Recently GHGm was awarded a contract to develop and implement a life cycle analysis (LCA) model for the primary agriculture sectors in Manitoba, work done in cooperation with Farms.com.
This project offers GHGm an opportunity to demonstrate its extensive knowledge in agriculture, life cycle analysis, and environmental management, which the firm holds. Expert knowledge in production agriculture, agronomy, soils, atmospheric sciences, environmental standards (e.g. ISO 14040), and life cycle analysis software (SimaPro) are but few of the expertise and tools applied in the work.
The Manitoba agriculture LCA project aims to enhance the value and sustainability of the local agriculture industry, through the systemic analysis and assessment of the production systems using a comprehensive life-cycle approach.
Dr. Steven B. Young was invited to present at the session on Environmental Goods and Services at the Ontario Ministry of Agriculture, Food, and Rural Affairs (OMAFRA) Outlook Conference at the Royal Winter Fair in Toronto, Ontario. His presentation, entitled “From Environmental Footprint to Societal Value” was coauthored with Dr. Goretty Dias. It established a link from measuring impacts to valuing ecological services, and highlighted the role of LCA in contributing to an understanding of the valuation of environmental goods and services in agriculture.
GHGm has been awarded a contract to provide a cradle-to-gate LCA of four agriculture environmental technology projects for Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada (AAFC). The projects were originally funded by the Environmental Technology Assessment for Agriculture program, through the Agricultural Policy Framework. The technologies being analyzed range from forage management practices, to fruit and grain crop production, to manure management and energy production by anaerobic digestion. An established life cycle assessment (LCA) model is being expanded.
“GeSI and EICC have commissioned a study, to be lead by Dr. Steven Young of GreenhouseGasMeasurement.com (GHGm), to help understand how various metals are mined, extracted, recycled, purchased and used within the electronics sector. Dr. Young has been developing environmental approaches and assisting organizations become more sustainable since the early 1990s. He has worked for a diversity of government agencies, international associations and multinational corporations—like Continue reading ‘Electronics sector engages GHGm’
Dr. Goretty Dias, GHGm Senior Scientist, will be leading GHGm’s on-going efforts in biofuels, agriculture and related biomass analyses, the company announced today.
With more than half a dozen biomass life cycle assessment project studies completed, Dr. Dias is a world class expert in the area. Examining the intricacies of by-products allocations and interplay of multiple environmental parameters has become a specialty. Dr. Dias is particularly concerned about the fuel-food tradeoff, and emphasizes the need for a better understanding Continue reading ‘Biofuels and agricultural assessment leadership’
GHGm has recently completed comprehensive Life Cycle Analysis (LCA) work on biodigestors processing manure and biomass residues. Undertaken for Natural Resources Canada, in cooperation with other government departments and facility site operators, GHGm developed questionnaires, collected data, executed LCA modeling, and completed analysis and recommendations around energy, greenhouse gases and other emissions for the Energy Cogeneration from Agricultural and Municipal Waste (ECoAMu) program). A number of Canadian facilities were assessed.
Yes, we know LCA — in fact we’ve been performing life cycle assessment studies for years. Our GHG work is a specialized application of the broader LCA methodology.
LCA is advantagous because:
it provides an evaluation that is centered on products & services
it considers the whole life cycle, from “cradle to grave”, encompassing energy and material resources, manufacturing, use and end-of-life activities for a particular product system
it quantifies multiply environmental issues, putting different indicators on one table for decisions makers: energy, air and water emissions, toxics and other impacts
it can be used for decision-making, for example where alternative materials or alternative products are being compared side-by-side
GHGm experts are familiar with the ISO 14040 series standards (including the new ISO 14044 which is soon to be published).
We own SimaPro LCA software for LCA analysis, and have a number of sophisticated databases on-hand.
With the assistance of GHGm, the international metals industry has prepared, and released today, a position regarding the benefits and analysis of metals recycling. Published in the International Journal of Life Cycle Assessment, it is available at: http://dx.doi.org/10.1065/lca2006.11.283
The latest edition of GreenClips highlights a recent paper in The Construction Specifier, by Catherine Houska and GHGm President, Steven B. Young. GreenClips highlights stories on sustainable design, particularly relevant to Green Buildings and LEED. The article reviews life cycle assessment (LCA) data covering issues like total primary energy,and pollution emissions (CO2, Particulates, Chemical Oxygen Demand) required to produce 1 kg of primary metals.
Emphasis is on the environmental benefit of recycling of materials and looking to high end of life (EOL) collection rates. Guidance for environmental improvement is towards good design that promotes EOL collection and high quality, high value scrap suitable for recycling.
The original article is in The Construction Specifier, Jul 06, p 80, by Catherine Houska and Steven B. Young.
GHGm successfully delivered a two day training workshop on life cycle assessment (LCA). Dr. Lindita Bushi, supported by Dr. Goretty Dias, instructed Canadian agriculture experts on the framework, methodology and standards for LCA. The focus of the training was on the SimaPro 6 software, which has recently been purchased by Agriculture and Agri-foods Canada (AAFC) for the Environmental Technology Assessment for Agriculture (ETAA) program.
LCA case studies highlighted in the training (and under the ETAA program) includes an Ontario poultry pyrolosis renewable energy technology and a novel blueberry management and production operation in Nova Scotia.
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