the environment represented a helpful start. It reflected emerging trends in Europe and other
parts of the world that would eventually become codified as an international standard. A full two decades after Harry Teasley testified to the US Congressional Office
of Technology Assessment in June of 1976, the International Organization for
Standardization would publish the first standardized principles and framework for
life cycle assessment to support environmental management.
The work carried out by a global network of hundreds of dedicated scientists,
economists, engineers, and industrialists during 20 years leading up to that time and
the more than 40 years since have built a new internationally recognized scientific
field called life cycle assessment. The discipline continues to expand and attract
attention from more people that do not shy away from complex questions. These
questions attempt to make sense of the myriad subtle interactions between elements,
compounds, industrial processes, and consumer behavior throughout a product’s life.
LCA analytical techniques represent a step forward for everyone concerned with
measuring the ultimate impacts of human activity. What good are sophisticated
techniques, however, if they ultimately fail to provide actionable insight to decisionmakers? The next chapter discusses LCA details and how they create a picture of
system impacts to guide rational decisions on what and how to make.
References
Brady LM (2014) The Department of Defense and its precursors: history, responsibilities and policies. In: Fairfax SK, Russell E (eds) CQ Press guide to U.S. environmental policy. CQ Press an
imprint of SAGE Publications, Washington, DC, Inc, pp 255–268
Brundtland GH et al (1987) Brundtland: our common future (report for the world... - Google
Scholar). Oxford University Press, Oxford
Elkington J (1998) Cannibals with Forks: the triple bottom line of 21st century business. New
Society Publishers, Gabriola Island/Stony Creek
Hunt RG, Franklin WE, Welch RO, et al (1974) Resource and environmental profile analysis of
nine beverage container alternatives: final report
Kingman AZ Airplane Boneyard. https://airplaneboneyards.com/kingman- arizona- airplaneboneyard- storage.htm. Accessed 28 Jun 2020
References
there has been no overall net national reduction, and the annual rate of resource
transformation has tripled globally since then (UNEP 2016). Furthermore, neither
consumer or corporate behavior nor the industrial systems needed to create a closed
loop to approach a zero material waste economy have manifested.
4.6 Conclusion
This first attempt by the Coca-Cola Company in 1969 at quantifying specific impacts
that various industrial processes and consumer behavior patterns have on the environment represented a helpful start. It reflected emerging trends in Europe and other
parts of the world that would eventually become codified as an international standard. A full two decades after Harry Teasley testified to the US Congressional Office
of Technology Assessment in June of 1976, the International Organization for
Standardization would publish the first standardized principles and framework for
life cycle assessment to support environmental management.
The work carried out by a global network of hundreds of dedicated scientists,
economists, engineers, and industrialists during 20 years leading up to that time and
the more than 40 years since have built a new internationally recognized scientific
field called life cycle assessment. The discipline continues to expand and attract
attention from more people that do not shy away from complex questions. These
questions attempt to make sense of the myriad subtle interactions between elements,
compounds, industrial processes, and consumer behavior throughout a product’s life.
LCA analytical techniques represent a step forward for everyone concerned with
measuring the ultimate impacts of human activity. What good are sophisticated
techniques, however, if they ultimately fail to provide actionable insight to decisionmakers? The next chapter discusses LCA details and how they create a picture of
system impacts to guide rational decisions on what and how to make.
References
Brady LM (2014) The Department of Defense and its precursors: history, responsibilities and policies. In: Fairfax SK, Russell E (eds) CQ Press guide to U.S. environmental policy. CQ Press an
imprint of SAGE Publications, Washington, DC, Inc, pp 255–268
Brundtland GH et al (1987) Brundtland: our common future (report for the world... - Google
Scholar). Oxford University Press, Oxford
Elkington J (1998) Cannibals with Forks: the triple bottom line of 21st century business. New
Society Publishers, Gabriola Island/Stony Creek
Hunt RG, Franklin WE, Welch RO, et al (1974) Resource and environmental profile analysis of
nine beverage container alternatives: final report
Kingman AZ Airplane Boneyard. https://airplaneboneyards.com/kingman- arizona- airplaneboneyard- storage.htm. Accessed 28 Jun 2020
References