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TABLE 3.8
Attitudes Corresponding to the Three Cultural Perspectives Used in the
Eco-Indicator 99
Required level of
Archetype Time perspective Manageability evidence
Hierarchist Balance between Proper policy can avoid Inclusion based on
short and long term many problems consensus
Individualist Short term Technology can avoid Only proven effects
many problems
Egalitarian Very long term Problems can lead to All possible effects
catastrophe
Source: Goedkoop, M. and Spriensma, R., The eco-indicator-99. A damage-oriented method for life-
cycle impact assessment, Pré Consultants, Amersfoort, The Netherlands, 1999. With permission.

4. Fatalists have a strong link to grid, but not to group. Although these
people act as individuals they are usually controlled by others who influ-
ence their conception of destiny.
5. Autonomists are assumed to be the relatively small group that escapes
the manipulative forces of groups and grids.

There is sufficient evidence to assume that the representatives of the first three
extreme archetypes have distinctly different preferences as to modeling choices that
must be made. Therefore, they are relevant for decision-making (Table 3.8). The last
two archetypes cannot be used. The fatalist tends to have no opinion on such
preferences because he is guided by what others say and the autonomist cannot be
captured in any way because he thinks independently.
Only the hierarchist, egalitarian and individualist perspectives are relevant for
decision-making and can be defined as the default scenarios, which are proposed as
extreme cases if no other scenarios based on more specific information are available
(Weidema et al., 2002).
The real value of sociocultural viability theory is that a wide range of basic
attitudes and assumptions can be predicted for the three remaining extreme arche-
types: hierarchist, individualist and egalitarian. (Figure 3.8 specifies some of the
many different characteristics per archetype.) Therefore, the eco-indicator 99 meth-
odology uses these three perspectives to facilitate analysis of the relative contribution
of the different damage category indicators to one endpoint.

3.7.3 THE DALY CONCEPT FOR HUMAN HEALTH IMPACT
The DALY (developed by Murray and Lopez, 1996, for the World Health Organi-
zation [WHO] and World Bank) aggregates health effects leading to death or illness.
Health effects leading to death are described using the years of life lost (YOLL)
indicator, which includes all fatal health effects such as cancer or death due to
respiratory health effects. Respiratory health effects are further divided into acute

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