Enhancing the reliability of C and N accounting in economic activities : Integration of bio-geochemical cycle with Eco-LCA

摘要

The resilience of earth systems depend on delicate balance of several natural cycles and phenomena. Recently, scientists have enumerated few of the significant Earth-system processess and their boundaries which should not be transgressed in order to make human activities sustainable. [1] It was found that we have already exceeded some of the safe operating limits, which motivates the integration of bio-geochemical cycles with Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) techniques to make more sustainable decisions. The framework of Ecologically Based Life Cycle Assessment (Eco-LCA) is capable to capture the role of the bio-geochemical cycles in LCA. This article focuses on developing Carbon and Nitrogen Life Cycle Inventory by combining Eco-LCA framework with these nutrient cycle flows. It highlights the need of such comprehensive accounting and motivates the need of data collection for interaction of technical and natural systems.