Environmental impacts are divided into global (effects on a global scale), regional (effects on a regional scale), local impacts (effects on a local scale) and resource and energy consumptions Local impacts are not dealt with further in this book.
Global environmental impacts
Global environmental impacts comprise two parameters:
- Global warming (emissions – e.g. CO2)
- Ozone Depletion (emissions of CFC gases)
Regional environmental impacts
Regional environmental impacts comprise three parameters:
- Acid lakes, acid rain (acidification of soil and water)
- Algal blooms (eutrophication)
- Summer smog (photochemical ozone creation)
Resource and energy consumptions
In an LCA, two types of consumptions are assessed; use of abiotic resources like metals (materials) and use of fossil energy.
- Consumption of primary resources (depletion of abiotic resources – elements)
- Consumption of fossil fuels (depletion of abiotic resources – fossil fuels)