Moral philosophy, economics, and life cycle inventory analysis

摘要

The choice of system boundaries, allocation methods and data sources in a life cycle inventory analysis (LCI) depends on basic, ethical views. From the viewpoint of teleological situation ethics, an effect-oriented LCI - with system expansions and marginal data - provides relevant information. From the viewpoint of rule ethics, the methodological choices depend on what rules are considered to be good. In an effect-oriented LCI, the starting point for an assessment of the environmental consequences of actions should be the specific action at hand or the foreground system. A radically effect-oriented LCI probably requires the co-operation between economists and engineers.