Presented by: Chris Gallagher 24th September 2013 Sources of Variation in Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) of Desktop Computers Paper by Paul Teehan and Milind Kandlikar. Presented by: Chris Gallagher 24th September 2013

Introduction This paper observes the impact of Desktop Computers on the environment. Furthermore it explores the reasons behind the inconsistencies between the existing Life Cycle Assessment studies.

Three most interesting findings? The global ICT sector is responsible for about 2% of the global greenhouses gases. Several different papers have been complied on the LCA of consumer electronics, but each lack consensus in the results. The LCA results are greatly dependant on the location of the PC during the “in-use phase”.

What is Life cycle assessment? Life Cycle Assessment is a technique used to assess the total environmental impact at all stages of a product.

What are some of the cause of Variation in Results? The type of computer that is being analyzed A lack of sufficient data on the environmental impact during the manufacturing stage How long will the PC be active?

Why are the results different in different Countries? Having a well established “take-back” recycling scheme, would greatly increase the reuse of PC’s. How the electricity is produced within the country.

Thank You for Listening Any Questions? Sources: http://et4407.wordpress.com/