Page 19 - Materials Chemistry, Second Edition

xx PREFACE

trade-offs. There are several other similar examples, which I will not go into here.
I trust that after reading this book, the differences will be clearer.
Second, I wanted the reader to hear from the experts and leaders in LCA. I asked
recognized LCA professionals for their contributions. I felt it was important to hear
all the representative voices from industry, academia, and of course, the LCA con-
sultants. We even heard from non-governmental organizations (NGOs). The book
contains writings from 47 authors from 10 countries. Despite their busy schedules, all
of the authors came through with marvelous contributions. I give my sincere thanks
to the authors for their dedication and hard work and their willingness to take time
away from their extremely busy careers and lives to share their experiences, wisdom,
observations, and guidance which made this book possible (the term "herding cats"
was used frequently as I waited for final manuscripts). In the end, I am extremely
pleased with the outcome. There is much the reader can learn by drawing from the
wealth of experience and knowledge that is contained within the covers of this book.
Third, I wanted to capture the latest advancements in LCA methodology and
application in one convenient place. I also wanted to indicate where further
advancement in LCA is still needed. The book was designed with a particular
flow in mind. It begins at the beginning, with an historical account of LCA and
how it has developed over the years. The following chapters cover the basics of
the LCA methodology, and discuss goal and scope definition, inventory analysis,
impact assessment, and interpretation. Then, multiple examples of application are
presented. This is followed by aspects of how LCA is used in decision making, and
how it is now evolving as the underlying principle behind environmental sustain-
ability. The book is best approached from beginning to end, as each chapter was
designed to build on the last. However, each chapter is self-contained, and readers
may benefit from skipping to the topic(s) of interest to them.
LCA and LCA-based tools give us a way to improve our understanding of the
environmental impacts associated with product and process systems in order to
support decision making and achieve sustainability goals. In the early 1990s (before
the first ISO 14000 series on LCA was established), there was considerable confusion
regarding how LCA should be conducted. Even the term itself was debated, and 'life
cycle analysis' and 'life cycle assessment' were used interchangeably. Eventually,
'assessment' became the preferred choice in the ISO standards and within the LCA
community. 'Analysis' is still used by some (usually those who are less familiar with
LCA), but I asked the authors to use 'assessment' throughout their writing to be
consistent with the ISO standard, and to appease me. Over the last 22 years, it has
been fascinating to watch the evolution of LCA practice, from concept to standard-
ized methodology and on to being the 'backbone' of sustainability.
I intend for this book to be a useful reference tool for a wide audience, including
students in environmental studies, government policy makers, product designers
and manufacturers, and environmental management professionals. That is, I hope
it is useful to anyone who wants to implement a life cycle approach in their orga-
nization, be it in the private sector or public, as well as those who simply wish to
have a better understanding of what all the fuss over LCA has been about.

Cincinnati, Ohio, USA Mary Ann Curran
July 2012