Use of the Economic Input-Output Life-Cycle Assessment (eiolca) Website By Chris Hendrickson, H. Scott Matthews and Mike Griffin Green Design Institute, Carnegie Mellon University, Pittsburgh, PA 15208, USA

2 Some Sustainability Tools Triple bottom line assessments (multi- objective optimization) Life Cycle Assessment Expand range of design alternatives (not a tactic limited to sustainable infrastructure, of course…) –New technology (datalogger, new materials) –Alternative approaches (different modes)

3 Some Other Common Tools Materials flow analysis Appropriate boundary setting. Risk and uncertainty analysis. Life cycle cost analysis. Design heuristics (reduce energy use, eliminate waste material)

4 Website Components Economic Input-Output Model of US Economy (~480 economic sectors) Impact Vectors: Air emissions, Energy use, Toxic emissions, Employment and 1997 Benchmark models + annual models of US economy Tutorial on model use. Forum for discussion.

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6 History of Website Initial version on spreadsheet. Moved to web for free public use in 2000 with 1992 Benchmark Input-Output Data. Update to 1997 Benchmark in Papers on input-output life cycle assessment method and applications from 1992 on. Plan to update to 2002 Benchmark in 2007.

7 Use of Website >1,000,000 uses of the model (over 10,000 per month). Education/research uses most frequent. Numerous industrial and government uses. Numerous international uses. ‘Hybrid applications’ with process models and input-output model common.

8 Most Popular Sectors SECTOR% Motor Vehicles5 Plastics3 Dairy farm products3 Blast furnaces2 Electricity2 Inorganic Chemicals2 Computers2 Household laundry1 Asphalt paving1 Glass containers1

9 Most Popular Impacts IMPACT TABLE% Default Summary13 Conventional Air Pollutant Emissions9 Fuels9 RCRA Hazardous Waste7 Toxics Releases by Sector5 External Costs4 Ores3 OSHA Safety and Fatality3 Fertilizers3 Weighted Toxics Releases (CMU-ET)3

10 Book for Documentation in 2006 Theory. Applications: appliances, buildings, energy generation and transmission, logistics, motor vehicles, and services Extension to regional and safety impacts.

11 Residential Life Cycle Energy Source: Ochoa, Hendrickson, Matthews and Ries, 2005

12 Motor Vehicle Energy Use

13 Example: Power Tool Datalogger

14 Datalogger Triple Bottom Line Permits profitable re-manufacturing to replace loss making recycling. Develops information on tool use. Reduces material use overall. Creates new low-cost tool option. No privacy issues raised (unlike autos!) Must balance cost (including environmental cost) of datalogger versus benefits – return rate of used power tools is critical.

15 Some Relevant On-going Green Design Inst. Research 2002 Benchmark Update. Mixed unit input-output models: metal flows and monetary transactions. Regional Models. Other national models with international trade flows. Construction, energy (especially electricity), infrastructure and transportation alternatives life cycle assessment applications.

16 Switchgrass (Cellulosic) Ethanol

17 Local Action: Carnegie Mellon

18 Some Carnegie Mellon Projects (cont)

19 Conclusions Making sustainability operational requires political will but also effective tools and technology. Triple bottom line assessment: economic, environmental, social Life cycle perspective essential Challenges should not lead to paralysis.

20 Some Resources Center for Sustainable Engineering (ASU, Carnegie Mellon, Texas): Carnegie Mellon Green Design Institute: Input-Output Life Cycle Assessment: website at Book: Environmental Life Cycle Assessment of Goods & Services: An Input-Output Approach,