Systems Perspectives on Industrial Ecology

Lecture Notes

This page presents notes for some of the lecture sessions.

LEC #

TOPICS

LECTURE NOTES

1

Introduction

(PDF)

Part 1: Views on Industrial Ecology

2

What is Industrial Ecology?

 

3

Environmental Paradigm

(PDF)

4

Sustainability: Concepts and Metrics

(PDF)

5

Resource Economics

 

6

Resource Economics (cont.)

 

7

Resource Econ Group Presentations

 

Part 2: LCA: Method Basics

8

Life-cycle Assessment - Overview

(PDF)

9

Using the Software

 

10

LCA - Scope

(PDF)

11

LCA - Inventory

(PDF)

12

LCA - Inventory Allocation

(PDF)

13

LCA - Recycling

 

14

Materials Flow Analysis

(PDF)

Part 3: Environmental Evaluation and Advanced Methods

15

Overview of Case 2

 

16

LCA - Impact Assessment - EPS

(PDF)

17

LCA - Impact Assessment - EcoPoints

(PDF)

18

LCA Research

 

19

Case 1 Presentations

 

Part 4: Aggregate Materials Flows

20

National Materials Flows

 

21

Material Flow Case Study

 

Part 5: Environmental Policy Strategies

22

Environmental Policy Making (Part 1)

(PDF)

23

Environmental Policy Making (Part 2)

 

24

Industrial Ecology Research @ MIT

 

25

Final Presentations

 

Assignments

This page gives brief descriptions of the homework assignments and case study projects.

Assignments

Assignment 1: One Page Definition Paper (PDF)

Assignment 2: Short Presentation on Selected Paradigm (PDF)

Assignment 3: Short Presentation Defending Perspective of Either Weak or Strong Sustainability (PDF)

Assignment 4: Defining Goals and Scope (PDF)

Case Studies

Case 1: LCA of a Product (PDF)

Case 2: LC Impact of System Changes (PDF)