From: Rita Schenck
Sent: Monday, May 20, 2002 1:01 PM
To: data2@lcacenter.org
Subject: Data Availability - General question/comment RESPOND TO THIS
MESSAGE WITH ---REPLY TO ALL---

I have a question specifically for Bill Haaf, but would like to have
comments from others as well.

Bill, you mention "holistic examples" as a need to demonstrate the value of
LCA, and I agree. Some of the efforts of the US LCI database will be to look
at transportation and to the energy grid. I certainly agree that these are
both critical data sets that need to be addressed, but I am concerned that
it will be difficult to "think outside of the box" for a truly holistic
model to be developed.

For example, transportation is not simply a question of fuel consumption and
emissions control. Instead, a holistic LCA o transportation in the US would
include issues of habitat fragmentation, and the health effects of sitting
essentially completely still for the hours of the daily commute. Neither of
these issues is well characterized by current LCI data or LCIA models.

Rita Schenck

Institute for Environmental Research and Education
P.O. Box 2449
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Vashon, WA 98070
206-463-7430
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